yucca season

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yucca bloom?

Someone sent me an interesting image on a chunk of wood...postmarked Phoenix, AZ but no return address or note.  Been thinking about using a "me and Benita" silhouette for a new tshirt design and I really like elements of this mystery image - let me know who you are.

Got some more metal siding up on the NE end of the greenhouse.  Due to wind - only got 4 sheets up.  Spotted an anomaly coming home from the mailboxes...a really tall yucca in full bloom about 1/2 mile east of TFL.  Kinda early for out here and pretty rare considering our drought conditions.  There must be a really good water source under that plant.49,60,46,0,B

first yucca bloom...

Three spring break tours today then back to the plan.  Decided that instead of dumping about 4,500 gallons of old stored creek water - I should probably relocate it to my favorite plants rather than just wet some rocks.  That will take a bit of extra time but that seems to be just what I have before we will get any rain out here.  Need to empty the two (3000 gallon) furthest tanks from the greenhouse before relocating them to the gutter system. Got one load of 125 gallons out late this afternoon for some of my bigger yucca plants.  Low and behold - I found a yucca starting a bloom about 50 yards south of the complex.  This will be Benita's birthday present next month once it goes to flower.  They are like candy to a longhorn.  79,84,46,0,B

Flowers for my gal...

Pretty damp all around the Field Lab grounds this morning - especially at the road at the end of my driveway. Drove the truck out through the dry shortcut to Capt. Kirks to check the roads. Took the NW loop up and around to try to get to Agua Fria Rd. About a mile out I came to a stretch of swamp - no go. Looped back and took the road past Leon's camp and the road was just fine...most of the .18" that fell last night must have been just on me. Safely to the HWY, I stopped at the Grub Shack for a breakfast sandwich to go and hit the road to Alpine.

Made all the usual stops: Johnson Feed for cow snacks, McCoys for more container paint and solar panel mount parts, Bennett Jones for a visit, the Food Basket for grub and refrigerant, and finally the gas station. In and out in about 3 hours. Stopped by Chuck's to drop off a gallon of paint I owed him and sat'n'chatted for awhile. Home safe and sound by 5PM to unload. On the way down the HWY, I spotted a fine looking Yucca bloom and snatched it for Benita. She was laying down when I pulled in but got right up to chow on the flowers.

Lots of sun all day that bumped my battery banks back full - which was agood thing as the sump pump was quite a drain on them. Topped off the tank that I had withdrawn 100 gallons from to mix concrete for the container footings. Now the pool is just two tiny puddles. (50% chance of more rain tomorrow) Unpacked and put away all the goods from the shopping spree and sat in the shade to drink a beer while Benita munched away.

Around 7 PM I happened to notice a red truck pulling a long travel trailer going west on the road just north of me. It was my friend Ryan on his way to his newly purchased land to set up camp. Knowing how and where he was going I shot out on the go kart to catch up to him....he was headed for a swamp. I met up with him at an intersection and suggested he ride just a little down the road with me to see what was around the corner. He was not to be deterred since he had come this far so he decided to go for it with the rig.....and was stopped dead in the middle of the muck. This kid knows all the tricks and has the right tools and pulled his big truck and trailer right out of the mud with the huge winch on the front of the bumper. He got the monster rig to his plot in no time. I really enjoy helping someone who knows what he's doing.

yucca chew

Low of 44 - High of 84...not a cloud in the sky, again today. Plugged away at half speed (being that it was Sunday). Got all the re bar set for the south entrance and just about finished the forms for the east entrance. Started clearing the grounds for the next press visit on Tuesday. Heated up leftovers in the solar oven tonight.

Same longhorn group was here again all day. Named as follows: Beatrice, Carmelita, Carmello, Coolata, Amos, and Andy. Did you ever wonder if longhorns actually rest their heads on the ground when they are sleeping? Here is Carmelita and Amos during nap time this afternoon. Coolata has a nice wide spread and is starting to warm up to me. Good thing I got a photo of that yucca bloom yesterday - one of the longhorns ate it today - salad on a stick(stalk).