The Wandering Minstrel

We got the bad news this morning that our giant saguaro cactus, the “big guy,” is doomed. Our landscape contractor did an analysis after the crew dug up some of the soil around the root base.

The verdict is that the cactus has root rot, a symptom of over watering this type of cactus. The experts assume that the previous owner must have done too much irrigation and the root rot originated there, since we have NEVER watered the big guy in his current home. Regardless, he is going to be hauled away to cactus graveyard.

Eventually, the big guy will be replaced with another similar saguaro cactus as soon as the arrangements can be made. We’re sorry to see the big guy go, but we know that another will fill the empty hole.

Clickable image, saguaro root rot courtesy of TBH.

A troubling gap appeared at the base of our giant saguaro cactus. The gap between the cactus and the ground is on the north side of the root. The Better Half noticed it yesterday but we don’t know for sure how long it has been like that.

Clickable image - the saguaro gap - courtesy The Better Half

Needless to say, I immediately placed a call to the garden shop that sold us the saguaro. The owner indicated that he would get in touch with the expert from the cactus farm and that they would have a look at it tomorrow. It’s troubling, but they assure me there’s no reason to panic.

I hiked up the little hill right behind our house (while staying alert for rattlesnakes or Gila monsters, of course) and took this short video of the RV pull-thru. I panned left to right, although the RV will pull through the other way for convenient access to the hose bib, sewer hookup and the 30 amp electrical hookup located on the rear of the house just to the right of the screened-in patio.

Our contractor graded the road for us at no additional charge since it came in handy for him and his crew for access to the rear of the house during construction. The pull-thru has been used by delivery trucks, the screen contractor, landscapers and others, but we have yet to have the first RV hook up. One of these days . . .

Our humble blog has just exceeded 150 thousand hits and over 200 thousand page hits according to SiteMeter. Our first post was in November of 2007 when we decided to create a weblog (mostly) dedicated to second amendment issues and the right to keep and bear arms. That continues to be the focus here and we intend to keep our sights on gun grabbers and interesting things about firearms.

I recently passed another milestone - that is another birthday. I am now 68 years young and (fortunately) don’t feel much over 40 except for some very minor issues. The Better Half baked my favorite cake for my birthday - carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. She only made a few cupcakes and did not put candles on them because of the fire hazard. Clickable image.

We got nothing tonight - just a shot of the waterfall in the new spa . . .

Clickable image.

When I added the chore to my ‘to-do’ list, I wrote “prune suckers” to remind myself to grab the garden shears and cut off all the extraneous growth around the base of the creosote bushes lining the RV drive. When I read the chore list this morning, I thought - prune suckers? That sounds like a bunch of toothless geriatrics trying to stay regular.

I went out before the temperature got very hot and commenced pruning. The creosote next to the orchard (1 lemon and 1 orange tree) was particularly bad. As you can see from the composite (clickable) image, I accomplished my mission. Retirement is nice, but it is not zero work.

The Better Half snapped this (clickable) image of me behind our patio today. We have a little joke where we say to each other, “Another grueling day of retirement,” as we sit relaxing on the patio watching the desert critters and sipping iced tea. We had no chores or errands today, other than to take care of the dogs, Scratch ‘n’ Sniff, so we did, indeed, relax.

The rocky embankment behind me is where our landscape contractor planted sixty (or so) one gallon blue Tuscan rosemary shrubs which will eventually spread out to cover and stabilize the slope. They are irrigated daily and with today’s 105° temperature, you could almost hear them growing.

The landscapers installed several new things in the courtyard, by the driveway and in the “orchard.” They planted several silver sage shrubs along the driveway. The image is of the courtyard, where they planted a flowerless plum tree, three fragrant Cleveland sage shrubs and three red bird of paradise. They planted the “orchard” along the RV drive through, which consists of one lemon and one orange tree. Clickable image.