SUNRISE & SUNSET AT OUR HOUSE

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20/08

We had so hoped to see the lunar eclipse to-night but it was not to be. Heavy cloud cover this morning gave way to clear sunny sky's this afternoon only to return minutes after the moon had broke over the horizon. I was able to get off one moon shot before it disappeared into the soup of heavy cloud cover....OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The sunrise this morning turned out better & the gathering clouds made for a fiery start to the day. Slipped out the door in my PJ's for some photos & carelessly got tangled up with a teddy bear cholla. They are sometimes called "jumping chollas' because if you get near them it seems the spiky barbs leap right off the plant & imbed themselves in you. I brushed against one of them & a spiky barbed piece pierced my left leg. Reached down to pull it out & the damn thing flipped around & plunged itself into my thumb. Wow, do those things ever hurt. Tried to carefully pull it out but it wouldn't come. Continued taking more photos trying to ignore the pain but after a few minutes I had to put the camera down & go get my toolbox. Was able to pull the fleshy green plant body of the cholla away with a pliers, leaving half a dozen barbs in my skin. They must have barbed hooks on them because even pulling with the pliers, they hung on & pulled the skin up. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!!" You have to pull quick because it's really painful the slower you go. Kelly had one of those barbs break off in her finger over 3 weeks ago & it's still causing her grief. As beautiful as those cholla plants are, they are a very nasty bit of prickly business.

A short hike this afternoon mixed with generous servings of naps & reading. The wind suddenly started gusting & we had to scramble to put our awning up. One of those unpredictable gusts broke our flag pole in half so that's the end of that. Maureen & Mike bicycled over for a brief visit. Big winds brought in heavy clouds & the temps went down so they headed back to their rig & we retreated inside for the rest of the day. So disappointed about the lunar eclipse. Was looking forward to taking a few photos. Oh well, it will happen again in a few years & hopefully it will be clear for this Fridays full moon. A full moon in the desert is like no other..................................