"Be counted on..."

...TO VOTE...

...no matter which political viewpoint you prefer.

"To make democracy work,

we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers.

One who does not vote

has

no right to complain."

~Louis L'Amour

"Desert Forecast..."

Daytime highs this week will be seasonable

and

will range from 103-109 degrees

Fahrenheit...

which is still tolerable outside...

cuz

it's a "dry heat"...LOL :)

...and the night time temps will also remain
seasonable
cooling to the mid to high 70's
range.
This is good...I dread July and August...:(
So...
My forecast for all you

(northern hemisphere) readers today

is a
Happy "First Day of Summer-Cactus Monday"!
Now let's all sing along...
cuz...
"It's summertime, summertime
sum sum summertime...
Summertime, summertime
sum sum summertime...
Summertime, summertime sum sum summertime..
Summerti...iiiiii...ime!"
~Sherm Feller & Tom Jameson
"The Jamies", 1958

Pssst...Happy 1st day of Winter for all of you

south of the Equator...:)

(Sorry, no song...)

"Six Word Saturday..."

"Flower rockets explode...lighting inky skies."

See other "Six Word Saturdays" here...:)

"Sonoran Moonlight..."

...painted first on some Ampersand Claybord

which has a really unique surface

and then

etched out for details

using simple scratchboard tools.

(Size 4"X 6")

Really intriguing and fun to make!

Maybe...give it a try!!! :)

For sure...have a Happy Cactus Monday!

May tonight's moon etch some magical memories

for you, too!

“Moonlight is sculpture.”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

"My Cactus Monday Ideas..."

...have certainly gone down the drain this week...:)

Actually,

I find manhole covers quite fascinating...

so does Tommy Kane...

check out his manhole photo collection here

his blog here and his website here!

(Pssst...in case you can't tell...I am a HUGE fan of his!)

Happy Cactus Monday all...

watch where you step...art is everywhere! :)

"When the Deep Purple Falls..."

...over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle in the sky—
In the mist of a memory you wander back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh..."

~Mitchell Parish 1938

Happy Cactus Monday All!

"Happy 1st Cactus Monday..."

...of the new year!

...Sending some warm Arizona sunshine

and happy thoughts

your way!

:)

"Back In The Saddle..."

...Again...:)

Well...at least I'm back in

My "little red Hand.Book sketchbook"...again...

(Yee Haw!)
...but I'm still flipping things around...
just for the fun of it!
These journal pages were made using the
hand carved cactus stamps
Shayna
gifted me...
plus a few bold splashes of watercolor...:)
Happy Cactus Monday All...
Put your own personal stamp (or brand) on this day!
:)

"I'm back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again..."
~Gene Autry

"The Batik Effect..."

...an "experiment" using

a fine masking applicator and a wet color filled wash

on 140# CP watercolor paper.

Happy Cactus Monday!

Why not experiment with something artistic today!

"All life is an experiment.

The more experiments you make the better."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Autumnal Glow..."

Happy Cactus Monday All!

"Just before the death of flowers,

And before they are buried in snow,

There comes a festival season

When nature is all aglow."

~Author Unknown

"Back in the Desert Again..."

The Autumnal Desert...day(above)...and night (below)

...and what a scorcher of a day we had yesterday...

a record breaking 107 degrees!

It is supposed to be the same today too.

The best part about this extended heat is that

the nights cool down

very nicely

and

the Fall season is here.

(So...this heat cannot last forever...now can it?)

Fingers and toes crossed...:)
Have a beautifully "autumnal" Cactus Monday all!

"Autumn's the mellow time."
~William Allingham

"An Aerial Perspective..."

...it's all a matter of how you view things...:)

Happy Cactus Monday to you...How ever you may be

taking in your view of life today,

may it be filled with

wonder!

"You must look within for value, but must look beyond for perspective."
~Denis Waitley

"A Happy Birthday Cactus..."

...arriving from my

brand new "Desert Jewels" ATC series

all blinged out and ready to party

...is presented here as

an artistic little "somethin' somethin' "

made with lots of love for my Dad

who just happens to be celebrating birthday #87 today!

Now...

"Close your eyes and make a wish...LOL:)"

Join in on the party and have a Happy Cactus Monday all!

"Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things."

~Robert Brault

"Stumbling Upon..."

...some golden Barrel Cactus fruit...

(click on images to enlarge)

found on the grounds of the Westward Look Resort

(...advertised as the "Soul of the Southwest"...)

where we stayed

during our delightful getaway in Tucson

a couple of weeks ago.

The brown tops are actually the dried cactus flowers

of the plant.

These pots of gold popped right out at us...not difficult to spot at all!

Don't these little fruity gems remind you

of tiny pineapples?

Now, according to Wikipedia:

"The flowers are pollinated by cactus bees.

Mule deer, birds, and javelina eat the fruit.

The birds especially like the seeds.

The people of the Sonoran desert use the fruit for candy and jelly.

The Seri eat the flowers and the O'odham use the fruit,

which is sour, as emergency food.

Tradition says that the barrel cactus

is a source of water for people lost without water in the desert.

There are records

of the southwestern Native Americans using it for that purpose,

but the water contains oxalic acid

and is likely

to cause diarrhea if ingested on an empty stomach."

(Ewww...okay...

Waaaay too much information...)

Here's hoping that you

"stumble upon" something wonderful this Cactus Monday ! :)

"Don't miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow

looking for that pot of gold."

~Author unknown

"Candy and Jelly..."

...From a Prickly Pear cactus..."Out Wickenburg Way"!

According to Wikipedia...

"The fruit of prickly pears,

commonly called cactus figs, Indian fig or tuna,

is edible,

although it has to be peeled carefully to remove the small spines

on the outer skin before consumption...

Cactus figs are often used to make candies and jelly and a refreshing drink."

Click here to see some Prickly Pear goodies to purchase and eat!

Happy Cactus Monday All!

Fill yourself with all kinds of cactus treats today. :)

"Inside My Mind..."

...and some more of my art
on pages 20-24
of Jennifer Lawson's little Maruman sketchbook entitled
"Transitions."

My art begins the first four pages
of the "backside " of the sketchbook...
and ends where the bougainvillea vines blend
with Jennifers wild roses.

I chose to include a postcard here because

it was through an international postcard exchange

with Anita Davies

where I started, with baby steps, on the path to "blogdom"...

...and now, just a short while later,

I am here exchanging Maruman sketchbooks with fellow artists!

That is a transition which still takes my breath away.

I chose the Monument Valley region to be on the postcard

not only because

of its "wild west" beauty and universal appeal,

but also because

of its unique location in both Utah and Arizona...

a space transition of monumental proportions to be sure! :)

If you look carefully you will see that

the cactus was painted in various stages of bloom...

The quote:

"Change is the only constant." ~Ghandi

is one of my most favorite...

and has especially helped me bear through many a bump in many a road.

The vines stemming from the bougainvillea branches

are from my imagination...actual "Bougies" don't have them...

Through bits of calligraphy I attempted to illustrate

how transition in its various forms

can be growth...a new beginning

for each of us.

This theme was an interesting challenge...

it went beyond visual pen marks,

and brush stokes,

and choices of color...

into a unique artistic space for me...

and a inspirational transition for sure!

The last full reveal of my work in "Transitions"

will be in tomorrow's post...

Hope you will stop back by for a visit! :)

"A Bloomin' Giant...! "

Carnigiea gigantea

Become "Saguaro Saavy":

The magnificent Saguaro cactus is composed of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, often with several large branches (arms) curving upward in the most distinctive shape of all Southwestern cacti.

Saguaros are slow growing, taking up to 75 years to develop a side arm.

The flower of the saguaro cactus is the state flower of Arizona.

The saguaro cactus typically blooms in May and June.

It is one of the most unique state flowers, and is characterized by having a waxy feel, but fragrant aroma.

There may be hundreds of flowers on a saguaro cactus that bloom just several at a time over a period of more than a month.

The saguaro flowers have a short life; they open at night and close permanently during the next day.

Many of the blossoms will become pollinated and, later in the summer, the flowers become red-fleshed fruits that are enjoyed by the local bird population.

Some specimens may live for more than 150 years... the champion saguaro grows in Maricopa County, Arizona and is 13.8 m tall with a girth of 3.1 m.

Happy Cactus Monday! :)

"You Go, Girl...! "

Echinopsis calochlora

Is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, & Paraguay.

Her colorful blossoms can range from

Pink,

to Deep Red,

to Magenta,

to Orange, and

to White.

She is an original South American "party girl"...

dressing up in her festive "bling-blossoms"

for a midnight rendezvous or two

with a few batty friends.

But...

Just like a "Cinderella",

her fragile and delicate beauty quickly

fades from view...

leaving only the haunting memories of her sweet fragrance

in the hearts of admirers

until the next Spring.

Ahhhh..

The beauty of Mother Nature...

She surely has it goin' on! ;)

Happy Cactus Monday!

"Cactus Monday...This One's for Teri!..."

Happy "Cactus Monday" everyone!

I just joined Teri, from Teri's Painted Daisies, and her little drawing group honoring the cacti of the world. We will attempt to post either a cactus drawing or some type of artistic cactus endeavor every Monday on our blogs. This is my first posting with the group and because of that I am posting it in honor of Teri for her enthusiasm and love of Arizona.

My drawing is of a prickley pear cactus just like the one I have in my own backyard. Mine is still a few weeks from producing blossoms but when it does they will be a pale yellow color like in my drawing. I can't wait for all the cacti to begin blooming. It is such a festive site!

Woo Hoo! I can feel it in my bones...This is gonna' be fun! :)

Prickly Pear Cactus Bloom

Here is an example of a postcard sent to a friend as a part of a Postcard Exchange. This was my first attempt a such an endeavor. I just LOVED being part of it!