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Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Showing posts with label Cactus Blooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cactus Blooms. Show all posts

Monday, August 08, 2016

Monday Musings: There is life in the desert

Most people think the desert is barren and devoid of any life. I thought that was true until I moved to the desert. The abundance of plant and animal life here astounded me. All you have to do is open your eyes and ears to experience it.


Most mornings I awaken to the odd, rhythmic sound of a quail calling to his family or the shrill calls of the very vocal grackle. I watch humming birds buzz around my feeder, listen to mourning doves cooing. I see rabbits, lizards, roadrunners, owls, bats, even snakes. Mocking birds often fill the air with their “mocking” cries.



We just moved to a house that backs up to a wash and it is full of life. Dozens of chipmunks live in burrows along the wash. They socialize with their neighbors, the rabbits and birds. When a chipmunk senses danger, it sends out a loud trilling noise to warn the other chipmunks.



On quiet nights, the chilling howls from coyotes ring out. When I hear that sound, my skin prickles because it signifies they have caught something.

We don’t have thick, luscious green pine trees here, but there are numerous plants and trees that flourish without the need for much water. My favorite is the palo verde tree. In the spring, its green branches sprout yellow flowers. Its pods also provide food for the various animals.


Many types of cactus grow here in the desert. In spring, beautiful flowers bloom among the sharp, menacing spines. Cactus wrens build their nests in the cactus, probably for protection from predators.


Life is everywhere here. On the stark surface, beneath a sweltering sun, it can be deceiving. But in the early hours of the morning and just before sunset, the animals come out to gather food, rabbits and chipmunks scurry from bush to bush, and the birds fill the air with their excited chatter. It’s so serene and beautiful here in the desert I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth & magic.

Beauty may be the real beast.



Monday, April 20, 2015

Monday Musings: Signs of spring in Lake Havasu City, AZ

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Hummingbird enjoys the warm weather.

 

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This roadrunner suddenly jumped up on the wall while I was trying to photograph a lizard. I’m pretty sure he was hunting the lizard and didn’t see me. I think I saved the lizard’s life because I frightened the roadrunner as much as he frightened me--he left as fast as he appeared, I barely captured this shot.

 

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A beautiful cactus bloom—such beauty among such dangerous thorns.

 

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Palo Verde tree in full bloom.

 

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Loki enjoying the nice spring weather.

 

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My first sighting of Godzilla, the desert iguana—maybe. I’m not quite sure if this is Godzilla or his mate, or possibly his offspring. This lizard didn’t look quite as big as Godzilla.

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

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Monday, October 13, 2014

Monday Musings: More Godzilla news and backyard beauty

The lizard I named Godzilla used to visit my yard and I recently discovered he has moved into my yard. Yeah, he moved in along with some baby lizards, which I assume belong to him and Mrs. Godzilla. I think there are two of the huge lizards and the babies would indicate that is true. We no longer have a bunch of bugs in our yard and house thanks to the lizard community. Godzilla doesn’t appear to feel threatened by me or by my Chihuahua (my Chihuahua isn’t much bigger than him). In fact, as the pictures indicate, he allows me to get really close to him.

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The lizards seem to be enjoying the beautiful weather we are having. This is the time of year when cactus blooms. You wouldn’t think a plant with dangerous, prickly thorns could look beautiful, but I’ve never seen such gorgeous blooms.

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Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, September 08, 2014

Monday Musings: After the Monsoon

We have some pretty nasty, terrifying monsoon storms here in the Arizona desert each summer. We get a whole year’s worth of rain in a half hour, which makes driving dangerous. I am terrified to drive during a monsoon storm. I got lucky so far this year and only found myself out on the road once the storm had passed and dealt with a small amount of rain. But what happened was I forgot that because of the hot, dry weather, windshield wipers don’t last and need to be checked before the summer. Well, while out on the highway, I turned on my wipers only to have them get stuck in the middle of my windshield. Yikes. Anyway, despite the downside to summer storms, after these rainstorms pass, the air smells so clean and everything that was dry blooms.

 

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I don’t think I’ve ever seen this cactus bloom.

 

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A bee finds this bloom enticing.

 

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This plant was dry and looking dead before the rainstorm.

 

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In the wake of the storm: beautiful sun-painted clouds.

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604