Oh Papagos! Oh Papagos! How are thy leaves so verdant?!

This day was very relaxing. No pressure, no schedule, nothing. Just one big old collective "ahhhhhh". We went for a nice little hike at the Papagos. We were going to further Tabitha's training by heading into old town Scottsdale so she can have the bustle of lots of people and traffic while attempting to keep it together and notice we do in fact exist when other people head in our general direction. However, she played hard with Cheeto (AHHH! I forgot his picture again and he's SO STINKING CUTE!!) all yesterday and then we double whammied her with the Paps today. It just didn't seem fair to hammer her small overtired fragile little mind until it was some what sharper. Have I mentioned Papago Peaks? They're a couple miles from the homestead and it's a pretty cool place to hike around. We were all going to climb to the top so I could get you a sweet picture of the city but the wind was brutal today. I tried getting the city from half way up but the smog, which I like to call "mist" was my fierce enemy. The Paps wasn't the original plan so I was wearing shoes that had about as much traction as a piece of cardboard. With the combined steep slick slopes, loose rocks/sand that cover them and the added gale we opted for a nice walk around the park. It wasn't my best picture day. It's tough taking suitable pictures while getting pushed around on a shabby foundation by an invisible bully force but I tried like the best of them. With all the rain we have been getting, what used to resemble the moon is now full of greenery and I must say I am soaking it in before the shriveling heat arrives. But then who knows, maybe it'll keep raining enough for the plants to maintain? Fingers crossed. How will they do that with no air you ask? Back to the mist. Did you know Phoenix is not only running out of water, it's also running out of air? Truly. Speaking of air, check out the picture of Mr. F, James and Tabitha. I was trying to give you an idea of how windy it was up there. Fun but wicked.

I keep trying to get that super NG shot of a hummer. I don't want to sound overly paranoid but those little freaks of nature know my plan, I swear they know. If I am out there with the camera, wearing my red bandana, standing a nice safe distance away (I can totally respect personal space when someone is eating) pointed and ready to go not one hummer will sit still. They're ricocheting around the yard like they're in a pinball machine. Now earlier I was in the backyard talking on the phone with my mom, pacing back and forth, waving my hands around as I do, positioned with my head right next to one of the feeders out back. Doesn't this flawless ruby throated specimen come down, brush against my head to get to the feeder and then THEN flaunt his goodies right in my face for a period of time that would have ended up a stellar picture! Bastard. It makes me want to pellet gun them down and set up little props for to take pictures of them in while they wake up. Maybe something like The Sound of Music? Oooo... or a little hospital scene with them lying on a tiny gurney breathing into an even teenier oxygen mask. That would be fitting don't you agree? I don't care how this goes down, I'm getting my shot. With or without cooperation. You'll see.

Oh hey! The cacti are all budding and you know what that means! Savage blossoms! I am psychotic with excitement. I might do a little cheat time and go to the Botanical Gardens once everything is blooming for some fabulous flower shots. We are also going to head up to Black Canyon City as Mr. C's back yard is government protected land that is simply untouchable. I get a little freaked out over there when it's hot and the dogs are with us because protected land means no foot traffic, and no foot traffic means bucketloads of scorpions and snakes hiding where you would never expect them to be. Yikes. In the winter it's not so bad because everything is cold and sleeping away the chill. I don't even know if I could handle that now that it's getting warmer... I can totally see me having a full blown hysteria laden mental breakdown and we wouldn't even be out of our own driveway yet. Maybe Mr. F will have the foresight to grab the camera so I can blog it for you?