We have had a potted Meyer lemon plant on our patio for several years. We fertilize and water it regularly. The record-setting desert heat this year has been rough on our small plant. Some of the lemons formed splits in the surface. This is the first year we have experienced the splitting. In addition to the hotter than normal temperatures, we have had a little over two inches of rain, which is about four inches less than normal for this time of year.
This year we still have 15 lemons on the plant, which is not a lot for this plant. A couple years back we harvested 55 lemons.
Tarantula on Bug Springs Trail (November 13, 2020) — Image by kenne
I spotted the young tarantula while hiking the Bug Springs trail last Friday in the Santa Catalina Mountains. The trail’s elevation is between 5,000/6,000′ elevation as we continue hiking at lower levels of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Common Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia) — Image by kenne
So, I begin researching articles on butterfly color and found “The evolution of color: How butterfly wings can shift in hue” in ScienceDaily. They found that buckeyes and other Junonia species can create a rainbow of structural colors simply by tuning the thickness of the wing scale’s bottom layer (the lamina), which creates iridescent colors in the same way a soap bubble does.
“In each Junonia species, structural color came from the lamina. And they are producing a big range of lamina thicknesses that create a rainbow of different colors, everything from gold to magenta to blue to green,” says first author Rachel Thayer. “This helps us understand how structural color has evolved over millions of years.” You can find more information structured color at Marine Biological Laboratory. (Please note, I’m a photographer, not a biologist.)
Pala Casino, Spa and Resort Pool Area — Images by kenne
Since moving to Tucson ten years ago, we have annually spent Thanksgiving with Joy’s family in southern California. However, because of COVID, this year, we will be staying in Tucson.
Instead of the usual big family get together (as many as 25 people), we decided to meet two of Joy’s sisters (Jody and Jeri) at a neutral location, and of course, for them, it would have to be a casino.
So, last Wednesday, we drove to Pala Casino, Spa, and Resort, which is located in the mountains northeast of San Diego. Since I’m not into gambling, I spent time around the pool, took photos of oranges, and listen to live music in the casino. During past visits, I usually spent time walking the 1.5-mile Pala Band of Indians Cultural and Nature Trail behind Pala Spa. This time it was closed.
We returned to Tucson last Friday.
(During this time of COVID, we have found casino resorts to be relatively safe, keeping everything clean, requiring social-distancing and masks, except when eating and drinking.)
Lake Woodlands Sea Serpent (1996) — Image by kenne
Right Place At The Right Time
Dressed for work, I open the front door to a sun masked in a morning fog. Immediately, an image came to mind of the Lake Woodlands sea serpent five miles to the east. Quickly, I grab a camera and a tripod knowing the image I was seeking could be gone by the time I got to the lake. My camera, loaded with a roll of twenty-four exposures I carefully mount it onto the tripod near the lakeshore. Camera settings for shooting in fog can be challenging, so I decided to take eight shots, bracketing each allowing for three exposures for each shot I would take. Days later, after the film was developed, I get the result I wanted — eight great photographs three of which remain mounted in a grouping on our living room wall. I still have the original negatives for being in the right place at the right time.
Early Aspen Colors on Mt. Lemmon (October 8, 2020) — Images by kenne
Most trails on Mt. Lemmon remain closed after the Bighorn fire, leaving many burn-scarred areas. As a result, photographing the fall colors will be limited to Summerhaven and Ski Valley.
RT @celestialsGaia: You climb my mountains
U go through my valleys
Ur grips are strong
Ur touch soft
The hands that roam
The eyes that sp… 15 hours ago
