August 21 -- Whacking Weeds, And A Cloud Display

I'd bought a Stihl string trimmer back in the South Bay when I was staying with my dad in San Pedro. I figured with Faranuf's 4 acres, and the monsoon season in full swing, I'd need a little yard maintenance. I had put in the mixture of gas and oil (50 to 1) and had tried to start it up a few days back, just to get a feel for it -- but was unsuccessful. Did I not pull the cord hard enough? The directions say not to give it a "yank" as you might break the string. And I also have an "impinged" right shoulder, so I had to take it easy with the arm motions. So this morning I put on my Levi's, long-sleeved shirt, boots and ankle-length leggings, and goggles -- all needed in case I come upon a rattlesnake. And the bad thing about encountering one while using the loud weed whacker is -- you can't hear the snake "rattling". One of the "inconveniences" of rural living...After about 20 pulls on the starter cord, the 2hp engine started -- and I proceeded to whack weeds. It was actually kinda fun -- enough though afterwards my lower back hurt a little because of the way I was holding the string cutter. It does have a harness that you place over your neck, and there's also a handle, but holding it in position while cut weeds are flying in all directions -- not to mention small rocks -- well, it really becomes a strain after a half hour. But I was totally satisfied with the job I'd done -- and I came across no rattlesnakes. I raked up the cuttings and put them in trash bags, which I'll take to the trash truck across the street from Faranuf (the truck is there Wednesdays and Saturdays; $2 per bag) this morning. This is the unglamorous part of living at Faranuf -- but it wasn't as much of a chore as I thought, and is kinda fun as I have a feeling of accomplishment. After weed whacking a watched the birds come in to the back yard feeders -- here's a Cactus Wren; there are 3 that come in every morning --

I'm getting a nice yard list of birds -- 14 species so far, including Pyrruloxia (I always thought that sounded like a gum disease) and at least 3 hummingbird species so far  that I can discern-- Anna's, Black-chinned, and Broad-tailed.. They are a bit challenging to ID, especially if they're juveniles, but here's an Anna's female, probably a "juvie" -- 

I thought this one was a Costa's due to the white-tipped tail feathers, but an expert birder here in the Chiricahuas said it's a Black-chinned young male -- 

IDing hummingbirds is like IDing Empid flycatchers -- a challenge. But the more photos I take, along with observing them, I should acquire more accuracy. And since the Chiricahuas are one of the hummingbird capitals of the world, with about 14 species you can possibly see here -- well, this will be FUN. 

The morning began with fluffy white clouds --

By the way, I always thought this was Portal Peak, a well-known landmark here. But it turns out it's not -- in fact, my friend and neighbor, Helen Snyder, said its unofficial name is "Fake Portal Peak" -- and the REAL Portal Peak is that peak in shadow on the left. And this one doesn't have an official name, which is kinda strange as it's so "prominent". But as the day went on, the clouds over the Chiricahuas grew darker and more ominous -- then it rained for little less than an hour, a good hard rain with occasional rumblings of thunder -- 

This is looking towards Cave Creek Canyon. After the rain, the sun peeked through and highlighted the huges storm clouds --

And the sunset was another spectacular one, truly "fire in the sky" --

I wasn't much into weather when I was living in San Pedro, as -- well, there wasn't much weather, mostly either foggy or blue skies. Here there's WEATHER, and it's great for the photographer. Today the 22nd there will be a trip to the other side of the Chiricahuas to meet with other Cochise County photographers.