A CV Sunset

I mentioned in a previous post the Landscaping Photography Class I have attending on Saturday afternoons. I have learned about a couple of settings on my digital camera which I have never used. Yes, there is a manual with the camera and yes, I have looked at it. I'm rather embarrassed to admit how long I have had this camera. In fact, I was thinking it might be time to upgrade the camera, like I would a computer or a phone. After taking the class, I'm going to keep the camera awhile longer and use more of the features that have been introduced AND apply some of the tips and tricks I learned in the class.

There were some interesting clouds on Friday, which usually means there will be some good sunset shots. I hustled to the desert side of the resort and watched the colors and the clouds.

Mardi Gras Parade

Yes, I know. Technically, Mardi Gras was on Tuesday, February 9th, but because of some scheduling problem (???) it could not occur at our resort until Thursday, February 18th. Some of the regular resort groups did not participate this year for one reason or another. In the past, I have joined the parade as part of the Red Hats. This year we were informed the geocaching group planned to participate. We joined in.

The word was the group would decorate some golf carts and others would make signs with geocaching phrases. The signs would be carried by those walking. Hubby and I bought colorful tag board and letters and planned to each create a sign. Someone suggested we drive the jeep in the parade. Permission was granted by the powers that be. Hubby went to work making poster sized signs for the jeep. The jeep was washed and cleaned on Wednesday. Lil' Red looked pretty darn good.

I'm bad. I never got a photo of Lil' Red with any of the signs, other than this one on the open door.

One read ' A cache a day keeps the doc away' and the other 'WOW geocaching is addicting.'

One of the geocachers made an ammo can full of swag. It was on a wagon pulled by a golf cart.

Tony with his sign

Lil' Red with the Mardi Gras face, bottles of water & gatorade taped to the fenders, and an ammo can hood decoration. Lil' Red doesn't look 14 years old with 3 years of hard desert travel.

Gary & his sign

Marlene, the parade marshal & fellow geocacher

This is the group photo of the geocachers who participated in the parade. Another ten or more chose to be parade watchers.

The lead vehicle for our group

Doug's sign

We threw chocolate bars to the parade watchers

The Red Hats dressed as clowns this year. Even the golf cart looks like a clown! Its owner is VERY creative.

The Zumba class danced its way along the parade.

This year a truck pulling a park model was also in the parade. The sales staff decorated the house, and threw candy to folks. It was a different ending to any parade!

The geocaching group got first place for their entry! $50 for a pizza party for the group. The geo dog belonging to Tony & Shannon got 2nd place in the pet division. I imagine it got dog treats. It was a fun morning. Just another day at Senior Camp!

Ms. Pac Man & Blinky

We and three other CV geocachers went back to the desert on Tuesday to complete our geocaching project of Ms. Pac-Man & Blinky. The temps are 15 degrees above normal, meaning unseasonably warm (hot). That also means the snakes are out. Time to get done with what we want to do in the desert as it will only get warmer and the snakes become more active.

Tuesday's project: Ms. Pac Man

leaving before sunrise

our playground

we were in their pastures

lots of saguaros

the only casualty of the day

yup...our jeep

extra man power needed to loosen the lug nuts

setting sun as we left the desert and headed home

Tuesday's accomplishment

That is the short version. For more info, continue reading. 

We left the resort at 6:30 A.M. The plan was to get the rest of the caches in one day. The location of the geo-art is about 40 miles south on a highway and then about 10-15 miles on a dirt, hilly, rutted road that takes almost as long to travel as the previous 40 miles. There was a light breeze which helped make the 89º more bearable. 

We saw hawks, jackrabbits, geckos, and gophers. No snakes. And lots of cows. We were caching on BLM land, which is rented by ranchers. We heard coyotes when we first arrived, but did not see any.

I have been taking a 'Landscape Photography' class on Saturday afternoons. There are about 30 seniors in the class, so we are not getting any one-on-one attention. Last week I am learned more about some of the settings on the digital camera; settings I have rarely or never used. During our lunch break I practiced the 'scene' setting on my Nikon. I have been taking landscape photos all wrong, using the zoom to bring the farthest objects closer. I also learned about foreground and depth of field to get the viewer to feel like they are also in that particular spot with me. I used framing, an S curve, and positioning in the desert photos. I am also very guilty of positioning the subject in the center of my photo. I did not do that with the cows. Now...if I just remember all the tips when I use the camera the next time...

As for the flat tire...We were on our way out on the desert area with 5 miles of the dirt road left before we reached the highway. Hubby wanted just one more cache, so I pulled the jeep off the road onto the  side to allow the other vehicle to pass. Sure enough. I must have run over a piece of mesquite branch just right for it to puncture the tire. I could hear a constant hiss and wondered what on earth caused the sound. It didn't take long to recognize a leaky tire. It was completely flat within two minutes. Thankfully, Rick was willing to help Hubby change the tire. His weight was needed to loosen two of the lug nuts on the flat. Even with the help, it took about 30 minutes before Lil' Red was ready to continue the homeward journey. The sun was just setting as we pulled back onto the highway. The five of us enjoyed dinner at the Greek Restaurant in Florence. We got home about 8:30. A long day, but not an exhausting one. 

Spending Time with the Butterflies

Thursday was the annual Ladies Day Out. Nancy choose the Butterfly exhibit, a fairly recent addition to the Valley communities.

Two busses of young school children pulled up as we were walking into the building. The must have had a program first, as the movie theater was quiet and most of our time in the butterfly house was without squeals.

The 3D movie was about the monarch butterfly. I did not know they lay their eggs ONLY on the milkweed plant. I did not know they lay their eggs in March & April as they migrate from Central Mexico along the way to northern US. It takes four days for the eggs to hatch and become caterpillars. During the larvae stage, the caterpillar eats only milkweed leaves for about two weeks. At this point it is a full grown caterpillar and begins the next stage, the pupa. The caterpillar attaches itself by a silk thread to the leaf or stem of the milkweed. The purpose of the chrysalis is to protect the monarch as it metamorphosis into a butterfly. This process takes about 10 days. A butterfly emerges from the chrysalis and the process begins all over, lasting from two to six weeks, the life span of 3/4 of the monarchs. The second generation of monarchs are born in May and June. A third generation is born in July and August. The fourth generation is born in September and October. It is this generation that lives longer, migrating to Mexico and southern California for the winter. If the butterfly survives the winter, it will begin the process all over again in the spring, dying shortly after it has laid its first eggs.


Following the movie we watched a technician remove butterflies from the chrysalis room to a container. The chrysalis are bought by a butterfly exhibit at a market. The chrysalis are brought back to the exhibit home base where they are glued several to a string. The strings are hung in a environmentally controlled hatching area. Once they are hatched, and their wings are dry, the butterflies are carefully captured and removed.

an Atlas Moth from Asia

recently emerged from its chrysalis

I LOVE its wings

another butterfly also hanging from the chrysalis

not ready to fly just yet

After watching the capturing process and learning there are market places that sell the chrysalis, we headed into the conservatory to watch the butterflies. It was a photographer's delight.

Thoas Swallowtail

Neotropical

Blue Morpho

also Neotropical

Mexican Bluewing

Neotropical

it was never overly crowded, even with the school children

Scarlet Mormon

Asia

Buttonquail also live in the conservatory

a momma with two wee chicks

papa Buttonquail

the ceiling of the entrance

me, Anne, Roe, Nancy & Phyllis

A large Aquarium is being constructed next to Butterfly Wonderland. The aquarium is to open in July.