A Fine Mess

It was such a simple plan: I’d move some of the stuff off the shelves so I could brush the feather duster over the top layer or two of grime. Then drag the fabric bins out into the hall and run the vacuum around. A good couple of hours and I’d be done, with a nice clean room.

That was Tuesday morning.

This was the situation by Wednesday afternoon:

 

My simple plan did not include allowances for investigating the contents of each and every container, deciding I didn’t want half of it, then deciding whether I wanted to throw it away, give it away, or sell it, and then reorganizing the remaining half.
 

The good news is that as of Friday night I had all of the to-go stuff out of the room, and it’s looking pretty clean, open, and conducive to creativity again.

 

The bad news is that all of the stuff I took out hasn’t really gone anywhere, it’s just sitting in the hall. I guess that’s some sort of progress?

 

Katrina

Is It May Already?

Looks like two whole weeks flew by while I snoozed (actually sneezed, mostly).

There are a few things going on, but my daily activities don’t lend themselves to photography or blog updates. Examples:

I sat in a spot of shade on the patio, while a hummingbird visited the flowers on my bright red shorts.

Of course I did not have my camera at the time.

 

After two weeks of daily workouts and no pie (okay, minimal pie), this number refuses to get any smaller.

 The scale must be broken.
 

I pulled this dress out of a pile of UFOs from last year, made some progress on it, then ground to a halt again.

It should be cute though, if it ever gets finished.

We have hit our first 100-degree day already, so I’ll just use the summer sun as my excuse ... for everything.

 

Katrina

In Its Element

The tiny verdin is a bird I’ve seen in the past, as it visited my garden to snack on bugs and flowers.

I did wonder where they nested, but this year I don’t have to wonder. I have a large, noisy family of them right in my back yard.

 (be sure to click on photos to enlarge)

Hiding in plain sight
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps) in a mesquite tree

 

Other than its chipper conversation, the main feature of the verdin is that it’s very difficult to see (and nearly impossible to photograph). It has perfect camouflage for the yellowish-greenish-gray foliage of our desert scrub.

Peeking out of the pyracantha

 

Finally visible!
Eating an insect on a branch of the lemon tree.

 

I will gladly welcome more of these birds and any other insect eaters to the garden.

 

Katrina

Pollen Nation

Pollen is here.

 

 

And it’s here.

 

It’s in the water.

 

And it’s definitely in the air.

 

Every tree, shrub, and grass is in flower here.

 So pretty to look at, so painful to breathe.

 

In the early part of the 20^th century, Phoenix was known as a haven for people with allergies and respiratory ailments, due to the clean, dry air. One hundred years and a million people later, we are known for the poor quality of our air, which seems to be comprised mostly of ozone, dust, pollen, and other large and small “particulates.”

I don’t think I’ve taken a normal breath since late February! Zyrtec, which has worked reliably for me for the last ten years, barely makes a dent in this season’s allergies. I’m steadily working my way through the pharmacy shelves, trying a new combination of antihistamine and decongestant every two weeks, hoping for the magic formula.

I studied pollination ecology a few years ago (thus the title of the post, from a very confusing phone conversation with my aunt). One of the many things I did was photograph these microscopic particles. Pollen is actually a beautiful thing, when it’s not wreaking havoc on your nasal membranes.

The pollen was dyed before mounting on a slide, to create contrast between the structures on the outer wall of the grain. Presumably this assists in identification, although I never got very good at the ID part of the job.

If you want to see some really beautiful photos of pollen, just Google “pollen photos” or “pollen microscopy.” You may have seen some in Nat Geo or similar magazines. The pictures taken with electron microscopes (very different from what I used) are fascinating.

I hope you enjoy your flowering season with minimal sneezing and wheezing.

Katrina