A few days ago, we had a surprise guest in our house. It had rained the night before so Dad put towels down by the bases of the doors in case any water came in. The next morning, we lifted up one of the towels and found a little, light brown tarantula. After we released it outside, we found that it loved the woven mat that sits on the patio just off my parents' room. It sat there for a good few minutes and we managed to snap a few pictures of it.
Summer is going to end soon in Arizona and that means MONSOON SEASON! We've already had one major storm and a few smaller ones. The mountains have turned green and the flowers have started to bloom. In our backyard, we have a sage bush, which happens to flower this time of year and gives off a wonderful smell. Also, our Mexican Birds of Paradise have come back and are radiant in all their red and gold glory.
As well, the prickly pear cacti that line Paseo de los Altos, our street, have formed fruit. It is essentially what used to be the base for the flowers that grew there this past spring. Over time, they grow purple and drop off, feeding the animals as well as providing us with fresh prickly pear cactus jelly (though we have not tried to make any yet).
