IT HARDLY SEEMS 100 YEARS OLD

As I walked out to the mailbox this morning, I spied an unusual sight for my neighborhood.  It was a Century Plant. 

Now the Agave parryi, as the scientists like to call it, is common in Arizona but usually at lower altitudes.  I don't think I've ever seen one in bloom in my neighborhood, which is around 5,100 feet elevation.

The plant gets its name from the fact that it only blooms once in its life.  But rather than once every 100 years, it's more like around 25 years.  The flowering stalk, which can get up to about 15 feet tall, grows so fast it takes all the energy out of the plant, which then dies.  That means the flowering part will turn into a dry, wooden stalk.

So it takes awhile and then it doesn't last long and you will probably never get another bloom but the one time it's there, it is a sight to behold.

Prescott Folk Music Festival

This weekend marked the 32nd annual Folk Music Festival at the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, Arizona.

There were some older musicians on hand . . .

And some younger ones . . .

Attendees enjoyed all of the musicians and their music.

Here's a little sample from Victor Johanson.

Just a nice day

Nothin' much to report today. Just a nice day in Arizona with some slightly fleecy clouds in the sky.

Pretty much the same view, a little closer.

As you can tell from the grasses in the foreground, it's still dry here in Arizona. But HEY! It is a desert, y'know.

Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden

SWMBO and I made a trip to Phoenix yesterday to see the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden. The garden is a spectacular place on its own but the amazing glass art of Dale Chihuly brings it to new life. With, as they say on television these days "limited commercial interruption", take a look. (As always, the photos are much more spectacular if you click on them and expand them individually.)

Keep in mind that everything you see is made of glass. These next objects are hollow and, therefore, so light they actually float on the water in a pond.

If you'd like to more know about the artist and his work, you can find it here.