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Monday, September 27, 2021

Treasures of Nature, Early Autumn Edition!

Rain in the desert is a wonderful thing. You won't hear people out here singing, "Rain, rain, go away," as I did back on the Gulf Coast. It's such a rare treat here, and it makes all the plants perk up and bloom, or turn green or into their fall colors. 

When he was four, my son said, "Mama, why do you always say, 'God's Green Earth?' It's brown!" He was a desert boy! Yes, it's brown, usually. Pretty shades of brown and red and ochre, like a piece of a Picture Jasper gemstone! But when sparked with the green or the changing leaves or the blooms, it's lovely. It puts heart into the viewer.

We had such gully washers Saturday and Sunday, and lovely sunlight inbetween! It was exciting, although the dogs don't share my enthusiasm for lightning and downpours. I drove my husband around for a ride both days during the sunny part and we went to see the sights. 

tiny yellow crab apples

I snuck into the closed botanical park again, to get some more windfall crab apples. They are all over the path, and I don't know why, but the ants are not interested in them.
I got two fallen pomegranates, too! There were some teeny tiny yellow crab apples, but I didn't get them.

We drove around in the valley and up into the foothills as well. We always see something new! I am going to try to pan for gold dust in the arroyos near the mountains! I just have a feeling...but I'll wait for true fall weather. The water runs like a torrent through all the arroyos big and small during these storms. Very dangerous to be in them when it's raining on the mountains, even if you are miles away. But I looked at the sandy arroyos and thought, "gold dust." We shall see! 

sandy arroyo las cruces nm

Up in the Terrero area in the north of the state, I found nuggets of silver in the Pecos River! Big nuggets! That was almost 30 years ago. I don't think we have silver here, but I have heard many settlers thought there was gold.

I did find treasure, though! 

Pyracantha berries turning all shades of orange! While I was taking pictures, a very elderly gentleman with a wild mane of purest white hair stopped his old truck and called out to me. He wanted to make sure I was okay and not having car trouble. That made my day! Such kindness!

2021 pyracantha berries ripening to orange

More treasures:

Beauty Berry, in shades of metallic magenta. As a youngster, I made "ink" from the berries. But it dried gray.

beauty berry metallic purple

A stump filled with fallen leaves!

Fragrant eucalyptus leaves from a tall tree!


Prickly pears with their ripe "tunas" along an old fencerow!


A bee's feast where birds have torn open a ripe tuna! You can see a flying bee "at 7 o'clock" coming in for a landing next to her friend!


And this is pretty enough for a Christmas card, nature's red and green composition!


This week, it's fall cleaning in preparation for the holidays. It's just me and my husband, and our four pets. But I like to keep up our little traditions, and one is to clean thoroughly before the holiday decorations go up in earnest. Since this is "the Land of Enchantment," it takes a lot of dusting and sweeping to keep all that "enchantment" corralled!

A guilty pleasure: Listening with half an ear to sappy holiday movies -- Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, or Christmas -- while cleaning or while drawing my new digital tags for the Etsy shop, or applying for jobs on the computer. Oh, those are sappy, sappy, dripping with sap movies, and I find them to be balm to the soul! 

This week is exciting because our parish is having a potluck on Saturday. I am thinking of taking a pecan pie. The meats will be provided, by the Knights of Columbus. Whenever our priest mentions "the Knights," he will solemnly intone, "I myself am a Knight." I think that's so cute.  

I hope each and every bloggie friend has a WONDERFUL week! If you have time, please drop a little comment and tell me your news or a thought! 

Kind regards,

Olde Dame Holly


34 comments :

  1. When in Tucson, there was an annual picking of saguaro fruit pods (tuna?) and then the sales of the jelly. Good stuff
    We lived three houses from an arroyos, and I do remember flooding. The desert is a wonderful place on earth!!

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    1. I remember the saguaro jelly, and the prickly pear candy, too! I can only imagine that the saguaro fruits were very welcome to the native Americans way back when.

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  2. I have only seen desert in movies and photos, but all you mention here is familiar because I read 100s of Westerns and most of them were set in your part of the country. i love your photos of natural beauty, like the stump, ordinary beauty by God

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    1. Oh yes, it looks like the Old West out here, especially when the tumbleweeds are tumbling all over the place. It has already begun! Some are small like in the movies, and some are as big or bigger than a Volkswagon Bug.

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  3. I like to do extra cleaning at this time of year too before I think about decorating. Love seeing what's colorful there. Beauty berry is blooming here too! Enjoy your week!

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    1. I think Beauty Berry is one of the most amazing berries ever!

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  4. The Pyracantha berries are beautiful, and look just like Autumn with their orangish color. That was so thoughtful of the old man to ask if you were Ok. That was a nice treat to get a couple of pomegranates. They are such an interesting fruit. It's wonderful that you got to take a drive around the valley, and see some nature along the way. It is so good for us sometimes. I can't wait for the Hallmark movies that will come out at the end of October. The Knights of Columbus potluck sounds like a fun night, and especially if you make your pecan pie. That's a good idea you have to clean now before the holidays.

    ~Sheri

    *I know how much your Rosary means to you, Holly, and I think you will enjoy my post today. : )

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    1. I did indeed enjoy your post! Both the contents and the lovely photos. What a generous priest you have in your parish!

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  5. I looked at your Etsy shop and put it in my favs. I love the tags you've designed, those for Fall and the snowmen are very cute. I don't print things out any more but maybe one of these days I will! You are talented my friend!

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    1. Well thank you VERY much for the shop visit! I enjoy doodling around with my little tags.

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  6. I so look forward to a post from you. Always such a pleasant read, full of fun facts and the most beautiful photos ever. I am still amazed by the beauty in the desert.
    So happy your furbaby is on the mend. Scary and VERY expensive!!! But they are worth it ;-)

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    1. Aw, thank you! There is beauty in the desert. My heart still goes more with the subtropical areas I grew up in, but there is beauty here if one looks and wants to see it!

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  7. I tried to leave a comment this morning but it did not work the connection is too low. I did not know there were such beautiful plants and colours in the desert! It is very nice.
    The amount of rain is about the same in Brittany and Normandy ( usually quite a lot!)

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    1. Interesting that the roof designs are somewhat different in the two areas. I like the more open Normandy roofs but both are so interesting and lovely.

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  8. Why is the fruit of the prickly pear called tuna?

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    1. Strange term, isn't it? We called them "apples" in Tucson, but in New Mexico we call them "tunas."

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  9. Another lovely post!!! I'm thrilled that you got rain which brought forth all kinds of beauty in nature. The photos are lovely. Beauty Berry berries are such a wonderful colour. Prickly Pear 'tunas' are so interesting. I'd love to see your desert.
    You once found nuggets of silver? That's amazing.

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  10. I usually do a bit of deep cleaning before the holidays, but not this year. I'm too far behind visiting blogging friends to waste time cleaning for two cats who could care less.

    Those pyracantha berries are beautiful. Finding those was like finding gold.I love how they drape, too.

    Lots of golds and reds showing autumn has started to arrive in your area. Glad you are doing well, dear Holly.

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  11. Our fall is just beginning. My cleaning never will. I like your rain inspired greens and reds.

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    1. Joanne, I HOPE I don't read another post about you wearing yourself out! You gotta REST!!! Rest and weave!

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  12. Oh...my! Those Pyracantha berries are AMAZING!! The desert's very own version of Bittersweet me thinks. And I have never seen (nor heard of) Beauty Berry...They are so incredibly vibrant and unusual. Like others, I did not realize they called the "fruit" was called "tuna." I find that amusing. I always learn something from my visits here...and there's also always a balm to be had for my soul. Thank you for that Holly. ~Robin~

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    1. Caw! Cuh-Caw! That is crow for "thank you for the comment." I think calling the fruits "tunas" is strange, too. They say it the Spanish way, TOO-nahz, very fast.

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  13. Another beautiful post! Such pretty fall colors. I want a pyracantha for my yard! Oh, I love beauty berry. I've set out a row of them along our property line at the dirt road. They are beautiful. Your posts are always fun and interesting.

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    1. I would be glad to send you seeds or better yet, a branch in spring. They are easy to root from the twigs in spring! But oh those thorns. It can be useful to have them, though. It keeps nesting birdies safe and also can be a good barrier.

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  14. This was so delightful! I never could imagine being excited over life in the desert...but you have made it sound and look so inviting and beautiful in its own special way! Thank you for sharing the beauty of your part of the world with us. And beautyberries! Yes, we have those here in Florida. Did you know you could actually make a mosquito repellent from them? I bought some from some crafty ladies at our flea market one time. I suppose it worked, but it didn't smell very good and it was kind of a brown liquid and left a little bit of a stain on the skin, so it did not become a favorite thing for me. But I guess if that's all you have, you use it! One must be resourceful with what God gives you to use! This was fun, and I enjoyed it so much. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you, Pam, for adding to my store of lore! I had NO idea about the mosquito-repelling abilities of the juices. That's amazing but I agree, I do not want to be stinky and stained but in the old days I would have taken that over being bitten to death.

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  15. The desert has such color this time of year! I wish you great luck with panning for gold. I am cleaning before we have to shut the house up for the winter. The windows open wide all summer and there is dust and dirt everywhere.
    Cathy

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    1. Thank you for the wish of luck! I will let my blog friends know first of all if I actually find any gold. It's fun to just HOPE and try, but if I did find some, oh boy the modern gold rush will begin! I have open windows every day, too, and the screens don't seem to catch much in the way of dust. They're filthy at my house, too, I am having to broom them pretty regular.

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  16. This is another wonderful post! Why I am so intrigued with the desert I do not know, but I am! I have read Mary Austin’s “Land of Little Rain” a couple of times and like the Mad Snapper read and watch anything about the old west. I love your photos so much!

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  17. Dear Holly--among all the blogs I follow only one other is from the desert area or high mountain area of our country. So your photographs truly delight me. I've never been to the desert and the colors--as you say--are so welcoming. Thank you for sharing not only the photographs but also your enthusiasm for life. Peace.

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  18. Hello, I hope you have a lovely time at the pot luck. I love that you share with us about desert life, it is so different from where I live.

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  19. Loved this post. That cactus pic would indeed make a good Christmas card. I'm coming out the other side of what I suspect was Covid. My symptoms weren't extreme, just dragged out forever. I'm still a little tired, and dealing with "the blues". Thanks for your perky and positive post. You're a blessing! The Lord is good!

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  20. Good Morning Holly! The picture on my post is a cheesecake. The brand is Jell-O, and it's a No Bake Cheesecake. It's the best cheesecake that I've ever
    had. You should try it sometime.

    Yes, those were Brats (chicken and apple flavor). I make them sometimes with white rice or just eat them plain with mustard. LOVE THEM!

    Have a blessed week. : )

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  21. Gorgeous!!!!!!!

    And nothing like those sappppy movies, with their any-holiday-decor, to get one in the mood!!!!!!!!! -smile- Pick your holiday!

    🎃 😊 🍁 🌰 🌻 🍂 🎃

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