
Forsythia doesn't grow in the desert, but desert cassia reminds me of it. It started to bloom in early February, and now it's in full bloom all over Tucson. The added bonus? Unlike forsythia which has no scent, desert cassia smells wonderful!

Events that happen to us become the threads of our life. We can either leave them as a tangled mess or artfully weave them into the tapestry of our life.
I've never heard a cardinal sound quite like this before. The first part of his call sounds normal, but then there's a bit of chattering to it at the end. A cardinal with a bit of salsa?
This MIGHT be a Pyrrhuloxia --a western close relative of the cardinal. I have both in the area, but I had seen the cardinals at the feeder earlier in the day.
UPDATE 5/31/2009 - This is DEFINITELY a cardinal. I've actually seen him several times while he's been singing his unique blend of salsa. He's the only cardinal I've heard like this!
Every couple of weeks, I make my way to the bottom of the basket filing and sorting as I go. Somehow Londo managed to cram himself into the basket no doubt defying at least one law of physics.