High Desert Archives – Page 26 of 43

Many-spotted Hummingbird

By JM PerezOctober 11, 20131 min read448 views

Just last Friday, I had a personal encounter with a Dove. This morning I found a Many-spotted Hummingbird in my front yard. As I moved towards the little bird to take a picture, it started hopping and I realized it somehow injured its left-wing. Hummingbirds are small and extremely fast and I knew there had to be a catch for me to even get close to one. Not being able to see a nest up on the pine tree branches and unable to hear the sounds of other birds around, I couldn’t tell if this was a baby Hummingbird which fell out of its nest.

According to the website Defenders.org, the Hummingbird’s feet are used for perching only, and are not used for hopping or walking. The argument is that Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop because of their small and short legs. Had I not witnessed it today, I would have still been amongst those who believe it to be true.

The little bird hopped its way out of my yard (through the chain linked fence) into my neighbor’s front yard. I had just a few seconds to capture it from its back. I hope it finds a safe place to rest and heal.

Take a moment to check out the video below, behind the Scenes of “Hummingbirds”.

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Still Pictures: Pride Of Barbados

By JM PerezOctober 10, 20131 min read696 views

The amazing Pride Of Barbados is one beautiful flowering evergreen shrub that compliment every garden and I am so lucky to have four growing in my backyard. The highly showy flowers are a mixture of bright red, orange and yellow petals with long red stamens. The plant is a favorite to hummingbirds and butterflies.

Happy Gardening!

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By JM Perez

Updates Birds Nature Gardening High Desert

A Project Complete

By JM PerezOctober 5, 20132 min read616 views

Today has been a productive day as we were blessed with good weather unlike what the Weather Channel predicted for the day. We finished putting in the last of the Privacy Fence Slats and we dug up and disposed of the rest of the Oleanders (except for the only hybrid “Peach Blossom” I owned). As soon as my husband builds a large planter, I will dig up the toxic beauty and move it toward the end of the fence, where I can still admire it without it being at close proximity to our living area. We are proud of ourselves for the progress we’ve made and we are relieved that everything’s coming together, one project at a time.

While out and about in Downtown Pomona yesterday, we stopped at the Pomona Indoor Swap Meet and bought three 24 inch whitewall Classic Cruiser Bike Tires for my tree wheeler. My dear husband changed the tires only to find out that I have two flat tubes. We might get lucky and buy them at our local Walmart or Target stores tomorrow. It would be nice to ride around with the kids before the Winter sets in.

For the past three days a murder of crows has been gathering on a tall pine tree across from my home. On the first day which was Thursday, they made so much noise that the tenants came out to see what the commotion was all about. They were at least thirty crows. Today, while working in the backyard, I couldn’t help but take a picture after my children noticed the flock flying around in circles above that same pine tree.

Flock of Crows on A Pine Tree. — *A Flock of Crows on a Pine Tree.*

We had a wonderful time with the family as the kids enjoyed every single minute of their time outdoors. Tomorrow will be a new day with another opportunity to create memories.

May your weekend be bright and filled with cheer.

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By JM Perez

Updates Reviews Gratitude High Desert

On The Road Again

By EPEngineerSeptember 28, 20132 min read481 views

After sitting in my backyard car port for almost two years, I have my baby back. With two different motor jobs done on it and co-workers suggesting I should sell it and others encouraging me to “blow it” somewhere in my backyard (seriously guys?); I was determined to keep it. I have had my car for 13 years, I am the sole owner and I hope to pass it down to my son once he is ready to drive.

One night at work, I was talking to one of my co-workers and he mentioned that after going through a similar experience he was lucky enough to find a trustworthy shop who takes the time to listen to the customer’s problem and troubleshoot the cars while keeping the owner of the car updated every step of the way.
I contacted the shop the following week and was pleasantly surprised when the receptionist got the shop manager on the phone to listen to my problem. After giving him a brief summary of what I thought the issue with the car was as well as everything that was done to it; he gave me a couple of suggestions as how to proceed whether on my own or thru them. We pondered on our options and finally decided to take the car to them.

Car Being Towed. — *2000 Acura Integra being towed to Dave’s Automotive Repair.*

Within a couple of hours of them having my car in their possession, I got a phone call informing me of the steps taking so far and how they were planning to proceed. After almost two weeks and a couple of phone calls, I got the long-awaited phone call that the car was running and running strong. I have been driving it for a week now and it still feels strong. I can’t imagine myself parting with it.

In summary, if you are looking for professionalism and a trustworthy shop, I highly recommend Dave’s Automotive Repair located in Hesperia, CA. They specialize in a wide variety of Automotive repair as you can see on their website. They are straightforward, explain their findings and inform the customer of the potential cost before proceeding (with your consent, of course).

Dave’s Automotive Repair

Address Location:
15940 Walnut St, Hesperia, CA 92345

Phone: 1 (760) 244-0212

E-mail: davesautorpair@aol.com
Website: Dave’s Automotive Repair Or here.

Hours of Operations:

Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday-Sunday: Closed

Hesperia, CA 92345

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By EPEngineer

Insects Gardening High Desert

Rose Budworm

By JM PerezSeptember 18, 20131 min read4.4K views

For over a month now, I have noticed random holes in some of my Rose bush buds. I blamed the ants and other tiny insects. This afternoon I found a pinkish worm burrowing and eating its way into a bud (using the petals as food source). Due to their size and the color of the buds, the larvae can be hard to notice too.

Rose Budworm. — *Pre-pupatory Larva of a Glistening Caerulean burrowed in a Rose bud.*

When next you’re working around your Garden and you see a bunch of holes on your Rose buds (or any other bud), simply hand pick the worm and dispose of it.

I found an interesting blog post which talks more about the life history of this Glistening Caerulean. Click here.

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By JM Perez