When you

live in a rural area like we do you have to be prepared for anything. The police and fire dept are a long ways away. Thats why I keep several bats handy!!






Not sure if I posted this before but here is the sunset at the Caughey compound:


Below are shots of the new irrigation system that cost all of $30 to install:











Everything in the courtyard now has a "drip of life" to get it through the summer months.

Over the last few days Karen has worked her ASS off hauling nearly 6 tons of rock into the courtyard and spreading it out.


Here is Carly. No doubt thinking "Here he goes again!"




My rose bush is budding despite the 110F heat!





Karens new friend. A mister from Home Depot. It works pretty well on those really hot days.


One of our cactus plants.


Carly sporting her new haircut!


Location of the new pool! Also to be known as Lake Caughey!...lol

It has been VERY hot here this past week. 110F-114F....and humid. Its going to cool off next week though...down to 108F or so.....

What a nice day.

Sunny and 63F. Off to the park!


An American Wigeon.


The ugly duckling.... a Commerant.


A Great Egret resting on the island on Lake Sunset.


People enjoying the day fishing.


Where all the birds hang out.


A Redhead Duck.


More fishing.


On top of the world!





I'm not sure what he is running from.


A patriotic House Finch!




This might be a Verdin, then again it may not be. Hard to tell from this angle.


A Gambrels Quail acting as an look out. Several of them perched up in the trees over the group of Gambrels. Yes they do fly, kinda like a turkey flies....lol


Here is three of them standing guard.


Here is one landing/crashing to the ground.


This is a piss poor picture because I coudn't focus my lens fast enough!





A walk in the park.


Comming in for a landing:


This *might* be a Black-Capped Gnatcatcher. If so, while not rare here, it is uncommon.






Volleyball anyone?

And then the rains came.

Between 2 different storms we are in for about 6 days of rain. Last week we were enjoying above average temperatures. We were in the high 60's to low 70's. 60ish is normal for this time of year. All throughout the valley you see this wash or that wash, all of which lead to the Las Vegas Wash that empties into Lake Mead. A wash, for those that do not know, is just like a creek, only bigger, made to channel rain water out of the city.
On Saturday the rains came. The valley got anywhere from .5" to .72" inches of rain. Thats not a lot of rain, unless you live in a valley.

The above chart shows the normal flow of about 250 cubic feet per second through the Las Vegas Wash. On Saturday it rose to 1500 cubic feet per second. The water level in the wash more than doubled.


This picture is of a wash located in the mountains near Lake Mead. Many of the washes are used for recreation when it is not raining. Case in point, the Clark County Wetlands Preserve is built right next to the Las Vegas wash.

So my job was clear....

I had to go to the Las Vegas wash..... Normally the creek above has very little water in it. Today, it runneth over.


The wetlands preserve has a sidewalk that runs the outside of the park. The water in this photo is about 6" deep. 30 mins later on my return trip it was about 10" deep.

And flowing very swiftly.


Here is a pair of Black Capped Night Herons waiting out the flood. I wish I would have had my 100-400 lens that day, but I didn't.


A flock of birds waiting out the flood.


The bridge that crosses the wash.


A closer view of it.


Last week you could see right through the water, not today!


A lonely cloud.


On my way out now.


This flood was from Aug 2008!