Our Animal Neighbors

Today we are having a respite from the monsoons. Last week we had three days of heavy rain. The desert has turned green and the saguaros in particular are looking rather plump. With summer and the rain has also come a great number of bugs--at our house LOTS of crickets. Today Dave vacumned the patios of all the tree litter in the patio grooves and then sprayed insecticide. The crickets are dying, but an added consequence was that a thrasher and a desert toad decided to come feast on the bugs. While he was out doing the cleaning he saw a tortoise and roadrunner. So the pictured wildlife was all from today at our house.

Our wonderful, rain-filled monsoon clouds! 

A desert tortoise under the back mesquite tree. 

A desert toad (or frog?) enjoying the feast. 

Mr. Roadrunner in the back yard. 

A Life Well Lived!

My mother, Mary Anne Lincoln, passed away on July 6th, 2006. She was 79 1/2 years old and had led a full life. She married her high school sweetheart and toured the world with him, first in the military and then as tourists. She enjoyed ballroom dancing, square dancing, curling, ice skating, scuba diving, playing bridge, reading, gardening, cooking, and sewing. Lots more to be said about her... Below are two of our most recent photos of her. We are having services for her today and tomorrow...I'm sure I'll learn a few things I never knew about her!

Bill and Anne Lincoln with Ruth and Dave Layton in February 2006. 

Bill and Anne Lincoln with youngest grandchild, Nicholas at Thanksgiving 2005.