Community Center landscape which I was honored to have designed along with renown landscape architect, Carl Johnson.
This past weekend, I participated in a landscape discussion panel as part of a “Living Green in the Desert” seminar. Attendees were able to submit their questions ahead of time as well as ask their questions directly to us.
Golf Course Feature Area with Bougainvillea, Gold Lantana and Purple Lilac Vine grown as a groundcover (2002).
I was looking forward to being a part of this seminar because I had worked in this community for over 5 years as a horticulturist. So I arrived early and drove around the community and golf course areas looking at the areas that I had designed and planted over 7 years ago.
Plants that I had set out ready for the crew to come and plant (2005).
I look at the landscape areas as old friends. Of course, as living things often do, many had changed. Some areas had matured and the small plants that I had set out had matured into beautiful specimen plants. Other areas looked a little bare since flowering perennials had not been replaced, but the areas were well-maintained.
Desert Marigold, Firecracker Penstemon, Eremophila Valentine and Desert Spoon were planted in this feature area (2002).
There were 3 of us on the desert landscape panel. Although I knew one of the other participants, I always enjoy the instant camaraderie that occurs between fellow landscape professionals.
We had three different landscape sessions and the focus was on ‘living green’ in the desert landscape but all gardening questions were welcomed.
This feature area consists of only succulents such as Soaptree Yucca, Purple Prickly Pear, Desert Spoon, Opuntia robusta, Agave colorata among others. There is no regular irrigation in this area. We hand-watered the cactus monthly during the first two summers until they were established.
There were some excellent questions, and I will highlight the most popular ones.
Question #1- When and how do we prune our shrubs. Are they supposed to look like ‘balls’?
There is an epidemic in the Arizona desert where desert shrubs are pruned into round ball shapes, or as we in the landscape industry refer to as “poodle or cupcake” pruning. Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile have seen me get up on my “high-horse” more then once, and rail against this practice. I will not repeat myself here, but you can read my previous post where I dealt with this unfortunate practice – Shrubs Aren’t Meant To Be Cupcakes.
This was my favorite part of my job; designing new landscapes and seeing it all come together.
Although the plants are very small when first planted, they grow very quickly in our climate.
Question #2 – When should I fertilize my plants?
Actually, most of your arid-adapted plants do not need to be fertilized. I only fertilize my plants if they show signs of a nutrient deficiency. We do fertilize our container plantings and fruit trees. Compost can be applied to all plants as this ‘feeds’ the soil.
Purple Trailing Lantana, Mexican Bird-of-Paradise, Parry’s Penstemon, Desert Spoon and Angelita Daisy brighten the entrance to the clubhouse (2005).
Question #3 – Is it possible to have plants in my landscape that do not require any water?
The answer is yes you can if you use native plants. But, you will have to water them until they become established. Keep in mind that all native plants will look much better when watered periodically. That is what is done to the plants at the Desert Botanical Garden.
For excellent guidelines as to how long and often you should water your plants, please check out this excellent site, which has information about irrigating your plants in the Arizona desert, including a schedule you can put in your irrigation controller – Landscape Watering Guide
The native plants were watered in this area monthly until they were established. Periodic water was supplied during the summer months (2005).
Question #4 – Is it possible to have a winter landscape with flowering plants?
The answer is absolutely! Many residents of this community are winter visitors and are away in the summer when most plants are flowering. You can read more in a previous post of what types of plants flower during the winter months – Colorless Winter Garden…No Way!
This area was planted with Eremophila Valentine and Cassia shrubs.
Question #5 – How often do I need to water my citrus trees? They are currently being watered twice a week.
When I am asked to consult with a homeowner regarding their landscape, over 90% are watering their citrus too frequently and not deeply enough. For example, in the winter months, citrus trees should only be watered once every 3 – 4 weeks. Many were shocked. I will cover citrus irrigation in more detail in the future, but there is excellent information which can be found here – Citrus Irrigation Guidelines.
One of my favorite views from the golf course.
I had a wonderful day and enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I was able to spend the day doing one of my most favorite things – help people learn how easy it is to have a beautiful, low-maintenance garden in the desert using plants that thrive in our climate.
Gardening in the desert is not difficult, it is just different….
A Small Farm in the Middle of the Desert…
Double S FarmsI would like to show you a small farm that is located in the middle of the desert. Actually, it is 5 minutes from my house and is the home of my mother, sister, brother-in-law and their sons.
Some of you may recall some previous posts about the Neglected Rose Bush, the Chicken Coop and the Flood in the Garden on Purpose. Well, these all took place at Double S Farms.
The residents of Double S Farms, my mother (Pastor Farmer), sister (Chicken Farmer) and brother-in-law (Farmer Dad), are transplanted Californians like myself.
My youngest sister, Chicken Farmer.
They moved to Arizona a few years ago.. According to my mother and my sister – if you had told them 5 years ago that they would be living in Arizona, away from Southern California and the ocean, be living on a small ranchette, raising fruit trees, vegetables, getting ready for chickens AND loving it….they would have said you were crazy. But they do love living in Arizona and all that it has to offer.
Littlest Farmer helping with the lemon harvest last spring.
Fruit trees fill both the front and backyard. Almost any kind you can think of…..lemon, grapefruit, kumquat, orange, apple, plum, peach and almond trees grace the landscape.
My two oldest daughters, discussing what is the best way to pick fruit from the peach trees.
The bounty they receive include peach and plum preserves, apple butter, lemons, grapefruit and kumquats.
My mother, Pastor Farmer, planting succulents in containers.
The almost finished chicken coop can be seen in the background.
Little Farmer, being silly.
Vegetable gardens are not only a great place to grow vegetables, but also for playing with cars as Littlest Farmer can tell you.
Lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower are just a few of the delicious vegetables we have enjoyed this winter from the garden.
There is something so appealing about a riding lawnmower, a teenage boy (my oldest nephew, who was visiting) and a dog.
Behind the farm is a small ranchette that raises cattle.
Little Farmer, Littlest Farmer and Farmer Dad flood irrigating.
Double S Farms is a wonderful place where irrigating the land with a flood is a regular occurrence.
Little Farmer and Littlest Farmer in the soon to be completed chicken coop.
A chicken coop is next on the list of additions to Double S Farms. Six chickens will soon be taking up residence in their new coop and chicken yard.
My sister (Chicken Farmer) and her son, Little Farmer
Double S Farms is also a place for family to gather and celebrate birthdays and holidays.
A wonderful tree for a pinata, which my third oldest daughter tries to hit.
Thank you for taking the time to visit Double S Farms with me.
We will be visiting more in the future….
3 Little Roses …Time to Plant
azplantladyYesterday, we worked on getting the holes ready for our new English roses. Now the kids and I are so excited that we are almost ready to plant them.
Here are the soil amendments that I purchased – Bone Meal, Compost, Blood Meal and Organic Rose Fertilizer (the blood meal and fertilizer are to be used later).
Bone Meal – an organic source of phosphorus, which helps aid in root development and later flowering.
Compost – enriches the soil as it is filled with micro-organisms which help break down materials and release them into the soil in a form that plants can absorb through their roots.
Blood Meal – is the highest organic source of nitrogen.
Organic Rose Fertilizer – contains organic nutrients as well as beneficial micro-organisms including miccorhizae.
*Miccorhizae are beneficial fungi that forms a beneficial relationship with plant roots and helps them to absorb and transform nutrients into forms that the roots can absorb. Plants with micchorizae growing in symbiosis with their roots:
– Absorb nutrients more easily.
– Use less water.
– Grow more feeder roots.
OK, enough of the amendment lecture, let’s get the holes ready for our roses.
Remember the old nurseryman’s saying, “Dig a $40 hole for a $20 tree.” Well, the same goes for shrubs. It is hard to under-estimate how important a properly dug hole is for the future health and growth of your shrub.
For our roses, we dug our holes approximately 32″ across and 24″ deep, according to the directions from the rose grower.
*For most shrubs, I recommend digging a hole 3X the width of the root-ball of the shrub and roughly the same depth as the root-ball. By doing this, you will have loosened the surrounding soil, making it easier for the roots to spread.
The holes were filled 1/2 way with the compost and then I added the bone meal according to package instructions.
Then we returned some of the dirt that we had previously dug up until level with the top of the hole and mixed it together with all of the amendments.
The English roses we purchased are not bare-root roses, so the planting process from this point on is a little different. But, everything else including preparation of the hole and adding the amendments is the same.
Warning…if you have dogs, they will find a way to play in the dirt you dig up. If you are lucky, they may help you dig your holes.
Once the native soil and amendments were combined, we leveled them out and then with a smaller shovel (I used the kid’s shovel – it was the perfect size), I made a planting hole for each new rose.
My son is so excited and ready to plant his rose.
The hole is the same depth as the root-ball of the shrub rose.
Fill in the hole carefully, but be careful to not add additional soil on top of the rose. Then tamp down lightly around the hole.
Water!
English Roses
Now, it is time to start cleaning up…
The kids are wondering how long they will have to wait for their roses to bloom….hopefully, this spring.
**After the roses have bloomed, I will add the blood meal and organic rose fertilizer. You don’t want to add fertilizer at the beginning since it will cause the branches to grow before the roots can support them.
3 Little Roses…Ready For a New Home
az plant lady familyThey are here!!! I was oh so
patientlywaiting for my English roses to arrive from Heirloom Roses.I had ordered three different English roses a few weeks ago as it has been too long since I have had roses in my garden. You can read more about that here if you like – “I Have a Confession To Make” and “I’ve Made My Decision”.
I thought it would be a nice idea if each of my three youngest children could adopt one of the new rose bushes and be in charge of taking care of it.
They each picked one based on their favorite colors. My youngest daughter picked ‘Graham Thomas’ which is yellow (note her yellow SpongeBob shoes). My son picked ‘William Shakespeare’ because it is red. My third-oldest daughter picked ‘Abraham Darby’ because she absolutely loves pink.
So since they are adopting their new roses, that means, they have to help dig the holes and plant them. The kids are anxious to help.
Thankfully, their dad was willing to help them dig the holes.
*I was taking pictures of the whole planting process and my son decided that he would take pictures with his red camera.
I love kid-sized shovels and other gardening tools.
*I think I need to buy another kid-sized shovel because my daughter is throwing dirt into the wheelbarrow with her hands.
Trying to be brave and touch the earthworm they dug up.
It won’t bite….
There is just something about dirt that attracts kids…
I think this photo clearly illustrates the difference between boys and girls. My daughter is drawing a happy face in the dirt while my son is touching a worm.
Tomorrow, we will finish preparing the holes and planting our new roses. The kids are so excited! So is their mom.
Will post more tomorrow….
January GBBD – Winter Flowers in the Garden…
Double S FarmsJanuary is the slowest time of the year for blooms in the desert. However, due to our year-round growing climate, there are still a lot of flowers to see…
Bower Vine (Pandorea jasminoides)
My Valentine shrub (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’) is in full bloom.
One of my Mexican Bird-of-Paradise trees (Caesalpinia mexicana), happily blooming away…
Radiation Lantana ‘Desert Sunset’ is still blooming underneath my Dalbergia sissoo tree.
The tree has protected it from frost damage.
The flowers are starting to peek out of the Silvery Cassia (Senna phyllodenia).
More blooms will soon follow from this Australian native.
One of the Geraniums in the Children’s Flower Garden.
In case you are getting tired of the flowers in my garden or just want to see more colorful blooms, I thought I would also show you some of the flowers currently blooming at Double S Farms.
Baja Ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis) is a reliable year-round bloomer.
The flowers of the ‘New Gold Mound’ Lantana lighten in the winter, but are still beautiful.
I found this single flower on the Cape Honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis)
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)
I’m not sure if fruit counts as a bloom for GBBD, but just in case….
Kumquats reaching towards the sky.
And lastly, a photo of a single rose from the Neglected, Overgrown, Nameless Rose just before I pruned it back. I realize I did not take the photo on the 15th, but it would have still been there if I had not pruned the rose bush back over the weekend.
I also wanted it to have one last opportunity to show off it’s flowers before the new flush of rose blooms come in March.
English Rose ‘Glamis Castle’
Thank you for joining me for January’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. Please visit May Dreams Gardens for more sites featuring Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.
Face Off With Wild Pigs
AZ Plant LadyWorking on golf courses provided me with many opportunities to interact with our native wildlife. Now, most of my interactions were welcome – roadrunners, jackrabbits, even baby raccoons. Some encounters were unexpected – snakes, tarantulas and coyotes. But there was one animal with which I waged a constant battle…the Javelina, also know as the Wild Pig.
Javelina (Collard Peccary) Photo by Wing-Chi Poon
Now Javelina are not actually pigs, but are pig-like mammals that are native to the Southwestern region of the United States, ranging southwards into Central and South America.
Okay, first of all, you can smell them before you can see them. There is no polite way to state this – they stink. They travel in small herds and love to eat just about anything. They can eat cactus out in the desert, but will ignore that in exchange for what is growing in your garden.
My personal battle with javelina was due to the fact that two of the golf courses I worked at had 36 tee boxes and each were planted with flowers. In the summer, I would plant Lantana, which was beautiful and the Javelina did not touch. But, in the winter, they loved to eat whatever type of annual flower I planted, leaving torn up plants and dirt as proof that they had been there.
Purple Petunias planted at the tee box.
Believe it or not, Petunias, Pansies and Geraniums are listed on the Javelina Resistant Plants list. But, evidently, the Javelina did not read this list because they happily ate all of mine.
Now, I knew I had to do something besides replacing annuals up to three times a week. The members of the golf courses wanted flowers and I was tired of making endless trips to the nursery in order to pick up replacement plants and it was eating into my budget. So, I did some research.
Pink Petunias with Eremophila ‘Valentine’ in the background.
Some people swore that putting shavings of “Irish Spring” soap would keep them away. Others said that human hair would do the trick. I honestly did not try any of these because I had seen them fail before. But, there are some products that have had some limited success. The first are coyote urine products that seems to help keep them away, (I didn’t want to try this one for obvious reasons). The second is Liquid Fence, which must applied frequently and the third is Dr. T’s Squirrel Repellent.
I used Dr. T’s Squirrel Repellent with some success. It did not eliminate the problem, but it did help decrease the amount of flowers being eaten by the Javelina.
*I did discover that the favorite thing the they would eat, was citrus fruit. So in the winter, when citrus fruit was plentiful on the trees, the Javelina would mostly ignore my flowers. In the summer, they would eat the seedpods from the Mesquite trees.
Geranium Flower
There are plants that Javelina are less likely to eat, but if they are hungry enough, they will eat anything. For years, they never ate the Geraniums I had planted on the golf course. But, one year, they came in and ate them all. So, no plant is completely resistant to them. The following link will send you to a list of plants that are somewhat resistant to Javelina – be sure to cross out Petunia, Pansy and Geraniums off of the list ;-).
*Annuals that are usually resistant to Javelina include Euryops Daisy, Bacoba, Snapdragons as well as Fern Leaf Lavender.
So the outcome was that I did win some battles, but the Javelina ultimately won the war….
Thankfully, the planters were removed during a golf course renovation and now perennials are now planted in their place, which are ignored by the Javelina. Unfortunately, this occurred after I had left….
Living Green in the Desert Garden
desert gardeningCommunity Center landscape which I was honored to have designed along with renown landscape architect, Carl Johnson.
This past weekend, I participated in a landscape discussion panel as part of a “Living Green in the Desert” seminar. Attendees were able to submit their questions ahead of time as well as ask their questions directly to us.
Golf Course Feature Area with Bougainvillea, Gold Lantana and Purple Lilac Vine grown as a groundcover (2002).
I was looking forward to being a part of this seminar because I had worked in this community for over 5 years as a horticulturist. So I arrived early and drove around the community and golf course areas looking at the areas that I had designed and planted over 7 years ago.
Plants that I had set out ready for the crew to come and plant (2005).
I look at the landscape areas as old friends. Of course, as living things often do, many had changed. Some areas had matured and the small plants that I had set out had matured into beautiful specimen plants. Other areas looked a little bare since flowering perennials had not been replaced, but the areas were well-maintained.
Desert Marigold, Firecracker Penstemon, Eremophila Valentine and Desert Spoon were planted in this feature area (2002).
There were 3 of us on the desert landscape panel. Although I knew one of the other participants, I always enjoy the instant camaraderie that occurs between fellow landscape professionals.
We had three different landscape sessions and the focus was on ‘living green’ in the desert landscape but all gardening questions were welcomed.
This feature area consists of only succulents such as Soaptree Yucca, Purple Prickly Pear, Desert Spoon, Opuntia robusta, Agave colorata among others. There is no regular irrigation in this area. We hand-watered the cactus monthly during the first two summers until they were established.
There were some excellent questions, and I will highlight the most popular ones.
Question #1- When and how do we prune our shrubs. Are they supposed to look like ‘balls’?
There is an epidemic in the Arizona desert where desert shrubs are pruned into round ball shapes, or as we in the landscape industry refer to as “poodle or cupcake” pruning. Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile have seen me get up on my “high-horse” more then once, and rail against this practice. I will not repeat myself here, but you can read my previous post where I dealt with this unfortunate practice – Shrubs Aren’t Meant To Be Cupcakes.
This was my favorite part of my job; designing new landscapes and seeing it all come together. Although the plants are very small when first planted, they grow very quickly in our climate.
Question #2 – When should I fertilize my plants?
Actually, most of your arid-adapted plants do not need to be fertilized. I only fertilize my plants if they show signs of a nutrient deficiency. We do fertilize our container plantings and fruit trees. Compost can be applied to all plants as this ‘feeds’ the soil.
Purple Trailing Lantana, Mexican Bird-of-Paradise, Parry’s Penstemon, Desert Spoon and Angelita Daisy brighten the entrance to the clubhouse (2005).
Question #3 – Is it possible to have plants in my landscape that do not require any water?
The answer is yes you can if you use native plants. But, you will have to water them until they become established. Keep in mind that all native plants will look much better when watered periodically. That is what is done to the plants at the Desert Botanical Garden.
For excellent guidelines as to how long and often you should water your plants, please check out this excellent site, which has information about irrigating your plants in the Arizona desert, including a schedule you can put in your irrigation controller – Landscape Watering Guide
The native plants were watered in this area monthly until they were established. Periodic water was supplied during the summer months (2005).
Question #4 – Is it possible to have a winter landscape with flowering plants?
The answer is absolutely! Many residents of this community are winter visitors and are away in the summer when most plants are flowering. You can read more in a previous post of what types of plants flower during the winter months – Colorless Winter Garden…No Way!
This area was planted with Eremophila Valentine and Cassia shrubs.
Question #5 – How often do I need to water my citrus trees? They are currently being watered twice a week.
When I am asked to consult with a homeowner regarding their landscape, over 90% are watering their citrus too frequently and not deeply enough. For example, in the winter months, citrus trees should only be watered once every 3 – 4 weeks. Many were shocked. I will cover citrus irrigation in more detail in the future, but there is excellent information which can be found here – Citrus Irrigation Guidelines.
One of my favorite views from the golf course.
I had a wonderful day and enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I was able to spend the day doing one of my most favorite things – help people learn how easy it is to have a beautiful, low-maintenance garden in the desert using plants that thrive in our climate.
Gardening in the desert is not difficult, it is just different….
A Small House, Transplants and Chickens
Double S FarmsThe newest addition to Double S Farms is rapidly coming together in preparation for their newest residents…..chickens.
Little Farmers #1 & 2 are having fun as the chicken coop is being built. Little Farmer #2 loves to play in the dirt….can you tell?
Newest addition, The chicken coop is being put together by Farmer #1, with some help from family members. I think Little Farmer #2 (on the right side) thinks the chicken coop is his own little fort.
The residents of Double S Farms, my mother, sister and brother-in-law, are transplanted Californians like myself. They moved to Arizona a few years ago and just love it here. According to my sister, if you had told her 5 years ago that she would be living in Arizona, away from Southern California and the ocean, and be living on a small ranchette, raising fruit trees, vegetables and getting ready for chickens AND loving it….she would have said you were crazy. But they do love living in Arizona and all that it has to offer.
Future Nesting Boxes
The chicken coop is almost finished. My husband is going over today to help them finish up the coop. You can see the ramp that the chickens will climb up and the nesting boxes.
Little Farmer #2 is ready for the chickens.
In a couple of weeks, six chicks will take up residence. There will be no rooster since the family already have their own alarm clocks and don’t want to irritate the neighbors.
I can hardly wait for fresh eggs…
I will post more as the chicken coop is painted and finished and of course, when the chickens arrive.
*I am spending today at a community Green Fair as part of a landscape discussion panel. I am excited to post about it next week.
Living Green in the Desert Garden
A Garden Arises From a Mountain of Trash
AZ Plant Lady, Cactus/SucculentsDuring a visit to a park, I came upon a beautiful little garden that rests on top of 2.2 million tons of trash. This small succulent garden is but a very small part of the park which rests upon a recently closed landfill.
Newly planted cacti, aloe and agave. Ocotillo stand in the background. In the background, you can see that the walls are made of wire encased stones.
This landfill was closed in 2005 and the new park has not officially opened. However, that did not keep me and my husband from exploring.
A collection of Mammillaria backebergiana. Many of them were getting ready to flower.
Close-up of the flowers beginning to open. I love how the flowers form a ring around this little cactus.
We hiked to the top of the park, (or should I say, the top of the trash heap), which is the second highest point in the city. Once at the top, it is very easy to view the surrounding mountains (Superstition, San Tan, South Mountain, the McDowell’s and Four Peaks).
A collection of Green Strawberry Hedgehog (Echinocereus enneacanthus engelmannii) and young Aloe.
There is just something I love about a boulder with lots of character like this one. They add so much texture to the garden and you don’t have to water or prune them.
The canal runs by the park and paths for both bikes and horses encircle the park.
Mammillaria macdougalii
As you can see from the photo above, contrary to popular opinion, cacti and other succulents do best when watered initially until they become established. By using drip-irrigation, it is very easy to just plug up the emitters later or put on an adjustable emitter.
*Note how the emitter is not placed up right next to this cactus – it is placed a little ways away to help keep the roots from rotting.
A young Agave desmettiana and the Mammillaria receive water from the drip-irrigation system. The plantings in the far background look very sparse, but will grow very quickly.
I love how recycled, broken concrete was used to build the walls of this garden.
I love that used recycled, broken concrete was utilized to make the walls of this succulent garden.
The garden is covered with canvas shade panels which look like they can be easily removed once the cacti and other succulents become established.
*Many cacti and succulents do best when temporary shade is provided when they are moved and transplanted.
I had a wonderful time visiting, but all too soon it was time to leave….for the grocery store.
But, I will be back soon….
*Please click the following link for more information about The Paseo Vista Recreational Area
Vegetable Seedlings and Another Confession…
Double S FarmsIsn’t there something just so wonderful when you see little seedlings start to sprout? It makes me feel like it is springtime even though it is still the middle of winter when I see the tiny green leaves begin to break out from the soil. The broccoli sprouted in less then a week.
Many types of vegetables and fruit grow very well in the desert. Lettuce is the top agricultural product that is grown in Arizona. Other crops include melons, broccoli, citrus, cauliflower, onions and carrots, wheat and corn.
Growing vegetables is a very popular past-time for many backyard gardeners. You can find more information on what vegetables grow in the Arizona desert and when to plant them at The Arizona Master Gardener Vegetable Guide .
Now, some of you may (or may not) be wondering what I have to confess now. I’ve already confessed to not having my favorite flower in my garden, you can read my earlier post here if you like. What else could there be?
For those of you who have kindly followed my blog for a while, you may be wondering if these seedlings are mine – you may have noticed that I have not shown any pictures of my vegetable garden in the past. Well, there is a good reason for that….I don’t have one. Now, I honestly love vegetable gardens and have planted them for others and raised my own as a child. I’ve also had to grow my own plot of vegetables at college when I was earning my horticulture degree – I had to learn how to do it well because I was being graded 😉
That being said, my true love in the garden are ornamental plants and I only have so much space to fit them all in and still have room for any new plants that I fall in love with.
I have the wonderful fortune to live only 5 minutes away from Double S Farms, which is the residence of my mother, youngest sister and her family. They have a wonderful vegetable garden and the seedlings belong to them.
Since it is important to me to provide information about all types of desert gardening, I will be posting about Double S Farm’s vegetable garden in the future….and Little Farmers #1 & 2 🙂
Why Did The Tortoise Cross The Road?
AZ Plant LadyTo be honest, I have never wondered why before, until I met a desert tortoise who wanted to cross a road.
Desert Tortoise, Stock Photo
My encounter with a desert tortoise occurred while I was on my way home in the late afternoon and I was traveling from a rather isolated community in the desert.
I had just turned onto a two lane road when I noticed something starting to walk into the road ahead. I slowed down and as I got closer I saw that it was a tortoise.
Well, there were several cars behind me who could not see the tortoise. At the rate he was traveling, he was not going to survive to make it to the other side. So, I stopped my car, put on my emergency blinker lights, and got out, lifted him up and carried him to the other side.
On my way back to my car, I was rewarded by the smiles of those stuck in their cars behind mine once they saw why I had stopped.
So, why did the tortoise cross the road? I still wonder why to this day….