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Grevillea superb.
It is easy to see how this exotic flower came by its common name.
I saw this specimen in the Australian section at Kew Gardens,England . I was immediately transfixed by its curious beauty. It is a compact evergreen shrub, a hybrid with long lasting flower clusters.
Click on image to enlarge.
Jasper: What are you doing back there, Dad?
Todd: Trying to take your portrait.
Jasper: Seriously Dad! Put down the camera and let's play frisbee.
Orders received. Will comply.
Jasper plops down in front of the fire with Betty Bunny and sulks because his humans have stopped playing. Poor Jasper only gets about 14 hours of play per day. 😜
Good friends make each other laugh. Really good friends go for the snort.... (-_-) sησятs σвησxισυsℓү (-_-)
Jean, Jasper and I had an opportunity to meet one of my Flickr / Instagram friends in the real world this weekend. Borzena joined us at the Riparian Preserve and we had a nice stroll, took some pictures (mostly of Jasper) and got to know each other. She's a very talented photographer so it was fun to share our love of photography. This is one of the shots I took along the way, Jasper posing with his usual grace and professionalism.
We're still in Wisconsin visiting family, so a photo from a while back of Jasper enjoying the neighborhood early morning sun..
Jasper keeps a keen eye on his humans in the evenings. If they move, they might be ready to play. Right Edward the Elephant
Jasper can sometimes be a little underwhelmed with our playfulness. Betty Bunny seems to have the same attitude. Jasper will keep his eye on me just in case I decide not to be totally lame.
I think Jasper looks right at home her exploring the Old West. I'm glad he's showing his mustache in the shot to kind of fit with the theme. Those sun-kissed mountains in the back are the Superstition Mountains. In the first comment I've shown the real set of explorers - a phone pic that my sister-in-law's husband took of us on the trail
Jasper is settling in nicely to the Ranch he acquired (see first comment). Happy, happy cowpoke. Now, time to go tend to the cattle. Mooo
When patrolling the neighborhood a dog must remain vigilant. Jasper and I did a nice walk around the neighborhood this morning soon after sunrise. Be calm, we found nothing awry.
As the golden dawn light spilled through the trees, Jasper remained vigilant at his post. Watchful. Alert. Aware. (corny enough for you?)
Jasper is playing the sympathy card here, looking up at me with his puppy eyes. Pleading for play. Which of course we did. Jasper brought out Lemur the other day. Lemur's neck is broken and he can't hold his head up, but he remains in good spirits, always ready for a little rough and tumble.
Jasper just loves playing in the back yard. It's his happy place. I took this portrait of him the other evening after some fun play and as the sun faded. I liked the bokeh as the dwindling sun filtered through the trees
Jasper commiserates with Betty Bunny after the humans stopped playing. Poor Jasper never gets any attention!
Here's an example of how Jasper is ignored and lives just a horrible existence. On a typical weekday morning I do a workout while Jean walks Jasper. Yesterday I got done with my workout and came downstairs to find Jean on the floor massaging Jasper. I said, "Hey, how come you never massage me?" She said, "You're not soft and furry and fluffy" True, none of those adjectives fit Todd. But if Jasper isn't getting a massage when they get home from the walk, he's getting play and fun and love. What an existence.
Meanwhile, across carpet land, Jasper and Betty Bunny conspire to engage the humans in play. Clever duo.
Here's Jasper doing his impression of a barrel cactus, like those behind him. Nice try Jasper, but you're just not prickly at all
Jasper inspects the shrubbery troops. A perfect line. Tops high and tight. Polished roots. Everything is ship shape. Inspector Jasper gives them a paws up. And he knows where to go in case he runs into the Knights that say , "Ni" (Monty Python reference)
I think his coat is looking particularly full in this portrait. Poor guy suffers a bit when its hot. And it's very hot this week. Highs through the mid week are 117ºF (47ºC) and last night the low only got to 91ºF (33ºC). Jean said he was a trooper on their walk this morning though. A few stops to crunch on ice cubes, then soldier on. We don't bother with his after-dinner walk this time of year. Instead, we play in air conditioned comfort.
Well looky here, Jasper bagged himself a rooster. Rebel Rooster that is. Poor Rebel, face down in shame. But, such is the life of a dog toy
Jasper turned 12 on Friday, July 21st. So we celebrated in grand style this weekend with toys, and treats and play. Such fun. A couple of new friends have joined the fray. The orange fella on the left is Mr. Gecko. And on the right is Mosely the Marvelous Moose, but his friends call him Moosey . Jasper is doing quite well for a 12-year-old. He maybe takes a few more naps but still has energy and playfulness.
Jasper came with us to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch on Saturday. This is a 110 acre park about 15 minutes from our home. It features 7 recharge ponds that are stocked with fish for the birds. There is also a fishing pond stocked with fish for humans to catch. The park is free and ebird.org typically lists over 300 species of birds that have been spotted there. The park is a real gem in our community. Jasper has been birding with me his whole life. Fortunately, he's never chased the birds. Only watched them with interest.
A shot of one of the ponds in the first comment.
Jasper keeps an eye out for lizards and ground squirrels and whatnot. All those creatures that inhabit the rocks and scrub of the desert
This is not an uncommon sight around our house. We were finishing up dinner and I looked over to see Jasper patiently waiting for the next phase of the evening (which is his after-dinner treat, then play, then tricks, then more play, then...)
Having herded all the cattle to the back 40, Jasper surveys his ranch, proud of the work he's done. It's the life of a working dog breed
Jasper looking rather austere or aristocratic or something. Lots of blooming bougainvillea right now with big bold color.
Jasper at the riparian preserve wondering why Mom took his leash off and told him to stay. Humans are so weird!
On Sunday we went to Boyce Thompson Arboretum. They open at 6AM starting in May so we took advantage of the cooler early morning to check out some desert blooms. There were lots of these purple flowers about and Jasper agreed to pose for a shot or two.
Jasper likes to sniff around some of the neighborhood shrubberies. Sometimes we see bunnies. Or sometimes we see kitties. All very exciting
Boyce Thompson Arboretum has some mini canyons to explore. They're full of cactus and lizards and other interesting bits. Jasper likes to explore them.
One good thing that has come out of the pandemic is that the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix have opened their gates to dogs more often. This month, you can bring your dog every Sunday morning. Jasper seems to enjoy it. Especially these shady respites where he can relax and do a bit of people watching.
A field full of dry grasses and these tufty thistly weeds. Those are containers in the background because this is Port Adelaide, where containers live.
An impromptu portrait as Jasper and I enjoyed a little outdoor time while Jean (my wife) finished up with piano lessons.
Who would have thought that we had a resident pod of Orca here in Australia. Located in the Southern Ocean, about 80 km south of Bremer Bay in Western Australia is the Bremer Canyon. This is home to a large pod of Orca. During the summer months the tour operators guarantee sightings. A great day out, as long as you don't get sea sick!