How could I have missed three flowers on my night blooming cereus a few nights ago??? I don’t know, but I did. However, yesterday afternoon…
My opuntia microdasys surprised and delighted me!
Archive for the ‘Casita Colibrí’ Category
Cactus flower
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged cactus, flowers, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, opuntia microdasys, photographs, photos on April 17, 2016| 2 Comments »
Soledad’s morning glow
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Churches, Travel & Tourism, tagged Basilica de la Soledad, churches, Mexico, Morning Has Broken, morning light, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on February 5, 2016| 6 Comments »
Yesterday, I opened my front door to the Basilica de la Soledad glowing in the morning light. I grabbed my little Lumix and ran out to compose a photo to send as a Feliz Cumpleaños greeting to a friend celebrating his birthday.
And the song, Morning Has Broken by Yusuf Islam (aka, Cat Stevens), began playing in my mind. Ahhh…
Scenes from 2015
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Celebrations, Culture, Exhibitions, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged African Tulip trees, Casa Colonial, cattle, Cochineal, flowers, globos, hot air balloons, MACO, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Police riot shields, Primavera, San Juan Guelavia, San Mateo Macuilxóchitl, water lilies on January 1, 2016| 16 Comments »
Muchisimas gracias to all my wonderful blog readers — for reading, for commenting, for sharing, for the opportunity to meet some of you, and for inspiring me to continue. A look back at Oaxaca scenes that never made it into the blog…
January – Although spring was a couple of months away, the Primavera (Tabebuia chrysotricha) was already in bloom.
February – Cattle car on the carretera outside Tlacolula de Matamoros on Sunday market day.
March – A quiet morning on Monte Albán.
April – Decorating with agave flowers on Easter Sunday in Mitla.
May – Police temporarily remove and replace Sección 22 on the zócalo.
June – Though we arrived hours early for a festival in San Juan Guelavía, the sacred and profane were already present.
July – A favorite view from my terrace, the African tulip trees in full bloom.
August – At Casa Colonial the water lilies and hyacinths were stunning.
September – Cochineal (the “perfect red” dye) exhibition at Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca (MACO).
October – Returning from Teotitlán de Valle one morning, a globo was landing near San Mateo Macuilxochitl.
November – On the way to Mercado Hidalgo in Colonia Reforma to buy Thanksgiving groceries, Our Lady of the Wires (?).
December – Rooftop still life in El Centro.
A long, strange, and fascinating trip it continues to be. As another song says, Próspero año y felicidad!
Pineapple grows on my terrace
Posted in Agriculture, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Food, Gardens, History, Travel & Tourism, tagged fruit, garden, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, piña, pineapple on November 26, 2015| 4 Comments »
A year and a half ago, I cut off the top of a pineapple (piña, en español), stuck it in a ten inch pot in full sun, watered it very occasionally during the dry season, and it actually began to grow. This member of the Bromeliaceae family is thought to have originated in the area between southern Brazil and Paraguay and spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Reaching Mexico, it was cultivated by the Mayas and Aztecs. Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese conquerors took it across the pond, and the rest is history. No surprise, as the fruit (which resembles a pine cone — hence the name) is sweet, succulent, and ridiculously easy to grow!
A symbol of home: warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality. — The Welcoming Pineapple
Grown in the Papaloapan region of Oaxaca, the pineapple has inspired elaborate embroidery designs and the crowd-pleasing Flor de Piña dance. What’s not to love?!
Visitors are coming…
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Casita Colibrí, ceramic faces, Colima, Mexico, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, wall art, wall hanging on October 26, 2015| 2 Comments »
The difuntos (departed) will be returning on November 1 and 2, but it’s the impending arrival of my very-much-alive friends from el norte who have inspired last minute painting and decorating.
New outside entrance color to highlight wall hanging from Colima, gifted by my neighbor.
Speaking of critters…
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Flora, tagged Casita Colibrí, caterpillar, flowers, garden, hibiscus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on October 9, 2015| 11 Comments »
When I moved to the new and improved Casita Colibrí two and a half years ago, there was a sorry looking hibiscus in a huge green clay pot (probably from Atzompa) on the balcony. It was obvious the plant had been water deprived for quite some time. I made it my mission to bring it back to life and this year it has rewarded my efforts with a continuous procession of peachy pink flowers.
However, yesterday I noticed it was playing host to a caterpillar having comida.
I looked in the aforementioned, Butterflies and Moths book, but it doesn’t provide many caterpillar stage photos with which to identify this incredibly decorative guy/gal and, after a couple of pages of Google images, I gave up. However, I did learn enough to know those flower-like hairs ringing its body probably sting like nettles, so I’ve kept my distance. Anyone have any ideas as to my fuzzy friend’s identity?
Wall hangings in my ‘hood
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, tagged Chapulines, Giant Leopard Moth, grasshoppers, insects, lizards, Mexico, moths, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on October 8, 2015| 2 Comments »
One night, several weeks ago, one of my neighbors called me to come outside to see a beautiful moth on the wall. Searching my trusty Butterflies and Moths book, it looks to me like a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia). Whatever it was, beautiful it is!
Earlier that same day, while walking home, I discovered this little grasshopper. It was the first day of Oaxaca Sabe and I’m sure he was glad to have escaped winding up as an appetizer. Perhaps he will find fame and fortune as an alebrije model.
And, then there are the lizards that skitter along my terrace and around on its walls doing “push-ups,” munching on less welcome insects, and entertaining me as I putter in the garden.
Just some of the city “wildlife” in my neighborhood!
Stages of life
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, Dragon fruit, flowers, fruit, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya on September 2, 2015| 6 Comments »
Opening the door onto my terrace this morning, I was greeted with more pitahaya flowers glowing in the morning light. In the background, rain drops glistened on unripened fruit, as their dry spent flowers continued to cling to the fruit of their late night labor.
Behind the chain link fence, one of my ripe Dragon Fruit is so close and yet so far.
However, there is more to come; blossoms preparing to burst open — for just one night.
From tenacious roots and branches of my previous post to fleeting flowers to long ripening fruit; such is the life of the pitahaya.
Roots or Rapunzel?
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Science and Nature, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, flora, garden, Hylocereus undatus, J.R.R. Tolkien quote, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya, roots on August 29, 2015| 12 Comments »
One of the apartments in this higgledy piggledy complex is being readied for a new occupant. Opening the door to begin the job, Luci was greeted with an unexpected wall hanging.
She ran upstairs, laughing and calling me to come down and see what she had discovered. Hmmm… Rapunzel’s tresses? If so, like everyone else suffering Oaxaca’s hard water, she needs to start using a good hair-conditioner.
Of course, closer inspection revealed it to be the roots of something. A tree, perhaps? But, there are no trees in the vicinity and, in reality, it seemed to be coming from my terrace. I dashed upstairs, as Luci came outside to stand and point to where the fibrous cascade seemed to be coming from. 
Yikes, on the west wall, the culprit was exposed; the roots of one of my pitahaya had grown into the concrete!!!
Alas, the pitahaya’s tenacity could not be allowed to continue; the garden shears came out and the problem was nipped at its root. The same was done below, leaving golden tresses lying on the ground waiting to be swept away.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Chrysler Building in my garden
Posted in Buildings, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged Casita Colibrí, garden, Kalanchoe luciae, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, succulents on August 26, 2015| 10 Comments »
My friend G called this succulent, the Chrysler Building. Anyone who has seen the original, or photos of it, in New York City can understand why.
This Kalanchoe luciae is one of the great, great, great… grandchildren of the original plantlet G had given me six years ago when I first moved to Oaxaca.
Under the African tulip tree…
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Science and Nature, tagged birds, colibrí, hummingbirds, Mexico, Oaxaca, photo, photographs on August 14, 2015| 6 Comments »
Luís interrupted his Sisyphusean task of sweeping the African tulip tree blossoms off the driveway this morning, to come upstairs to show me this baby hummingbird sitting on the driveway.
There’s a lot of hummingbird action going on in the African tulip tree above and we decided it was best to leave baby alone and hope mom flies down to give it some help.
Last night in B&W
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, Dragon fruit, flowers, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya on July 30, 2015| 2 Comments »
Late last night, twelve buds on my pitahaya burst open; my favorite the cluster of four at the top of the eight foot tall chain link fence.
Alas, now, less than twenty hours after their night-blooming show began, they are no more. Hopefully, the brilliant white flowers with their sweet scent attracted the desired pollinators, Dragon Fruit will begin forming at the base of the blossoms, the fruit will ripen to a blush red, and be ready to pick in 45 days (más o menos).
Mother Nature’s easel
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged African Tulip trees, Árbol de tulipán, Flame Trees, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on July 17, 2015| 4 Comments »
Late yesterday afternoon, before the rains came, the African tulip tree in full blush against a sky drained of color…
Half and Half on Mother Nature’s easel in Oaxaca.
Flowers so sweet…
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Science and Nature, tagged Flor de mayo, flowers, frangipani, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, plumeria, popular travel destinations on July 1, 2015| 2 Comments »
The rainy season transforms the Plumeria (aka, Frangipani) in my rooftop garden. Large lush leaves sprout from naked stalks and flowers materialize, perfuming the terrace with the heady scent of the tropics. Ahhh…
“And all of us with our closed eyes smelled the frangipani blossoms in the big rectangles of open wall, flowers so sweet they conjure up sin or heaven, depending on which way you are headed.” — Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
Late bloomers
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Science & Nature, tagged Azucenas, Cereus, flowers, garden, Mexico, night blooming flowers, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya on June 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »
… of the night flowering variety. During the hours of darkness, they brighten the terrace with their brilliant white and perfume the air with their sweet scent.
Pitahaya
Cereus
Azucenas
A fleeting gift for the senses, by morning they gone.
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This work by spixl is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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