The summer monsoon has arrived in Arizona and we are being treated to some of Mother Nature’s finest work.

So while we have been wrapping up details on the FPB 78, the show going on outside our windows has been awesome.

Of course when it is this close, we tend to unplug computers and stay indoors.

The Sonoran desert responds quickly to this sort of excitement.

Within three days of the first rains several of our cactii

have sported new flowers.

With the promise of more on the way..

And the critters, great and small, are out in force.

There is renewed vigor in the contest for best bird song in the Dashew Offshore back yard. Our vote goes to this handsome fellow.

We have three families of gambles quail visiting on a regular basis. These are the oldest.

The doves are busy keeping their favorite resting places free of interlopers.

While the turkey vultures soar close to the ground in the dead air after a thunderstorm. They are even coming to roost occasionally on the arms of a dead sahuaro cactus.

The lizard turnover is high. No sooner do we become acquainted with one then they disappear, to be replaced by someone new.

We suspect the various hawks in the neighborhood are raiding our stock.

Bunnies are plentiful, but between cats of various sizes, coyotes, and rattlers, they need to keep their eyes open and their wits sharp.

A cool customer, here, came by to say hello this afternoon. We think his name is Bob ll (you saw Bob l earlier)

If you get up early, say 0430 local, this time of year you might have an interesting sky. And it might get better as they day warms.

And if the moon happens to be around in the aftermath of a thunderstorm, earthbound observers are in for a treat.

The engineering team in New Zealand is now working through the structure of the hull, deck, and house for the FPB 78. Here in Arizona we have wrapped most of the details, with just a few items left to be ticked off for our Dream Machine. This is going to be a very cool yacht. And with the end of this phase almost upon us, we are going to take a week off and go on a photo shoot in the Rockies.