New Ceiling Light

I replaced the old black and gold ugly light with a new bronze light. The lights shine on the back of the fireplace column and the dining area.
Before:

After:

Exterior Lighting

With the exception of the exterior garage light all of the outside lights were basic light sockets covered with southwest kitsch metal sconces. I wanted more contemporary lights that would take fluorescent bulbs.

Old Exterior Lights:
Front Door & Garage - Random Southwest pattern and a light with tiny bulbs that doesn't really put out any light.

Ramada West & East - Saguaro cactus and sun and the same random southwest design

Sliding Doors: Front & Kitchen - Gamble's quail and jack rabbit with pricky pear cactus

Back Door - lizard and prickly pear cactus

New Exterior Lights:
Garage -

The remaining lights are the same just different sizes. The front door and ramada column lights are larger than the 2 sliding door and back door lights.

The red-spotted toads are back in full force

I love my toads. The red-spotted toads (Bufo punctatus) came out of hibernation about two weeks ago and the males now serenade me at night with their mating calls. They can get very loud. Every once in a while I let the pool chlorine level drop so the eggs will hatch so I can net all the tadpoles to transfer to another container for rearing (It is easier to transfer tadpoles than sticky eggs that get damaged easily). They exert so much energy and time to breed in my pool so I want them to be successful some of the time. Last night I had 8 in my pool and decided to take some pictures. You can hear what they sound like at

http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/b.punctatus.sounds.html

Pictures from last night:

Chaise Side Table

I bought this monkey pod twist side table/stool for use next to the chaise upstairs.

Storage chaise has arrived

The Natuzzi Storage Chaise has finally arrived. I ordered it the end of November but since I customized the leather (heavy grade Navy) it had to be made to order in Italy (They only stock black and white at the store). I didn't want a bed upstairs (replaces a twin bed) but I still wanted an extra place that someone could sleep. This storage chaise is neat because it lays flat to use as a bed, one end props up in different positions to use as a lounge and the other end lifts up to reveal a huge amount of storage for blankets, sheets and pillows. It is just shy of twin bed size.

Misc.

I hung my crinoid fossil on the wall behind the sectional between the two windows. I had to figure out a very secure way to hang it so it wouldn't fall and break.
I added another house plant. A Dracenea.
I trimmed the palms:
By the pool gate -
By the garage -
I got a Thompson's Yucca for the front to replace the biggest agave I lost to agave weevils:
I planted a different type of iceplant in the pot on the dog gate column. This type is supposed to be pack rat resistant. (ahh Fringe is looking up at it thinking that wasn't there before!)
I'm planning on getting a LCD TV on an articulating wall mount for the side of the fireplace column that can be viewed from the kitchen and recliner area. This is a piece of cardboard cut to size I made to determine the scale. (Static Animal Planet scene provided by me!)