Sunday, March 17, 2013

VISITING THE AZ DESERT

Hiking into the Santan Mountains Regional Park in Arizona gave me a whole new appreciation for this desert biome. The area has seen unseasonally cold weather in the past few weeks which has delayed the vibrant riot of spring blooms which transform the desert into a floral show. In spite of the meagre show of flowers I was fascinated with the many cactus varieties, keeping my distance from their barbed spines.






















Saguaro Cactus,
 the signature plant of the Sonoran Desert

Ocotillo Cactus


Buckhorn Cactus



Prickly Pear Cactus



Barrel Cactus


Filaree



Mexican Gold Poppy



Fairy Duster



Hedgehog Cactus






Entertained by the Mockingbird







"How sweet it is to do nothing
                  and then rest awhile."
William H Peters
We are grateful to family who gave us an eventful week,
introducing us to the Snowbird lifestyle of AZ



A lovely oasis in the desert sun

1 comment:

edie said...

Great shots. Love the fairy duster.