While we haven’t completely bonded with the intense heat (dry though it is), we are enjoying the mountain views and desert flora and fauna. Just thought we’d share a few of our most recent photos while we continue to wait for the promised monsoons.
In light of the recent US and world events, I have to start with the photo below. This feels like it’s become the half-staff year.
Bob and I had a great visit to the Saguaro National Park — western division this past week. Our visit started with a film in the lovely visitor’s center on the interdependence of the desert plants and animals on each other in order to survive. There seemed to be a message there for all of us . . .
We continue to be impressed with the size and longevity of the saguaro (pronounced Sa Wah Ro) cactus that grows so prominently in the Sonoran dessert.
It’s amazing that these often giant plants begin as a seed the size of a pinhead and grow so slowly that they may be only 12 inches tall after 15 years! A 7 foot saguaro may be about 50 years old, and if it has sprouted “arms” it may be at least 75 years old. Saguaros that live 150 years or more may be over 50 feet tall and weigh more than 16,000 pounds!
Other plants that we finally learned the names for at the park are the Ocotillo, the Cholla cactus, and the Palo Verde tree which is identified by its green trunk.
We have seen some beautiful flowers as well here, but we have learned that we need to get a photo of them right away as the blooms don’t last very long. Here are two plants in bloom right in “our” yard.
There are definitely some agricultural areas around here as well. This weekend we went to Willcox, AZ to an orchard to pick peaches and then stopped into one of the handful of wineries near that town.
Finally, we have had some interesting animal sightings. I saw my first bear on a hike late last week. Luckily, I saw it before it saw me, so I had time to figure out what to do since it was alongside the trail in the direction that I needed to go. I finally decided to move into its line of sight and move very slowly looking as big and as confident as possible. It decided I wasn’t that interesting, as it headed off. Of course, then, I wished I had gotten a photo. Still, glad to be alive to have that regret. Bob captured some other fun animals that we saw this week —
Neighborhood sightings include lots of birds and lizards, roadrunners, rabbits, Gambel Quail, and some fairly sizable coyotes. Also, and one long snake that I stepped over as I was walking one of the dogs before realizing what it was! Pretty exciting stuff for city dwellers!
Peckish Travels 