Arizona

Our first trip to the west really began with Arizona. We wanted to explore the beauty of the American west and here we  found it. Enjoy some of the visual beauty the Arizona has to offer with us as we take you along with us to some of the unusual places we came across.

June 2000

This is Arizona desert country.

Dryness is a way of life here but when it rains, it really rains! The monsoon season was arriving with us.

July- August 2000

Northern AZ is rugged mountains with alpine forest. We stayed at a very nice park on the Mogollon Rim. We needed to escape from the extreme heat of the desert floor. Higher elevations allowed for more moderate temperatures and cool nights. Happy Jack Campground and lodge is located up in the “Rim” country where hears of elk and tall Ponderosa Pines abound.

On a side trip we came down from the higher elevations to the east of Flagstaff to see some interesting landmarks. Meteor Crater is a remarkable landmark in a vast dry plain. You can see for miles in all directions. It was astounding to see what a small meteorite can do to the earth!

February – May 2001

Our daughter found this little friend scurrying around our feet in the R park . We chose not to add this little guy to our menagerie.

When we returned to the North Ranch in February, the snow was on the mountains like pictured here. The amazing thing is though we still had a snow storm that covered the mountains when this picture was taken in April!

There were some good rains through February, March and in April. From what I heard it was needed because it has been real dry this last year.

Springtime in the desert is like nothing you’ve ever seen. It is totally amazing that there is such beautiful colors in the desert.  These photos hardly do justice to displaying the array of colors everywhere we looked. The cacti where fat and happy. Desert poppies covered some of the mountain sides in a sea of yellow. Maybe you can help identify some of these flowering plants and cactus? These are different types of century plants. This is desert Chicory. This is a type of cholla about to bloom. This is another type of Cholla. Christmas cactus. A hedgehog cactus?   There are many more cactus and plants that we have yet to identify. This is the Teddy bear Cholla or Jumping Cholla. Bad stuff to get into. Judy is still picking out thorns. This is called a cow tongue cactus. The last 6 photos are plants unknown to us so far. Any ideas? We made a roadside stop to admire the spray of colors offered by the desert blooms.

Desert marigolds make a beautiful bouquet for decorating purposes. Be aware that picking wild flowers is prohibited in many areas but these were saved from the mowing machine and weed killer that is widely used to control pest plants.  Of course, any respectable photo collection of cactus will have the venerable saguaro standing as a proud symbol of the desert southwest. We believe this is called a Spike Broom Rake blossom. It was just sticking up in the middle of the dirt. This is a night shot of the night blooming Easter Cactus. It only blooms during a few days in April. We just couldn’t overlook another Hedgehog cactus with these glorious blooms.

One of the best things about being on the road is the opportunity to meet wonderful people. Here, Clare is busy crafting another cloth on her portable loom she carries with her while she travels. We were lucky enough to meet her and her daughter Sarah while were staying here at the North Ranch.

There are many creatures great and small here in the desert. This is the nest of a Funnel Spider. We have had the opportunity to meet face to face the infamous Mojave Rattle snake, many different kinds of lizards, including the rare Gila Monster, and oodles of different birds. Most of which were not ready to pose while we went to get the camera. But, we will get their picture sooner or later.

The sky is grand. It brings a surprise each day. God paints the colors of indescribable beauty across the sky each day. Take a moment to see.

February – May 2002

“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2

Some of our new family of friends we’ve made in Arizona.