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<\/a><\/p>\nArliss, Mike and yours truly\u2013we were hiking in a wash out past Shea Road. \u00a0Mike and Arliss are fun to wander with\u2013they know all about the geology and flora and fauna of the desert.<\/p>\n
Every rock and every plant is a new treasure.<\/p>\n Desert plant patterns are spectacular.<\/p>\n The color of the cliffs is fascinating, too.<\/p>\n Water only fills the wash once or twice a year, but the force has created canyons all over the desert and it forces shrubs to marry stones, as seen here.<\/p>\n Mike called these elk horn cactus. \u00a0The flowers came in various colors, from reddish orange to pure greenish yellow.<\/p>\n There are some giant bees in Arizona, but they were tough for me to photograph. \u00a0You can see one in the first photo here just to the right of the Ocotillo blossoms. \u00a0It is that giant shiny black bug. \u00a0The bees were just a bit smaller than hummingbirds, and probably heavier.<\/p>\n Ocotillos were blooming beautifully all over the desert.<\/p>\n Mesquite trees were blooming everywhere, as well.<\/p>\n The Colorado River runs very close to Arliss and Mike\u2019s place and there were people out enjoying the water on hot days.<\/p>\n A dwarf form of Oenothera added a bright spot in the sand.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t identified this shrub with tubular flowers yet\u2013it was in \u00a0a neighbor\u2019s yard.<\/p>\n Opuntias take on a different kind of look in the spring.<\/p>\n Some other neighbors had a wonderful garden full of hybrid tea roses. \u00a0I couldn\u2019t help but think of the water and chemicals they probably have to use to keep these beautiful flowers coming in the desert.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve yet to identify this berry-sporting prickly shrub found in the washes near Parker.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t imagine the berries last long if they are at all edible.<\/p>\n This hillside was regurgitating calcite in thin, translucent sheets. \u00a0I found several other hills like this in my hikes.<\/p>\n These shrubs turn lavender in the hot sun\u2026and they blend in with the sand and rocks around them.<\/p>\n A smaller version of the above\u2013its shadow gives it away.<\/p>\n Opuntias are hardcore survivors in the rocky desert. \u00a0Some have a lavender hue.<\/p>\n Close up of the same.<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t a lot of wildlife out during the hot days, but these fence lizards scurried away frequently on my hikes.<\/p>\n This little guy had set up home right next to Arliss and Mike\u2019s driveway.<\/p>\n Boat-tailed grackles take the place of crows in this environment. \u00a0Their vocalizations are more varied, but they have a similar sense of curiosity and boisterous charm.<\/p>\n Agave offsets\u2013so tempting!<\/p>\n Lantana thrives in dooryards.<\/p>\n I found this boat in one of the washes. \u00a0The washes are used as garbage dumps by some and the water steals in own garbage when it really gets flowing, as well.<\/p>\n You can see the lines of different types of sediment\/stone up the hillsides.<\/p>\n Views on some of my desert hikes.<\/p>\n Palos verde trees were in full bloom\u2013this one was a \u00a0beacon at the top of a wash.<\/p>\n A large opuntia that had recently bloomed with fruit setting.<\/p>\n Barely hanging on a cliff.<\/p>\n This giant limestone-looking flat boulder was in the middle of a wash, having been excavated by recent floods. \u00a0It was probably six feet across, at least.<\/p>\n More views from a wash. \u00a0The sun and shadows are very different when you are walking in a canyon and I had to be very aware of the time so as not to get stuck trying to find my way out in the dark.<\/p>\n Much of the land looks like this. \u00a0It isn\u2019t really dirt or sand\u2013it is an aggregate of stone and sand pushed up from the earth.<\/p>\n Creosote bushes are amazing survivors. \u00a0They were the first and sometimes only settlers on barren ground. \u00a0They have a defense mechanism where they exude toxic chemicals that won\u2019t let other plants grow nearby, including other creosote bushes. \u00a0So, they are spaced out quite a distance and the desert never really looks like a shrubbery. \u00a0It looks more like the bushes were planted by a machine on 12 foot axes.<\/p>\n Bougainvillea grow well in the desert, as well, but have to be watered. \u00a0I\u2019m not fond of this, the most predominant hue, but it certainly stood out in a world where almost every flower is yellow.<\/p>\n I saw this hummer in a Mesquite\u2013we were watching each other.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve heard these called Mexican petunias\u2013they are ruellias.<\/p>\n Very drought tolerant, apparently.<\/p>\n This beautiful Bauhinia tree is in the same garden as the tea roses mentioned earlier. \u00a0This yard is an oasis\u2013lots of green plants and bright flowers and birds (they have multitudinous feeders).<\/p>\n You can see the great Orchid Tree leaves here, along with the graceful flowers.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll post more pictures in the next day or two.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Below are a bunch of captioned pictures from our recent trip to Phoenix and Parker, Arizona. Arliss, Mike and yours truly\u2013we were hiking in a wash out past Shea Road. \u00a0Mike and Arliss are fun to wander with\u2013they know all about the geology and flora and fauna of the desert. Every rock and every plant … Continue reading Arizona Desert Vacation<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n