Friday, October 10, 2014

2014-04-08 Saguaro National Park East

2014-04-08 Saguaro National Park East

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

We had been to this fine place several times, but before we left AZ for the season, the desert was blooming! Some of the cacti were in full bloom, and we had not seen the Prickly Pear, Cholla, and Ocotillo so full before.

There is a superb driving loop that takes you through a variety of landscapes and ecosystems.
Nola and I call these relaxing tours "our attitude adjustment drives"!

 Ocotillo (oh-co-tee-oh)
Native Americans used them for building fences.
The roots and blossoms are a food source also.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fouquieria_splendens#Uses

Um...yellow flowers?

Saguaro (sah-war-oh) in bloom!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro

Gila Woodpecker on a saguaro



Cholla (Choy-ah)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylindropuntia

Prickly Pear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia

Cholla

Cholla

Prickly Pear

Cholla
 Cholla fruit




No bikers or bicycles were harmed in the making of this blog entry

Javelinas ("J" is an "H" Sound)
This pic is evidence that they had a snack from a prickly pear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peccary

These two Desert Spiny Lizards were hunting near our picnic table
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_lizard

Even the Velvet Mesquite has pretty seed fronds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis_velutina





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