Big Sandy Valley, Arizona

What's it like to drive around Arizona without the Interstates?  Beautiful!  Especially in the Spring! The Spanish Conquistadors Espejo were here in 1582 and Farfan in 1584 - almost half a century ago! Of course, they were walking or on horses, wearing METAL ARMOUR.  Unfortunately it was on their chest and head. Their legs were completely unprotected from this thorny situation!  The things lusting for gold will do to a man ...

About 300 years later, Lt. Amiel W. Whipple came a wanderin' through here probably surveying for a military road -- maybe this very one!

Here we are, almost 200 hundreds years after that, discovering the names and characteristics of some of the plants.

It is amazing that the spiny, needle-covered, menacing plants have such beautifully delicate flowers! This is the Ocotillo.  It is such a strange plant - even it's flowers are strange!

The Foothills Paloverde can grow up to 25 feet tall (that's the yellow tree on the right).

There is one plant, the Ironwood, that has wisteria-like flowers, but no thorns.  The wood is extremely heavy and hard - ordinary tools have absolutely no effect on it.  I kept looking for one, but I never found it.  Maybe you can?  It has dark green leaves.

One of the scariest plants to me is this one.

Take a closer look:

Makes my skin flinch for ever needle I see!!!  Ow!  Ooo! Ouch!!

They come in red, too.

These grasses are much nicer - but I don't know what they are.  They line all the roadsides here, and I think that they're beautiful!

And then there are these bluebonnets (?)  Hey!  Wait a minute!  They belong to Texas !!!

What are these guys?  I mean, really!  This is one bloomin' desert!

I believe this is a bloomin' Yucca - a Century plant to be exact.  It comes in red, too.

  

This lowly pear cactus has what we call in Texas a cactus rose - but this one comes in TWO colors on the same cactus.

Here is a Mimosa tree common in the desert.

You know what?  There are so-o-o-o many Spring flowers I have already been here half a day weeding out (so to speak) all of the pictures that just don't make the grade. But, there is one more that I simply will not pass up.  Saguaro cactus are the best!!

And that's the end of this post!