The Desert comes to life...

I mentioned in my last blog that the flowers were starting to appear. The Arizona desert is in bloom and wildflowers stretch as far as the eye can see or the shoes can walk. Yellows, purples, oranges, violets are all coloring the landscape. Soon enough even the cactus will bloom. What just a week or two ago was a barren and brown landscape has now turned into a green oasis. Even the lizards scampering underfoot seem to appreciate all the new growth and yes, the first snakes are also making their appearance. I saw my first rattler of the year a few days ago, thankfully not on the trail, but sunning himself in the middle of the road to the campground. 6 feet of snake stretched across the asphalt tends to get your attention, at least mine, and I gave him a wide berth. I presume, after a long winter of hibernation, the sun feels remarkably good to a cold-blooded reptile so I left him (or her?) to sunbathe in peace. Anyway, here's some of what the desert is offering flower-wise!