Southwest 2023

We hiked the Alamo Canyon trail this morning. Another treasure! Up to an old ranchers cabin and a spring! The spring was awesome, new wildflower species and so lush. Some superbloom shots! flowers are just everywhere! This is a Teddy Bear Cholla. It drops its segments and they attach to passers by or just land on ground and root look closely at these babies, they have rooted and have tons of new growth . Great example of a barrell cactus The Organ Pipe Cactus ( where  the Park got it's name)      Our friend "garding" the trail! Stopped for lunch at the only restaurant in Why, AZ. It was surprisingly yummy!!! A quiet afternoon reading.

Buckhorn cholla! We drove the 47 mile Peurto Blanco drive today and Hiked some short hikes. always working lol option for my next watercolor class! Below is the Mexican boundry wall. When I was here in the early 90's it was a wimpy barbed wire fence that you could easily cross.. We hiked into quitoboquito spring to see the only place that Quitobaquito pupfish live ! They are only about 1-2 inches so really hard to photograph!! During mating season the males turn blue! we were lucky enough to be here at the right time!! below a male and female doing a circle dance. We drove about 30 miles in to Ajo for dinner, the closest US town with restarant. Mexico actually closer but unfortunatly not safe to cross at this point. We had a yummy simple mexican dinner with Negra Modelos and I forgot to take pictures.

Today was amazing. Wildflowers everywhere! penstimon desert lupine desert delphinium! Globe thistle Buckhorn  cholla about to bloom! Jer on the hike!! Jerry being really strong!!! Lol agave dinner: bbq pork, grilled mixed veggies and potato with seared nopalitos( pickled cactus pad strips) yummy! A lovely memory.

So excited to be back. It's as beautiful and diverse as I remeber. But we have to start the day with some yumminess. Bagels with lox, cream cheese,avacado, red onions and HF micro greens. This morning we hiked to an old mine. On the way we found many of my old favorites. prickly pear cactus mamilaria Buckhorn cholla Hedgehog cacti If you zoom in on the desert floor above, it's solid mini white flowers, Mohave Morningstars !! They were everywhere! Wildflowers are abundant, especially along the roadsides! Took and afternoon drive. We then drove in to the primitive campsite where I tented solo many times from 1989-1995. Many paintings have been inspired from here. Dinner will be scup caught last summer on our boat and mixed veggies.