The last leg of our journey began Saturday a.m. early. We’re up before dawn to capture the cool hours…
Had to do some picture taking at a roadside rest stop while watching for rattlesnakes underfoot as per the big yellow warning sign picturing a venomous snake! 
Mid-afternoon we stopped in Lake Havasu City to see the London Bridge. Quite a hot spot for tourists on Spring Break!
Bouganvilla is a brilliant desert bloomer!
We arrived in our old hometown late Saturday evening… I had to get up early to see the morning. There is nothing like morning in the desert–birdsong, warm sun, cool air– so peaceful! By mid-morning it is getting quite warm ( +/- 25 degrees).
This is the land of the cactus. It is time for the ‘hedgehogs’ to bloom: 
This larger more fierce variety has the cuddly name of “Teddy Bear Cholla”…
A bird has found it a safe haven for her young…
Prickly Pear is a common cactus; this is a thornless variety in bud:
Sajuaros are the giants of the desert—
The most common tree of the Arizona desert is Mesquite. The ‘leaves’ are just coming out…
The bees are busy about the job of finding nectar…
Here pictured is the ‘zucchini of the American Southwest’–grapefruit–in a friend’s backyard. Everyone with a tree is eager to pass on bags of their fruit overload:
We are enjoying fresh oranges, lemons and grapefruit in profusion these days as we trot about visiting old friends, special stores and favorite restaurants. One evening we found ourselves in Tucson enjoying this gorgeous sunset!
“The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork…”
–Linda
O my goodness
That favorite hike of yours…with the pics of Rachel sitting down by the little stream bed…..that looks familiar…didn’t we hike down there way back when I came to visit you with Abbie…. (and Maggie yet unhatched. :)? )
Yep, that was the same hike. ( :