Yes.....there are pictures...there is a post already written....from our adventures and travels to AZ and CA. However, I am waiting on one video to complete the entry. So...in the meantime....here is my ode to Arizona. :) (Specifically for our east coast friends who would view this terrain as being from another planet....but also because I am quite proud of my pictures.
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| Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet...... |
Yes...that's right. I can stand in my parents' back yard and decide if I would like some fresh squeezed lemonade or orange juice. Citrus in the backyard is a beautiful thing...
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| Anyone for some fresh squeezed O.J.? |
In my upcoming post....I write about our amazing trip to the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum. The place is absolutely beautiful and is a good example of just how beautiful the desert can be.
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| Stunning beauty |
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| Lushness in the desert |
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| Golden Barrel Cactus |
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| Desert Canyons |
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| A pretty close to perfect saguaro (the "g" is silent) |
Under the guise of a morning trip to the desert....Dave dragged me (rather unwillingly I might add) on a birding adventure to the banks of the Salt River in East Mesa. I am SOOOO happy I went. I saw areas that are only 20 minutes from my parents' house but that I had never been to before...I saw a beautiful sunrise...I saw the desert in a new light.
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| Morning sun on Red Mountain |
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| "Shall we gather at the river....?" |
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| Not the James River but the Salt River was mighty |
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| Red Mountain - my favorite in the valley |
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| Fall Colors in the desert |
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| Morning light |
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| Didn't think the desert could look like this, did you?! |
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| Morning has broken |
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| Morning Salutations |
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| A shedding tree |
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| A happy birder |
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| The back of Red Mountain |
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| Beautiful view of Four Peaks and the Salt River |
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| At one with nature... |
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| I was so envious of the fly fisherman....I would have loved to have been out there with a rod in my hand! |
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| Grass in the desert?! Impossible!!! |
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| Long shadows for so early in the morning |
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| Happiness is seeing a Gila Woodpecker |
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| Roots in AZ |
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| A river runs through it... |
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| Coon's Bluff |
When we lived in Idaho, I was rather (and sadly) vocal about how happy I was to be out of Arizona. The Phoenix Valley was too big, too busy, too sprawled out, too brown (as far as vegetation), too monotonous (as far as seasons are concerned), too hot.... There is truth to all of this. However, my tune has changed...or rather...my eyes have been opened to the beauty of my home. These days, I long for the familiar sights of Brown Road or Gilbert Road. I smile when I see Camelback Mountain or the Papago Buttes. I think Red Mountain is one of the prettiest sights in the Valley. And I have a new found appreciation for the desert of the East Valley....and have discovered that (as the pictures show), the desert isn't just all dirt and cactus. It took me moving to the opposite side of the country to finally love my home area. Better late than never!
3 comments:
I totally agree with you! One of my favorite sites is seeing all the brown from the airplane as we are landing. Arizona is pretty great.
Me. Too. I totally understand. And your pics are beautiful :)
Jessica, your entry made me smile, cause I always hated desert scenery growing up. Maybe because thats all I knew. My husband is really outdoorsy & gave me a new appreciation for desert beauty as I've grown older- I've never really been away from it for too long though. I was just taking a picture of the same area the other day :)
http://juliajspics.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-1.html
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