Early Flowers in the Desert

After a very wet winter for the desert, as the sun gets higher, more low-growing flowers appear each day.

    
Arizona poppy                                                               Desert lupine

Brittle Bush

   
Unknown varieties

Chiricahua National Monument

"Land of the Standing Up Rocks"

 
Upon our return to Arizona from California we met Joyce and Alan Breach at Chiricahua National Monument for a few days of wonderful hiking.
 
Rock pinnacles of rhyolite looming over our road are guardians of the forest in Chiricahua country. The Apaches called these pinnacles “standing up rocks.”

In 1934 the Civilian Conservation corps began building roads, trails and structures within this National Monument. With reservations made last year, we are able to “dry” camp for two nights in the cool, dark Bonita Canyon Campground at about 5400 elevation. The park shuttle takes us to the trailhead at 6780 feet and we hike through Echo Canyon back to the visitors center.

    
Cold day in Arizona                                              “Standing Man” Rocks

   
Echo Canyon Grotto

Wall Street

   
Resting in Echo Park                                            Lunch in Rhyolite Canyon

Talus cones are steep, triangular piles of rock rubble commonly formed in high mountains as chunks dislodge and fall to the slope below.

    
Talus Cones                                                            Hailstones

No ones knows how “Hailstones” form in the rocks.

 

Traveling East to Florida 

As we traveled towards Florida across Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, we stopped to enjoy not only the local brew but also the Cajun shrimp, cheese grits, and Texas Bar-B-Que. Nothing quite like it in the Northeast.

     
Texas Bar-B-Que                                                    Oatmeal Porter and grits

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