WICKENBURG

Depiction of "horse" in stall in Wickenburg, turn of the century. Very nice western museum here.
A Wickenburg bedroom of the same era.

Kitchen

Dining area

Nice parlor

General store

Ohhh nice saloon.

Here's Paul at the jail tree, chained and angry. heehee

Pretty hard to budge this counterweight.

Impressive way to keep prisoners, no jail needed.

Staghorn Cholla blooms just coming out.

Huge quartz, and lots more where it came from.

First time I've seen these, a type of wild Mallow, I think.

Ocotillo and Brittlebush

ANOTHER DESERT RIDE

A yellow sulfur butterfly lands in the hedgehog cactus.
Desert Globe Mallow, growing wild in the desert.

Teddy Bear Cholla look so cuddly...not so! But pretty just the same!

A memorial to a miner found deep in the desert.

The "sights" point to his mine.

PAUL'S DESERT FLOWERS

WOW, gorgeous!

Paul didn't cheat. He found gorgeous cactus flowers growing wild in the desert.



Prickly pear blossoms.

Hedgehog cactus blossom.

Hedgehog blossoms with yellow creosote blossoms in background.

ARIZONA FLORA AND FAUNA

A cute little ground squirrel at Dripping Springs.
A flower garden untouched by man.

Yellow Brittle Bush with an Ocotillo cactus peeking out behind.

A beautiful spreading Ocotillo in bloom.

Closeup of Ocotillo blossom.

MULE DEER IN THE DESERT

A turkey vulture flies overhead.
Three mule deer, sneaking away from us.

Look at the size of those ears!!

Mom and youngster.

Mule deer and red barrel cactus.

Seeing wildlife in the desert is always very exciting. These are the first mule deer I have seen. They are beautiful, with gigantic "mule" ears and dark belly lines. They were the highlight of today's ride in the RZR.

DRIPPING SPRINGS

Large petrogliph at Dripping Springs, a wonderful destination.
Paul checks out the mysterious cave like crevice that water drips down from. In this desert, it is quite a phenomenon.

A new (to us) stone cabin, discovered after being detoured by a mining operation.
Mary is thinking: "hmmm, a roof, new curtains....just a bit of furniture and we'd have our new home in the desert!" haha...the dogs would love it here.

Paul is happy with the discovery.

A fixer upper.

COLOR IN THE PARK

Cacti are blooming in Black Rock. Quite different from our gardens at home!
Bouganvilla growing up a palm tree. So pretty.

Blooming beavertail

Oleander hedges.

More cactus blooms.

Desert daisies (actually from Africa) and a blooming beavertail.

Bella and the Bouganvilla.