New Year’s Day Snow – 1/1/2019

Snow on the Cholla and clouds over the Santa Catalina Mountains from the Golder Ranch North Parking Area. January 2019.
Snow on the Cholla and clouds over the Santa Catalina Mountains from the Golder Ranch North Parking Area. January 2019.

Snow in the desert! It didn’t last long, by mid-morning it was melting fast, and at the end of the day the snow line across the west side of the Santa Catalina Mountains was well above the desert floor.

2015 is the last time I took pictures of good ‘desert snow’ – in 2015 the snow line appears to have been a bit lower, Pima Canyon Trail in the Snow, 1/1/2015 has some pictures.

Beautiful to see and what a way to start the New Year!

Looking towards a snowy Charlouea Gap from the Golder Ranch Area. January 2019.
Looking towards a snowy Charlouea Gap from the Golder Ranch Area. January 2019.
Cardinal and Snowy Cholla. January 2019.
Cardinal and Snowy Cholla. January 2019.
Clouds swirling over Samaniego Peak. January 2019.
Clouds swirling over Samaniego Peak. January 2019.
Cathedral Rock and Window Peak above the clouds. January 2019.
Cathedral Rock and Window Peak above the clouds. January 2019.
Sunset on Mount Lemmon. January 2019.
Sunset on Mount Lemmon. January 2019.
West side of the Santa Catalina Mountains from Honey Bee Canyon Park. January 2019.
West side of the Santa Catalina Mountains from Honey Bee Canyon Park. January 2019.

Faded, Hiding, Twisted, Folded – 7/23/18

Faded. July 2018.
Faded. July 2018.

Many of the Arizona Poppies are still picture-perfect, they could be flower guide models or magazine covers, but the hot, blazing, sun is taking its toll on the small islands of flowers and some are started to fade – contorting, folding, twisting – doing what they can to make it another few days… Golder Ranch Area.

Hiding. July 2018.
Hiding. July 2018.
Twisted. July 2018.
Twisted. July 2018.
Folded. July 2018.
Folded. July 2018.

Shriveling Glories, Sutherland Wash – 8/27/2017

Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash - 1. August 2017.
Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash – 1. August 2017.

Endless intense sunny days are already making Sutherland Wash drier – some of  nearby green is starting to fade and the Morning Glories have shriveled into an amazing variety of beautifully strange shapes…

Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash - 2. August 2017.
Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash – 2. August 2017.
Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash - 3. August 2017.
Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash – 3. August 2017.
Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash - 4. August 2017.
Morning Glory near Sutherland Wash – 4. August 2017.