ANOTHER NATURE OFFERING FOR YOUR VISUAL PLEASURE

We have set our departure date for this coming Thursday, March 17th.  We'll see if we manage to stick to that.  There always seems to one more thing you want to do that sounds like fun.  I plan to ride Monday and Tuesday then put the RZR away for the summer.  I had some good rides this past week.  I led Blue's group, an offshoot of the regular club ride on Tuesday.  On Thursday, I was asked to lead a ride for Norm.  He had his brother and cousin visiting and wanted to show them some of our riding area.  I gave them the grand tour, as I like to call the route I have put together showcasing most of our most scenic areas.  Then on Friday I led our regular Friday group of neighbours.  The flowers are proving to be very elusive this spring.  With all the rain we had, there should eventually be a pretty good show but all that very cool weather we had for so long seems to have had a negative effect.  Perhaps the flowers will still make a good showing but we won't be here to see it.
We went to the pub down the highway last night with the Colorado group and Aileen's Sockeye Salad seems to have been safe.   Today Aileen is cooking three large racks of ribs and we are having lunch together with the Colorado crew plus another couple, cousins of one of the crew, from the Phoenix area.  We had a game of 2500 with them last night after supper and Aileen was the winner.

Click on the photo to enlarge

Staghorn Cholla

Notice all the pollen clinging to the bee in the Saguaro blossom

A Dove's nest next to the dog run Mitzy and I go to every morning

Hedgehog Cactus

A Crested Saguaro.  I may have found a so far undiscovered one.  At least nobody has ever mentioned it to me.

This lone Hedgehog Cactus was blooming at one of our higher elevation stops

Range Ratany (White Ratany online id)

I took this Ocotillo flower from the driver's seat in the RZR as we were dropping down a steep hill.  The background is the hillside on the other side of the valley.

Cream Cups