Monday morning, my brother, David Crook, friend Martha Retallick, and I, went to the Phoenix Zoo. We had a wonderful time.
Retallick recently published a book, Bike-tography. “When I was in my early twenties,” she says, “I set the goal of bicycling through all 50 of the United States. I accomplished this over a twelve-year period, [...]
It’s been a good but “different” month with computer breakdowns and seeing tragedy in the lives of people I care about. It was time for a break.
Monday my brother and I took a break and drove to the mining town of Jerome, Arizona. We wandered all around, and I felt this was the time to [...]
I’ve been blessed to have some of the most amazing catcus blossoms in my front yard in Peoria, Arizona.
Most are in the prickly pear family, with one transplant: a Giant Argentine. See below.
It’s been a joy to watch the hundreds of bees over the months as they dive into the blossoms and do [...]
What a thrill to find two Luna moths today at the Marshall Butterfly Pavillion in Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix AZ. Four of us visited the Garden this morning, and as always discovered new and beautiful and amazing forms of life.
The Luna moths were spectacular. Stunning. Breathtaking.
And what a short life span they have. Adults [...]
I spent the evening of April 3 at my brother and sister-in-law’s home, and while we were having dinner, someone said, “Quick! Look at the cactus blossoms.” It was almost dark outside, and my brother and I grabbed our cameras and had a flower feast.
Words fail to describe the beauty and complexity of these [...]
The more time I spend in this mountain range near my home, the more impressed with the variety of rock formations, landscapes, wildlife, and sheer beauty. Last week I visited twice. This picture was taken as I approached the waterfall area.
I also got my first photos of a chuckwalla.
Although the day was clear (it’s much [...]
Once again, a trip to my neighbor’s yard resulted in delight. This time, the sun was shining directly into this gorgeous flower.
And also, red is a favorite color of mine, as it is of my daughter-in-law, Kerrie Simpson…and today is her birthday. Here’s another flower for you, Kerrie.
As I visited with a neighbor this morning, some bright pink/purple blossoms caught my eye. Ah! Strawberry hedgehog cactus blossoms: one of my favorites. It doesn’t matter whether I find them in the desert proper or in the neighborhood. They are amazing. Regal.
Above is one example. There will be more.
This past week my brother and I drove a little west to the White Tank Mountain Regional Park to hike the Waterfall Canyon Trail. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I didn’t make it all the way.
However, I was in for a pleasant surprise: Petroglyph Plaza. There are ever so many rocks of [...]
My brother (David Crook) and I took a few hours off this afternoon and drove out to the White Tank Regional Park. I’d never been all the way up the Waterfall Trail, and that was my goal. However, I chickened out at about the half-way point. I am just restarting my fitness program and plan [...]
