Phoenix has become my adopted home. I live here in the wintertime because of the fantastic winter weather. But I do not feel deprived. There is so much beauty in Phoenix. I love the beautiful mountain peaks in the distance (in the wintertime some of them are even snow-capped). A Phoenix friend described them as our "dragons", and I like that magical description.
I have found several parks and wetlands where I can go when I am craving some moisture and do that regularly. I've seen many types of herons and egrets, ducks, geese, and other water birds here (male ring-necked duck below and Great Blue Heron left). And even bald eagles.
The desert wildflowers this spring were the best we've had in 20 years, they said, and I certainly enjoyed driving through the desert when they were blooming (golden desert poppies, above). The mountains and desert were green from all the rain we'd had. I have found that it feels like Phoenix has flowers blooming all over, most of the time. This spring I was impressed with the bright yellow flowers on the palo verde trees everywhere (refers to their green bark). Now it's the gorgeous fuschia bouganvilla and the brilliant Red Bird of Paradise plants (below). I remember thinking that the wild flowers just kept coming in waves all spring in Austin, TX, (red Indian paintbrushes, then bluebonnets, then wild roses and wine cups, then golden coriopsis and Mexican hats), but I'm experiencing the same sense of waves of color here too. Phoenix folks sure do love color! and they sure do love flowers! And I so appreciate it.
And none of this even begins to describe all the beautiful places surrounding the city that are worth a day trip - Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, Mount Lemmon and the Catalina Mountains, Tortilla Flat, Canyon Lake, the Salt River Canyons (both the upper and lower sections), the drive to Roosevelt Lake through the Tonto National Forest, Picacho Peak, the hike to the Needle, the ancient Casa Grande Great House ruins. And more. And, even more, if you are willing to spend an overnight (Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Diego, etc., etc.)
But, that's for another day, another discussion. Stay tuned.
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