Easter in the Desert

One of the joys of living in the desert is spending the day looking for wildflowers in the spring and when you find them it's like finding those eggs at Easter.  You never quite know where they'll be and it's always a pleasant surprise when you do find them.  Spotting these beavertail cactus blossoms under an ocotillo was like finding a bunch of dyed eggs at one time.

"Easter in the Desert"   © Kathy Dunham 2010

Spring in the Desert

Wildflowers have been scarce this year but I decided to be adventuresome and see what I could find today. But it was a day filled with challenges.

I headed East to check out the Chuckwalla Wilderness area about 60 miles from here. After driving about 6 miles on a gravel road I encountered a flat tire. Thank goodness I had a friend with me who took charge and changed it for me. That was after several cars were nice enough to stop and ask if we were OK. Just before we finished an elderly gentleman stopped on his way out from his mining claim. He said he'd lead the way to make sure we were OK. Well, wouldn't you know it, he got a flat before we reached the paved road. So, one good turn deserved another. So far, flats 2 - flowers 0.

Then we decided to head down to Borrego Springs State Park to see if there were any flowers left. Half way there we encountered severe winds but decided to continue. After a couple of stops on the roadside and short hikes we encountered seven different species of flowers. Even in the wind I was able to get some pretty great shots including this beavertail cactus blossom.

"Spring in the Desert" © Kathy Dunham 2009