French Florist

Close to our hotel in Paris was this spectacular florist shop. Or should I say, floral experience? Walking by we could smell the fragrant aromas of the flowers since the door was always open. As we stepped in, we discovered that the entire store was the "cooler". It was extremely chilly inside, something I haven't seen in the U.S.

"French Florist" © Kathy Dunham 2009

More Desert Wildfowers

These tiny (1/4") delicate blossoms struggle to gain a foothold on the dry desert floor. One of the pleasures of hunting for wildflowers is finding these miniature treasures. While fields covered with blossoms are spectacular, it's these little, hard to find, beauties that make it all worth while.

"More Desert Wildflowers" © Kathy Dunham 2009

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