Our Location: Saddle Mountain BLM, Tonopah, AZ
A couple of R & R days for us. This cough is lingering and making me tired but I think I've pretty much gotten past the half way mark as I think I'm coughing less and getting a bit more energy again. Only an hour nap today.
All of today's photos EXCEPT the sunset photos were taken yesterday morning on a short stroll that I managed. A small hill not far away was the point that I decided I couldn't go any more and turned around to come home and fall into bed for a nap. The sunset photos were taken from my chair out the dirty window at sunset last night.
Texting with Doug (Miss Adventure Travels) every day, it seems like we are both getting over this cough like thing, although I think he may have something different. Mine isn't a cold or flu, simply a cough, which of course makes my throat sore and my head ache, but I have no congestion, fever or runny nose. I'm trying to stay away from everyone to keep this thing to myself but I think Miss Riley may be coming down with it as she's now starting to sound a bit like me.
Today we had some sun, some cloud, some wind, some rain and then some more sun, with the clouds slipping away and the wind dying down again. The temps dropped rapidly losing 10 degrees in about 30 minutes.
I'm sure some of you may remember the above saguaro from last years photos. It is located not far from us and it was the purpose of my stroll yesterday. I wanted to see if it was still doing well as it appears to be fading from a nice green to a yellowish colour. It appears to be about the same as last year. It is located very near a number of power lines but I'm not convinced that is what has caused it's interesting growth as the other saguaros in the area do not appear to be like this one. It must be extremely old and I'm sure the stories it could tell would amaze us all.
The photos show the difference in the desert floor and the edges, as well as the sides of the mountains by the different colour of green. If you look careful in the photo just above this paragraph you can see the odd shaped saguaro at the very edge of the tower.
Some colour in the desert as well. I'm not going to make it back to the box canyon this year for a couple of reasons but I'm sure the colours there are starting to show too. I've missed the hiking here but it just wasn't meant to be this year.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have all had a wonderful day.
Until next time... take care, be safe,
Deb
You win the prize today for the strangest saguaro picture . That is a very interesting saguaro and I wonder about the electric lines and the way it turned out. Hope you get to feeling better ( both) chicken soup and plenty of fluids . Vern in Boise
ReplyDeleteHaha. Thank you Vern. I accept the prize. If you use the common time factor for a saguaros growth, it would make this guy almost as old as the desert. Haha. It takes approx 75-100 years before they start growing AN arm. This guys arms are many and they are big, so I doubt the power lines have anything to do with it's odd growth. The power lines would have only been in place for 50 years or less. However I'm just guessing.
DeleteI've turned the corner now I'm certain and will be fine as frogs hair in a day or two.
Take care, be safe,
Deb
I have to say you find the most interesting Saguaros all beautiful in their own way. I to wonder what stories they could tell us. I love the little flowers that seem to spring up from the desert floor especially after a rain. Those are pretty great sunset picture hard to believe you took them through a dirty window.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you have turned a corner and feel better. Hope it skips Riley. Take care and be safe.
I thought of you when I revisited this saguaro this year. I think you would enjoy seeing it. It has so many interesting views and it's certainly a odd one.
DeleteThe desert is coming alive here in this area and I'm going to be sorry to miss it.
I still haven't cleaned those windows. Haha.
Take care, be safe,
Deb
That saguaro is fascinating! Not warm enough for flowers here. I can't wait to see the blooms.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very interesting saguaro. I found it last year and was fascinated by it's many odd shapes.
DeleteWarmer temps will come, after all, soon it will April and the snow birds will all have flown the coop and headed home. Haha.
Take care, be safe,
Deb
The saguaro is very interesting. Your thoughts of the hydro lines and it growth reminds me about another saguaro. The largest saguaro I have ever seen was south of Tacna Arizona on the Barry Goldwater Range. (I did not go there this year, so I do hope it is still there) It was by itself, with no others probably within a quarter mile. It also has about 40 arms off of it at various heights. I thought to myself why is this one so big here in the middle of no where. My only thoughts are in the past 80 years did the governments testing of some kind of chemical warfare items assist in its growth?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an amazing find. I often wonder what makes an arm grow, other than my thought it might be for balance of some sort. I'm not sure if that is my own thought or if I read that somewhere. I think lots of things make growth interesting. As with all species there are oddities in the bunch. It could definitely be a chemical thing I suppose. Not all chemicals are testing chemicals, it could be exhaust, fertilizers, ozone, etc. I wonder what stories that old fella would tell if he could talk.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
I sometimes wonder if these old saguaro's have seen some of the old wild west characters we read about!! Maybe they have watched some interesting gunfights in the desert. If only they could talk. Hope you and Riley feel better real soon.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I wonder how many folks in our history have ridden or walked by these desert sentinels and given them no thought. The face on the mountain and the odd saguaro are close, perhaps they knew each other. While we're not finding treasures on the desert floor such as you are finding on the beaches and we won't become rich (even though I keep looking for a nugget or two), we are still pretty fortunate to find the treasures we do.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
Beautiful photos. I hope you are on the upswing to feeling better.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elva. I do believe I'm over the worst and the coughing is getting much less.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
As everyone else does, I love the knuckles on that saguaro. She's not married though as I see no rings on any of those gnarled fingers. I do remember it from previous photos.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better soon, and unfortunately, living with someone in such quarters pretty much guarantees a 'share'. Fight it, Riley! :)
She is a beauty and it was right around this time last year that I posted the first photos.
DeleteI'm feeling better thanks, and Riley is now into about the middle, so I think in a day or two she too will be on the tail end.
Take care, be safe,
Deb
I always like seeing photos of the green Sonoran Desert and especially the Saguaros. If you stand close to one on a windy day it will whisper to you.
ReplyDeleteThere are many things that whisper in the desert Al. One needs only to open their ears and their minds to them as I am certain you know. You would truly love the desert this year, or at least here, it's so very green, greener than last year even.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
Beautiful pictures Deb..the desert is so beautiful there! I'm so sorry that you're feeling under the weather! Gorgeous sunset pictures! I love the sunrises and sunsets there...as well as here in Nevada! Hope you both are feeling better!
ReplyDeleteThanks Shirley. I am indeed feeling better, and Riley is about middle of the time, so I'm sure she too will be kicking this thing in a day or so.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb
That is one screwed up cactus. I have just got to walk up there and see it for myself. Glad you're getting stronger. I promise not to work you two so hard from now on. :)). I should have some easier days ahead I hope.
ReplyDeleteYou can take the jeep but the walk would do us both good. I think we just need to get out and about to start feeling better.
DeleteTake care, be safe,
Deb