Tumacacori National Historical Park

Mission San Jose de Tumacacori

The Altar

View of the entrance from inside the church

Cemetery

Storage Building

This mission is the oldest Jesuit Mission in Southern Arizona and is now a Park Service Historical Site.

A beautiful place to visit on a Sunday afternoon.

On The Road Again

Open Range

Madera Canyon

Our Destination!

Relaxing at the Inn

A morning at Ventana Canyon in Southern Arizona

Prickly Pear in Bloom

Hotel Saguaro

Empress Leilia Butterfly

Natural Waterfall in the Santa Catalina Mountains

Voted "Best Place to Shower in Southern Arizona"

Spring Blue Butterfly

Cactus  Bloom

Greater Earless Lizard

Phainopepla

It was just an overnight trip to Ventana Canyon in Southern Arizona.  You don't have to twist my arm to visit again!

The Colors of Tucson

Lovely Herb Garden

Blooming Cactus

Pink Fairy Duster

Desert Spiny Lizard

We took a trip to Tucson early this week and visited several gardens.  The Tucson Botanical Garden has a wonderful exhibit in the spring.  It is called Butterfly Magic and their greenhouse is alive with tropical plants and Butterflies from Costa Rica.  It is a bit steamy inside, but well worth the visit.  The orchids and other rainforest plants are in bloom, and there are butterflies everywhere!

Out in the desert garden at Tohono Chul Park, spring is showing off many colors.  The pink cactus blooms remind me of the colors of the roses that always grew in my mother's garden when I was young.  She grew a rose called the Peace Rose -  it was always my favorite, and it had a sweet fragrance.  Peace - Something this world could use more of right now...

Back to the colors of Tucson...  Even the lizards are showing their best colors.  Ahh spring!  There is nothing like it!

Now Blooming

Globe Mallow

Bachelors Buttons

Passion Flower

Mexican Bird of Paradise

Penstemon

Blanket Flower

                      Not a Hummingbird!

I love my yard in the spring. There are flowers that come back every year to be enjoyed, and then there are surprises.  ( I am always throwing down old seeds in the garden on a rainy day to see if they will sprout).  I don't remember planting the Bachelors Buttons, so when they started blooming I was thrilled.  I love their blue-purple color.  The other surprise I found in the garden yesterday, was not a flower, but a Gila Woodpecker on the hummingbird feeder.   Looks like he stopped by for Happy Hour.  It made me laugh...

Rainy Day at Home

I think I'll let the rain wash these carrots : )

This little verdin is usually hiding, but today he was out enjoying the rain.

Mockingbird in hiding

She needs a pedicure!

I love working in the garden while it's raining.  Call me crazy, but it is so relaxing.  I really  needed to pull the rest of the carrots so I can put in my tomatoes. I planted a few seeds also - sunflowers, lime basil and asters.   I noticed in the cordia bush there were several birds - all in the same bush and getting along just fine. They were just happy for a little shelter from the rain.  Three different species - a verdin, a mockingbird and a white crowned sparrow sharing a space, peaceful and content.

Birds in the backyard

It's been cold and rainy here, unusually cold for Arizona. The Hummingbirds love to come out in the rain.  Last week these little birds needed to wait until well after sunrise to sip from their feeder because the nectar was frozen!

Anna's Hummingbird

 This week the hummingbird feeder was visited by other birds as well.

House Finch at sunset

Verdin