Arizona

Spiny Cholla (Cylindropuntia spinosior)

The desert Southwest, such a different environment from where my deep roots are. Different from the lush green of DC, Maryland, and southeastern Pennsylvania.

I have an acquaintance who went to the Southwest for a visit and was so disappointed. They returned and only had this to say, “It is SO BROWN out there!” That’s someone who doesn’t focus in on what nature has to share with us.

Sunset at Mt Lemon

These images are from a trip to Tucson, Arizona. So much to see. So much to take in. So much to learn.

Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)

But that is nothing new. I learn new things everyday, even though I’m in my familiar surroundings at home, back East.

Canyon Tree Frog (Hyla arnicolor), Saguaro National Park

One last photo, and quite the surprise to me. A Desert Tree Frog (Hyla arnicolor) in the dry desert. I suppose there are animals that can adapt to most any environment. Those adaptable animals will have quite the job, adapting to what they will be facing in the years to come.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.