Sunday, February 28, 2021

2021.02.28 Sonoran Desert, Arizona


    What makes the Sonoran desert unique? It is the wettest, hottest, and most bio diverse desert in North America.The Sonoran desert is the only place on the planet where the saguaro cactus grows in the wild. This giant cactus can grow to 70 feet and live to be 150 years old. They bloom in the night, when the gorgeous white flowers are pollinated by bats. In addition to the saguaro, common plants include the barrel cactus, organ-pipe cactus, prickly pear, cholla, ocotillo, yucca, agave and palo verde, to name a few. After our trip to Florida, returning to Arizona feels like coming back home. It's familiar territory, we have been here several times in the past and we feel comfortable in a desert. This time, we have discovered some great new places around the Tucson area. I have to say, it makes me feel kind of sad that this could be our last time at this beautiful desert land. Maybe not, you never know. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

2021.01.22 Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, TX


    The adobe home was designed and built by a composer, writer, and adventurer Jason Chilton Matthews during late 1930's.
    The grounds consist of the house and beautiful gardens with sculptures, water features and native trees and plants. You can also find a lot of different species of birds in here; they claim over 250 species, but we only saw a few of them. Overall this little gem in the Rio Grande Valley did not disappoint.