The Mojave Desert in Bloom

 The winter was long and harsh in the Mojave Desert. Late frost squashed many blooms and the flowering is late.

From prickly pear cactus to hierba buena was flowering today

 Here half  of the plant dried up during winter yet the other half is alive and kicking. That to me is the lesson of the desert: life is precious and worth caring for.

 Walking through the foothills of the Cerbats, I am at once grounded in the here and now and enjoying and seeing the beauty and frailty of it all.

Old rusted plates from the old mining days have their function here. A quail thought it was the perfect protection for her covey of chicks.

 My eyes feasted on all the colors, from gentle to vibrant. Yet i thread carefully, since Arizona is known for its poisonous creatures: the most poisonous snake: the Mojave green rattlesnake, Gila monsters, scorpions... And also majestic birds of prey: Ravens, falcons, Hawks and  the sanitary service of the desert: the Turkey buzzards.

Hierba Buena is a powerful plant with healing properties for body and soul. If something is wrong with you, take a slow walk through the desert and you'll feel your strength return.

If you click on the pictures they open up for you.