Desert Beauty

The beauty of the desert in spring is something to see.  'Spring' in Arizona is a varied word, and you never know what you're going to get in May.  We've had 100 degree weather, cool nights, cloudy skies, and tonight wind and rain and sunshine, which makes rainbows and sparkling diamonds and growth and dusky beauty and hope.

So last night I went out with my 100mm Macro lens and took a closer look at some of the desert beauty right before my very eyes.  My Mum (with her own years of experience and a "Which Cactus Is It?" book) helped me identify them all.

There were bougainvillea, in peach and raspberry-red...

Mexican Bird-of-Paradise, flaunting its bright orange and red colours (with one that looked to me like a colourful jellyfish)...

 

Seed pods from the Mexican Bird of Paradise, revealing small seeds ready to bloom forth...

Seed pods from the mesquite tree...

And an entire variety of cacti, some of which we couldn't even clearly define what they were.  We found those from the Cereus variety (the same family from which the noble saguaro comes)...

Cholla cactus, definitely a favourite, in bloom with deep reddish-mauve blossoms...

 

...and my most favourite of all, the Prickly Pear.  There were three varieties I spotted, one in dusty green with the fruit about to blossom, and empty places where the fruit had just been (you can have prickly pear jam, sweets, and even margaritas, and I highly recommend them all)...

  

 

...two varieties in glorious purple, with spines that extend beyond the 'paddles' themselves...

 

...and another that was more subtle. 

And above it all was a sky that looked like this.

Within minutes it had turned slate grey and the rain was pouring down, but by then I was safely inside, watching the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.

It made me think of this verse from Isaiah 35:

"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
The desert shall rejoice and blossom like the rose.
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing...
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
'Be strong! Fear not! Your God...will come and save you."

If you have a moment, I'd encourage you to read it all in context. It is truly beautiful - and you know how I love beauty.