Saturday, February 22, 2014

Desert Lawn Landscape Feb, 2014


Once you get used to the brown, beige shades of everything, you can look for the unusual.  Cacti are really very different.  There is a huge variety in the neighborhood.
This is a multi, multi headed Barrel cactus!!!!




Twins!!


This neighborhood was built to preserve the mature saguaro cacti.   They don't grow "arms" until they are over 100 years old.

I wonder who planted these Californian Fan?? Palms.  It is a lovely drive with these mature trees on either side.

Then there is the Rock Art decorated path.  Many of these vignettes have Southwest Indian themes which I don't understand.  

 The hiking path is to the left.   The Rock Art borders a "wash" which is dry now, but handles fast moving rain water in the monsoon season.  ( Yes, AZ does gets torrents of rain but the sandy soil does not soak it up. So flood control pathways have to be established.  Several units in this neighborhood were damaged in a severe overflow many years ago.  They have planned for rain runoff in many ways)
Here are just a few.  I skipped the frog with a crown and many rock displays that may have special meaning but none that I could understand.      



 This is the most elaborate Indian setting

Even El Burro must have a siesta in the shade of a prickly pear cactus( cactus slightly damaged from frost.)


There are several of these twig structures.  I'll have to ask what they mean.

 Thank Goodness there is a Great horned Owl here.  (Those of you who traveled with us the last 2 years, know that I love Great Horned Owls mostly because there was a stately pair who lived in Oro Valley, Vistoso where we stayed for the 2 previous years.  I named them Horacio and Olivia.  The guy iusn't real, but it is nice to see him represented in the Rock Art Walkway)
Must have a St Francis.





 

















  
 
This neighborhood was built to preserve the mature saquaro cacti.   They don't grow "arms" until they are over 100 years old.

I wonder who planted these Californian Fan?? Palms.  It is a lovely drive with these mature trees on either side.


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