I love the mountains. The kind that are snow capped and have beautiful blue lakes and pine trees. Laura always says that she never gets a relaxing beach vacation because I’m so drawn to the mountains!
The first long layover on our travels was planned for Green Valley, AZ. It’s the brown desert, not lush mountains. So not exactly my cup of tea. But the piece that did sound appealing was the thought of sun and warmth because Portland was still grey and cold at the time!
From the moment we arrived, the desert has surprised me in many ways. The best way to get a feel for an area is take a morning or evening stroll through the neighborhood. And that’s what I’ve been doing most mornings and/or evenings, when the heat of the day isn’t overwhelming but is enjoyable. In shorts, tee-shirt and flip flops slowly walking and taking in the sites.
Green Valley is just west of the Santa Rita mountains. They aren’t snow capped this time of year, but they are mountains. They are beautiful, jagged, and glow pink and purple as the sun sets. Then when the moon rises over them they become illuminated in white light. And when we hiked in these mountains, at Madera Canyon, I found that even though they don’t have lakes, they do have pine trees. Alligator junipers whose bark looks amazingly just like alligator skin!
View of the Santa Rita mountains from our back patio
The bark on an alligator juniper tree
When we arrived it was spring in the desert. So just like in Portland, everything was in bloom. It brings the desert alive in color. The pallo verde trees are a ball of yellow. The cacti have amazing bright red, pink and yellow blossoms. The Texas Ranger bushes have nice purple blooms. The yucca have long tall stalks loaded heavy with white blossoms. But the most amazing bloom we’ve seen is on the Century Plant. It only blooms once in it’s life time, near the end of its life. It also has a long tall stalk, but it’s flowers are yellow and form in shapes that remind me of broccoli or cauliflower florets sticking off the sides of the stalk.
Trichocereus cactus in bloom
A century plant in full bloom
Another special thing that Green Valley has provided is an abundance of wildlife. The amount and variation is like none other (at least that I’ve seen!). Everywhere you turn there is some creature. Ok, maybe some of the animals stand out because you won’t find them in the Cascades or Sierra Nevada mountains. Another reason they stand out is because sometimes they even surprise you inside the house! Here’s what we’ve seen: lizards, rattle snakes (it even shook it’s rattler at us!), road runners, gila monsters, deer, rabbits, turkeys, quails (these are my favorite, they are so cute with their topknot that bobs while their little legs run a hundred miles an hour!), javelinas, and countless amounts of birds that sing loudly and non-stop.
Right off our back patio, a javelina taking a break from her cactus dinner
On our morning walk we were too scared to get close to the rattler. A few hours later this was all that was left of him!
It’s surprising what you can see when you slow down, take the time, and open your eyes. The brown barren land I had in my mind’s eye is not what it’s turned out to be. It’s changed my opinion of the desert, the desert can be an abundance of life and beauty. But the hot brown summer months are coming quick (the 10 day forecast shows 100 F+ everyday!). And that means my true love, the deciduous and pine forested mountains will be calling my name!
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