Every Blooming Thing: Desert Edition

There were a surprising number of things still blooming in the desert. I'm afraid we missed much of the bloom, but there was enough to keep my itchy shutter finger happy. I know the names of just a few of these, so I'll just let you look and try to keep my mouth shut.

Here's one I actually know. This is a Mojave Indigo Bush.

This is a blossom on a Barrel Cactus. There is a better picture at the bottom of this post.

It comes from a cactus that looks like this, and surprisingly, this was the only one of these that we saw in all of our hiking.

This flower comes from a Beaver Tail Cactus.

Here's the cactus. I wanted you to be sure and notice the purplish hue on the "beaver tails".

Here's another flower in a different stage of development.

This is what's left of the creosote bushes when they've bloomed their last.

I think this next one is a desert marigold, but I'm not positive.

Hard to say with this one. I don't think it was fully opened.

Not sure about this one either. It was probably bloomed out, and I didn't see any that weren't dried up.

This one I know: Globe Mallow.

The prickly pear cactus were so close to blooming. I was wishing we could see them a week from now.

A few of the flowers had opened.

This one is called Paperflower.

We saw these wheat-like grasses everywhere.

I tried like heck to identify this one, but couldn't find anything just like it.

Pretty sure this is a White Evening Primrose.

Just to the right of that flower was this hole where a reptile stuck his head out and then backed into the hole again when he saw me. I stood there for a while hoping he'd come back out. Nothing doing.

This one is White Rhatany. Don't ask me why it's called "white" when it's actually pink. This was the only one we saw, which makes me think it might have been finishing off its bloom. The Trilliums back home open white and then turn pink too.

So that was every blooming thing we saw in Valley of Fire State Park. Yesterday, we headed on down the road to Boulder City, Nevada. The landscape was a little more interesting than it had been north of Pahrump, and things were surprisingly green from the rain.

It was only a little over an hour's drive to our destination. We couldn't complain about the road or the traffic, and since we love to complain, that was disappointing. (Yes, I'm kidding.)

Although Lake Mead was off on the driver's side, we only caught glimpses of it here and there. We did whine and complain about that a LOT. Ya gotta have something, right?

It was very hot here in Boulder City yesterday. Late in the day, I got out and took pictures of every blooming thing around the RV park. Here's the better picture of the barrel cactus blossom that I promised you earlier.

The prickly pear are a little farther along here, and they are so close to bursting forth in bloom. We have another day here, and so we still might see them.

Same flower...different stage.

This is a large blooming tree I don't recognize. Very pretty.

And this saguaro cactus is blooming, but the flower is way over head. I can't see it from way down here.

Here's one I found on the internet:

(image source)

This next one is from an Ocotillo Cactus...again...way over my head.

Here's one I posted from when we visited Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument south of Tucson, Arizona, way back in 2011.

Here's another image of the Barrel Cactus blossom. Can you tell I was smitten with these?

This next image was taken from about a block away from the RV park. I've never seen these before. They are amazing, and I don't think they are fully opened yet.

This one looks just like the Globe Mallow above, but pink instead of orange.

And here's another from a blooming tree. I asked Mike if he recognized this. His mother had quite a garden when she was living, and I thought he might know it from her garden. Nope. No idea.

Here's another of the prickly pear blossoms.

As I was returning to the RV park, I noticed these little chipmunks playing in and around the prickly pear. I was a little too far away and shooting with a macro lens, so it isn't the best picture. Still, he's pretty cute.

And just on the other side of the same cactus, this little cottontail.

As we were driving through Henderson, Nevada, yesterday and into Boulder City, we noticed a low fence, obviously man made and extending for miles over hill and dale, and we wondered if it was to keep out invasive species, such as this little guy. Not really sure.

So that brings you up-to-date of what's been going on while we were out of Internet Land. As I'm writing this, Mike is having his after-lunch nap (his favorite retirement benefit), and we're getting ready to head into Henderson to the quilt shop and then to run a few errands. We have in mind to drive out to Hoover Dam tomorrow and also to see a little more of Lake Mead. Also, we've had some time to plan out the remainder of our trip, and so I'll say more about that as it becomes relevant.