The still waters of Oak Creek reflect the multiple dark trunks of trees with leaves all shades of yellow, green and orange. The creek becomes a mirror reflecting the beauty of our Arizona Fall Season. We drove down into Oak Creek from Flagstaff last Friday and spent the day hiking and stopping many times along the road to walk down to the creek. They have a new rule that you need to have a "Red Rock Pass" to park along the road. Well, after much discussion, me thinking we were not parking if Jules stayed in the car and Jules saying that he already had his picture snapped by one of those portable speed traps and didn't want to get 2 tickets in one weekend, we decided to get a pass. We found out that Jules "Golden Age" National Park pass worked, so we didn't have to pay, just show the pass! Nothing is simple these days, however, the beauty is unchangeable.
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot The creek narrows, water falling over rocks, gurgling, bubbling, frothy, white
The red rocks used to be a sea. Arizona with a beach long ago, global warming before humans, how could that be?
Branches of the Manzanita bush, matching the red of the cliffs and the red of the maple in Fall
Arizona cypress trees. The trunks are reddish brown with peeling gray bark. These cedar trees grow only in a few canyons in Arizona, mostly in Southern Arizona. I'd never seen these trees before and we stopped at several ranger stations, looked in books and finally got our hunch confirmed by a Ranger at Walnut Canyon who is writing her thesis on Juniper trees. The detective sluthes at work!
The water mirrors the blue sky, trees and multicolored leaves.
Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees. Faith Baldwin
A little lower down in the canyon there is more green. You can follow the fall colors down hill week by week if you like.
We went up to Flagstaff to see the Fall colors. Most people think of Arizona as lacking in seasonal changes. However, Fall colour in Flagstaff is very predictable. The 2nd weekend in October brings the height of color. The green of this aspen grove is changed almost overnight into a beautiful yellow roofed outdoor cathedral. Something about walking through through that beautiful grove, brings back other Fall hikes. Hiking with Star in Zion a couple years ago, driving through aspen groves around San Francisco Peaks, walking through our Rim Aspen grove when the kids were little, it goes on and on. I remember the last hike with my Dad which was in Oak Creek Canyon North Fork. We didn't know yet that his melanoma was back. We really really enjoyed that hike, spending time together with the leaves falling all around. A family we met playing on a "bouncy pole". The little blond guy asked me to join them and I did. He didn't buy me calling it a horse, stating that horses don't bonce. This cute kid was climbing up onto this felled aspen. He was probably 5 or 6 feet above the ground and having the time of his life. Our Flagstaff neighbor, Barbara joined us on our hike. Green, blue, yellow and white together for quite a picture. One of the mother trees in the grove This is the first aspen we saw So many leaves on the ground, but most of them still on the trees. In one to two weeks the trees will all be bare. Glad we got to enjoy them!
I'm trying to decide which 4 photos I will enter into the Arizona Highways photo contest. There are 4 categories and I can enter one from each of these, landscape, people/culture, closeups and wildlife. This one would be in the closeup category (prickly pear fruit). Please help me decide and let me know which ones you like best.
Wildlife, Horned lizard Wildlife: Anna's Hummingbird in flight Landscape: Storm clouds over San Francisco Peaks Closeup: Fairy duster flowers People/culture: Grandfather and Grandson watching storm clouds in Flagstaff meadow.
Landscape, sunset over Camelback Mtn and the Praying Monk. Closeup, ripe oranges and blossoms for next years oranges. Culture, three Navajo ladies Landscape, Grand Canyon Landscape, Grand Canyon Landscape, Grand Canyon Landscape, Grand Canyon Wildlife, Rattlesnakes, mating dance
We drove 1 and 1/2 hours through the desert to get to Date Creek Ranch where they grow apples and beef. It is on the far side of Wikenburg and the last 3-4 miles is along a rough dirt road through a desert filled with Joshua trees. Who knows why we drove so far for the privilege of paying someone to pick apples, but it was fun. Javier said that sounds too much like day labor. I said, it'll be fun, we can imagine we own a apple orchard in the middle of the desert. He wasn't impressed. Here's yours truly with our apples. Notice all the apples on the ground. They send the cattle into the apple orchard after visitors leave to eat the discarded apples on the ground. Mom enjoying an apple The official apple picker. I had to tie him down or he would have kept on pickin. He was lovin it! Some of the local scenery A well used barn. I was talking to the owner. She said that she grew up on this ranch, left, and decided to come back so her kids could grow up here also. She said it is hard work, but she loves it.
Being born and raised in the desert, this little Costa's Hummingbird and I just have to get out and play when it rains. His feathers are all puffed up, but he is lovin the rain just like me! We got 3/4" rain so far today and it is supposed to continue. My rain barrel fills up so fast! We even have a flood warning. That basically means, don't try to cross a normally dry wash because you and your car might float away. It's amazing how many people think they can make it across and end up having to be rescued. They think 4 wheel drive will get them through the deepest water or snow or they just think the water is not that deep or swift or they have an illusion that their car has a higher clearance than it really does. I actually don't know what they think, "here's your sign!" One time we were driving home from Flagstaff and it was snowing really hard. We were going really slow right behind a snow plow (that is pretty slow). A SUV comes up behind us and passes us and the snow plow going pretty fast. Next thing we know the car has flipped 360 degrees, actually landing on the wheels, but pointing the opposite direction. Both driver and passenger got out safely. Talk about a wild ride, but I don't think I would want to try it. The Costa's Hummingbird sitting on a sunflower stalk, stretching it's wings. Ready for take off Hummingbirds always have dry twigs that they like to sit on to rest between nectar or bug runs. This is a favorite perch in the orange tree Same perch, same hummer from different direction. Another perch in the sunflowers. I think he is peeing! Enjoying free nectar. If the feeder runs out, they will come up to the window and scold me till I put more food out. I looked at this hummingbird and thought, "I think that is a Rufus. I wasn't sure, so I'm glad I got pictures. We see Rufus hummingbirds in Flagstaff every summer. They come like clockwork on July 1st. However, I've never seen Rufus in Phoenix till now. This is definitely a female Rufus! I was so excited. I'm not sure if she just stopped by while migrating, or if she will stay for awhile.
Nothing but blue skys do I see! Hoping for rain Supposed to get more rain
But we are blessed with blue skys! Saguaro Cactus in bloom loves it Aspen from Snow Bowl love those blue skys We got 0.3 " of rain the other day We got 0.8" rain about a week or so ago. When it rains in Arizona it pours down. It fills up our 60 gallon rain barrels in a minute or 2. Makes me long for the huge Aussie rain barrels. Arizona rain such a treat for my soul because mostly I see Blue Skys smiling at me. Happy September!
The still waters of Oak Creek reflect the multiple dark trunks of trees with leaves all shades of yellow, green and orange. The creek becomes a mirror reflecting the beauty of our Arizona Fall Season. We drove down into Oak Creek from Flagstaff last Friday and spent the day hiking and stopping many times along the road to walk down to the creek. They have a new rule that you need to have a "Red Rock Pass" to park along the road. Well, after much discussion, me thinking we were not parking if Jules stayed in the car and Jules saying that he already had his picture snapped by one of those portable speed traps and didn't want to get 2 tickets in one weekend, we decided to get a pass. We found out that Jules "Golden Age" National Park pass worked, so we didn't have to pay, just show the pass! Nothing is simple these days, however, the beauty is unchangeable.
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot
The creek narrows, water falling over rocks, gurgling, bubbling, frothy, white
The red rocks used to be a sea. Arizona with a beach long ago, global warming before humans, how could that be?
Branches of the Manzanita bush, matching the red of the cliffs and the red of the maple in Fall
Arizona cypress trees. The trunks are reddish brown with peeling gray bark. These cedar trees grow only in a few canyons in Arizona, mostly in Southern Arizona. I'd never seen these trees before and we stopped at several ranger stations, looked in books and finally got our hunch confirmed by a Ranger at Walnut Canyon who is writing her thesis on Juniper trees. The detective sluthes at work!
The water mirrors the blue sky, trees and multicolored leaves.
Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees. Faith Baldwin
A little lower down in the canyon there is more green. You can follow the fall colors down hill week by week if you like.
