Arizona Trees
Funny to arrive in Arizona in early April for a much-anticipated break from tree-rich Oregon and take pictures of trees. But how could I resist these?
Between Wet and Dry
I love the Pacific Northwest, even west of the Cascades through our wet, gray winters. And this winter was grayer and wetter than usual. And though I still resist the call of snowbirding elders, I’ll confess I do crave at least one trip each year to a brighter, warmer place. This year, I flew to [...]
Ocotillo: Species of the Week
I suppose it’s inevitable that a temperate forest-dweller like me would be amazed by the oddities that grow in the desert. It’s been two weeks since I returned home to Portland, Oregon from a brief trip to Arizona, and I’m still sighing over the blooms I saw in the desert…
Horned Lizard: Species of the Week
Lizards, lizards, lizards. I love lizards. I’m not sure which came first: my nickname – Lizzy the Lizard – or my love for reptiles. I like snakes and amphibians too, but lizards make me especially happy…
Mystery Web: A Tarantula Lair?
A Desert Tarantula Lair? In anticipation of a visit to Central Arizona, I featured the desert tarantula on my blog last week. I didn’t see one, but my partner Jerry snapped a photo of this amazing web. We found it off Highway 89 just as it descends from Peeple’s Valley towards Wickenburg. I’d love some [...]
Desert Tarantula: Species of the Week
Out of some 850 species of tarantulas worldwide, the genus Aphonopelma includes the four dozen or so species native to the United States. Aphonopelma chalcodes – the Desert Tarantula – is the one I’ll be most likely to meet in Arizona…
Superstitions, Saguaro, and Bajadas
A trip to Prescott College for a colloquium (and to visit my son) breaks my writing routine and has brought me into a drier, sunnier winter. A 24 hour detour to the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix gave me a a taste of a desert spring. It also fulfilled a long-held fantasy of walking among the [...]
