Joshua Tree National Park

Just before leaving Stanton the cactus really started blooming in earnest. Here’s a picture of the prickly pear flowers, a weird combination of yellow and peach that would look terrible in home décor. Also, I just caught a few saguaro cactus beginning to bloom – it looked like they had a bad case of acne when the buds appeared on their tops, then poof, out pops a beautiful white flower! Joshua Tree National Park flowers were just beginning to fade when we arrived. This hummingbird was so fast that I was really surprised to catch it with my camera – it was attacking the bright red ocotillo flowers. Our most hated cactus, the jumping cholla, actually bloomed with delicate little green flowers, which the ranger said didn’t even produce new plants. The big surprise with Joshua Tree National Park was the rocks. I had no idea they were such a presence here. Take a look at the wall of rocks behind the Joshua trees with all the flowers in the foreground. These trees take on fantastic shapes, like the one wrapped around Ron’s pickup. We camped right among all these rocks, which everyone was happily climbing, including me to take this picture! Skull Rock sort of looks like a skull, there is an awesome hike right from our campsite to it with interpretive signs for the plants along the way. I love the beavertail cactus, the flowers are so delicate and pink! for such a prickly thing. Ron and I took a ranger-led hike to the 49 Palms Oasis, where one of the group took our picture together. The orchid there was so fragile, there in the wicked dry desert heat, the only thing that supports it is water! These two lizards seemed to say, “Honey, let’s hang out together on the rocks this afternoon!” as were lots of other lizards catching the sun’s rays. Some of the flowers were turning to seed, like these green globs. The rocks were just glowing at sunset, and their shapes were fantastic. I am amazed how a round rock like the one in this picture can balance in this spot. What an amazing place!