happy weekend!

I have no idea what this flower stalk is, but dang! I love it!

My daughter in law has a theory. She says she thinks that one day in the creation God grabbed a group of little kids and gave them the elements to make all kinds of things. This, she reasons, explains all the really weird creations out there; bioluminescent fish, carnivorous plants, and the blue ringed octopus, (o.k., so I really like the ocean weirdness) - that can kill you in 26 seconds!

Perhaps these plants are also included in the list.

More Cactus

Can you blame me? These cacti are seriously cool!

Well, that first one is a flowering agave. That blooming stem went up about two stories high!

The second scene is in Joshua Tree, just a view of the meadows filled with flowers and the mountains tops that look like hills from this side.

The ocotillo was beginning to bloom. We read that it blooms not according to season, but depending on rainfall.

Although that last one resembles a yucca in bloom it is, in reality, a Joshua Tree limb. I love the thick waxy petals! They looked like little porcelain cups.

As always, click on the photos for a great, larger view!

in my neighborhood this week...

Yup, believe it or not, this is what's bloomin' in the desert! Enjoy!

Spikes N 'Shrooms

Various cacti and lastly two random mushrooms that found a spot in the recently made marsh of the Joshua Tree Visitors' Center walkabout. There are plenty of downed palms and other trees and plants, either from nature or planned by the grounds keepers. With the recent storms, wind and rain have made the perfect home, well if you're a fun-gi!