More rain than usual has has led to a beautiful desert spring.
We cantered over the sand hills, stopping often to admire the flowers.
Prickly pear cactus are blooming all over the desert. Some are pink ...
and some are yellow..JPG)
We didn't recognize this plant with its unusual flowers and had to look it up. It's spiny hop-sage (Grayia Spinosa). The male and female flowers are found on separate plants. The one above is female, which has brighter colors.
This is a nearby hop-sage bush with the less colorful male flowers. I'm holding one of the pink female flowers to demonstrate the difference.Big game and livestock browse on these plants. Native Americans ground the dried seeds to make flour.
Did we outrun the rain again? Well... almost. We only got a little wet.For a peek into other worlds, click here.
Look at Boss kick up the dust!
ReplyDeleteSo very colorful. I like the spiny hop-sage. Never saw one of those before.
Such beautiful desert flowers! I love seeing your adventures!
ReplyDeleteDesert plants are so lovely! Love the vivid pink blossoms.
ReplyDeleteHi Janie. Looks like you all had a great ride despite the rain...
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cactus blooms. Is Daisy still MISSING the thorns??? Hope so!!!
GiVEAWAY on my blog today only.
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy
Gorgeous pics - what a ride.
ReplyDeleteLinda
The Mane Point
WEBSITE DESIGN RAFFLE – THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 2009
Hi Janie. I especially love the photo of riding over the hill with those gorgeous clouds in the background. Hmmm, and the female hop-sage is brighter...tee-hee! :o)
ReplyDeleteThese plants are so unusual and a pleasure to look at. They have very hard-to-remember names don't they!
ReplyDeleteHorse back looks great in the desert.
CJ xx
Wonderful shots from the trail. I love the diversity of cactus you get in the desert.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to come to your journal...I love seeing the cactus in bloom! Seeing the desert is amazing to me.
ReplyDeleteSherry
These are beautiful cactus blossoms. I've never seen the blossoms of a hop-sage bush before. It's interesting that there are male and female plants.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous world, quite an adventure.
ReplyDeleteNow and Then
Love your photos and going along for the ride with you! Beautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a slice of your world with us.
Have a great week!
I've never seen that hop sage before but I've seen the others. They're wonder when they flower like that. Great shots of the desert which certainly has a beauty all its own.
ReplyDelete:-)
Gorgeous dessert flowers. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYour stormy skies resemble a glacier.
Those are gorgeous flowers. Thanks for sharing your world.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are just breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lot of fun!
i like the cactus flowers. gee, those flowers are really sturdy and beautiful! Your horses look grand. Must be wonderful to be riding them.
ReplyDeleteMy world is here
Love this post... the 2nd photo is awesome. The clouds are beautiful, Boss's mane is flying, his nostrils are flaring, just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAnd the cactus flowers are absolutely beautiful. How unusual that the female plant is more bright and colorful; usually in the animal kingdom the male is more colorful. Perhaps that rule does not apply with plants?
The rain certainly brings out the wildflowers and wonderful bursts of color to ride through. I like that action shot of Steve and Boss. Spiny hopsage is a new one for me.
ReplyDeletevery cool pics, love seeing the different colors.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour of the desert. Those flowers are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful place I really enjoyed the pictures.
ReplyDeleteAs long as there wasn't any lightning in the clouds getting wet is fine.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason desert flowers are always the prettiest.
ReplyDeletethese are beautiful shots. i have never been to an actual desert so this blog is a welcome addition of blogs to visit. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day and the flowers are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your part of the world with us Janie!
ReplyDeleteBlessings and smiles
I love the second photo, a great capture. I'm also glad you managed to almost out run the rain...although I guess it will make the cactus blooms even more spectacular.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the second picture! It looks like a movie poster :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize that cactus had such beautiful flowers. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeletelovely pix with the horses and desert backdrop.
ReplyDeleteklike out of a hollywood western!
I never knew the this area was just so pretty.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place to go riding.
How wonderfully splendid! The desert in bloom is a sight to behold. Do you have to wath where the horses step with all those spiky plants about. I know a hors's hide is thik and how hard it is to give one an injection. I also know cactus needles are so tough you we used to use them to play the gramophone.
ReplyDeleteThose wildflowers are just so lovely..
ReplyDeleteWonderful country to ride through.
Very cool shots !!
Impressive cactus flower pictures! And I like the action shot of Boss. It has been nice to get all of this rain, but I'm ready for the warm weather that is on the way.
ReplyDeleteJanie: Love the flowers you were able to see in the brush. Cacti are great when flowered.
ReplyDeleteThanks you for sharing your desert world. It's so beautiful and different from my urban/suburban community. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the desert flowering...back in 95 or so, I was camping in the southwest in the spring in what I understand was the last time there was enough rain...guess things always do come back around, in the natural world, at least...
ReplyDeleteThe cacti blooms are amazing!!! I would imagine that in drier years there would hardly be any blooms at all.
ReplyDeleteOh, how beautiful. Some year I'm going to get out to the desert while the flowers are blooming. Until then, I'll live vicariously through your photos.
ReplyDelete