Desert Museum

Our family had the opportunity to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson. What an amazing place! It was more of a living museum that highlights the plants and animals of the desert southwest.



A family of bobcats.



A nesting hummingbird.







Harris Hawks originated in Argentina and slowly made their way north. They arrived in Arizona about a hundred years ago and have adapted quite well.



A century plant.





Cactus flowers.



Agave plants.



I swear this lizard was following me back and forth along the glass.



This snake posed quite nicely.

Grandma

We enjoyed a bitter-sweet visit with Rhonda's grandmother, who is now approaching her 94th year. She has always been such a positive influence in the family, but now she is beginning to show the effects of age. Her memories are beginning to fade, and yet even at this stage of her life, she continues to teach us through her example. I know so much more about aging and elderhood because of her, and that alone is a tremendous blesing.

The Apache Trail

As we left the ruins at Tonto National Monument, we returned to Gilbert by means of a long and winding road known as the Apache Trail. About a century ago, the US government enlisted members of the Apache tribes to build a supply road through the rugged desert mountains to the construction site of a new hydroelectric dam. The dam and reservoir would eventually bear the name of then-President Theodore Roosevelt, while the road would be named for the Apache.

The road has been improved somewhat in the last hundred years, but it still remains a dusty, 26-mile stretch of unpaved, but incredibly scenic highway.



Roosevelt Dam.



We encountered this western diamondback sunning himself on the highway.







The cacti were in bloom all around us. We must have stopped at least a half dozen times to photograph the plants and scenery.



An agave plant stands at the edge of a steep canyon. This photograph does not adequately show the extreme contrasts of the landscape. However, part of the Apache Trail is visible in the background.



Another reservoir formed by the dams along the Salt River.



At one point we stopped the car for me to get a picture of the Superstition Mountains. The sun was setting and casting a warm, reddish glow over the desert. I climbed a small hill away from the highway and paused. This saguaro captivated me by the way it towered over the desert and by the way the wind seemed to hiss as it passed through the cactus needles. I didn't want to leave. For a moment it was like all the mental chatter ceased as I felt myself merging into the beauty and mystery of that land.





The Superstition Mountains at sunset.

The Ruins

The ruins at the Tonto National Monument are at least 700 years old. Many people imagine that the ruins represent a deceased culture when in fact, the descendents of the so-called cliff-dwellers live today in surrounding communities. Some evidence even suggests that the last use of these buildings occured as recently as 1883.



The Salt River/Roosevelt Lake (named for Teddy Roosevelt) is visible in the background.



Stone tools remain where they were left several hundred years ago.



Dakota at the ruins.



McKenna standing near an ancient window.



In this photograph, the original building timbers are still visible.



Whitney at the ruins.



A low doorway allows sunlight to enter.



Dakota...



And of course, what a perfect place to re-create the "Barry." On a serious note, our visit to the ruins was one of the highlights of our trip so far.

Desert Flowers

Rhonda's father brought us on a hiking tour of the Tonto National Monument. We began at the base of the hill and climbed more than an hour toward the old cliff-dweller ruins. Along the way, a National Park Service guide showed us all the many flowers currently in bloom. We often think of Arizona as a barren desert, but quite the contrary, it is a place of abundant natural diversity and beauty.





I believe the guide spoke of this plant as miner's lettuce. It was the only plant on the tour we were allowed to eat, and to me it did in fact taste like a combination of spinach and lettuce.



Dakota standing with Rhonda's father on the trail.



A cactus flower.



Indian paint brush.





The teddy bear cholla looks all soft and cuddly until you get a closer look. It's tiny spines have small hooks that burrow into the flesh of any person or creature foolish enough to get tangled in its branches. Our guide made this warning, "If you're falling in the desert, it would be far better to land on a sharp rock than a cholla."



Certain birds nest in the cholla because they know that snakes will not even attempt to brave the cactus spines.





The desert is blooming with wildflowers. The Mexican poppies create patchworks of orange along the hillsides.

Easter Pageant

While visiting the Mesa Temple, we had the opportunity to witness the LDS Easter Pageant, along with thousands of people who gathered on the lawn of the Visitor Center. The pageant is quite a spectacle in its own right, with hundreds of actors, elaborate costumes, powerful music, and bright lights. It follows the Life of Christ through all the major Biblical events, but with special emphasis on the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.



The crucifixion of Jesus, while a Roman soldier looks on.



The Last Supper.



Jesus heals the sick.



Dakota's cousin played a role in the pageant. Many characters in costume wandered about the audience handing out printed programs and encouraging people to learn more about Mormonism.