Arizona: A Photo Essay....With Photos!

 I have been fortunate in my travels to see many beautiful places, both man-made and natural. among the natural wonders there is something particularly enchanting about the austere rugged beauty of the Southwest I think if I lived out here I would be whip-thin and permanently sun-baked brown as a lizard.  The land here makes me incredibly reluctant to come indoors. Instead of trying to describe it to you with words that really do not do it justice,I will instead post a selection of amateur photos that again really don't do it justice  If you happen to be interested in what I had to write you can always visit this selection from my other blog:Tourist Monkey.This is what I wrote last time I was here and I think it holds up. This post, though I'm going to try to limit myself to captions 

The Sphinx In Peralta Canyon

This is actually the front lawn of the house where I'm staying. All of it looks like this.

Cliff Chipmunk. This is his species, not his name.

Weaver's Needle, Peralta

You're Welcome, Ladies!

The Baboon's Head, Peralta Canyon

Faces are everywhere. It's really the most bizarrely anthropomorphic landscape.  

Agave (I think)

Hoodoos on the March

This is apparently called a Tree Lizard. they are called this because they are never anywhere near trees.

I like the strange candelabra shapes of Saguaro 

Note the Saguaro in the front imitating the rocks

Cacti should not look this cuddly

Saguaro Lake

The bones of a giant

Great Tailed Grackle: A serious contender for the All Southwest Weird Noise-Making title

Mesquite tree ambling along the Salt River