The scent of spring is in the air here in the desert southwest. Our daytime highs are headed into the 80s and maybe even a few low 90s (but it’s a dry heat!) this week and next . We never know – a week ago our nighttime temps were in the 30s and last year it snowed right about now.
Seasoned desert dwellers know to judge the true arrival of consistently warm weather by observing the mesquite trees. These hardy natives only leaf out when all threat of frost has passed. In contrast, cottonwood trees offer an early harbinger of spring – they start to bud in February and by now they are fully crowned with new green leaves.
The image above is a favorite of mine. I have it framed and hanging in my home. The pink flowers are Mexican primroses. They bloom enthusiastically every year, showing their pink faces for at least a month before subsiding into nondescript ground cover until the next spring. This was an exceptionally good season for them and my backyard was filled with billows of pink.
To capture this image, I slipped out of the house at dawn. Stretching out flat on the ground on my stomach, I placed my wide-angle lens as close as possible to the flowers while still maintaining focus. Visions of rattlesnakes lurking in the ground cover definitely danced through my head. The mesquite tree in the distance and the glimpse of our Catalina mountain range on the horizon add environmental context to this wildflower portrait.
Another of my favorite spring subjects are the vibrant blooms of the Santa Rita Prickly Pear cactus. The contrast between the profuse yellow flowers and the lavender paddles of the cacti always catches my eye. I have spent hours circling a clumb of cactus trying for close-up compositions. Predictably, I have come away with multiple minuscule needles embedded in my fingers and hands as a result of brushing up too close.
Still I’m hopeful that the chilly winter temps are done for now. I’m in a spring mood!
