beyond cinderella

At McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Two weeks ago, I posted about a very unusual event that happened here in McDowell Mountain Regional Park, six to eight inches of snow! I’ve lived in Arizona since 1952, and I’ve never seen anything, but a light dusting of snow on the ground, here in the Valley of the Sun. Since I’m not a fan of cold weather, which is why I live in the Valley of the SUN…, I for sure, am not a fan of six to eight inches of snow on the desert floor where I live… But, apparently, many folks love, love, love the snow, and folks came from all around to see the snow in McDowell Mountain Park, thus proving that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder… 🙂

The only bright spot I found during the two days of snow in the park, was this pretty red Cardinal sitting in one of the trees that fell to the ground due to the weight of the snow.

But today, all that happened two weeks ago, is just a distant memory. Today, I found lots of signs of spring all over our beautiful Park. Purple Desert Lupine Wildflowers are in bloom all over the park,

as well as splashes of yellow from many different kinds of plants,

But the real eye catcher for me, is the Mexican Gold Poppies. They are a real show stopper in my opinion.

These desert poppies, create a stark contrast between the harsh, dry, sometimes dead, desert environment, offering a glimpse of hope for continued new growth and beauty.

Even the desert wild grasses offer a hint of colorful hues.

So given the choice, I will always choose this version of the Arizona desert, with the beautiful poppies, and other wild flowers, over snow any day.

Stay Tuned!