Monsoon Blooms

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain"

--- Unknown

The summer monsoons here in Arizona are an amazing phenomenon. The rains that they bring thrust the desert, the mountains, everything into the most incredible splashes of color. We have had a very active July here in Tucson. There has been lots of afternoon storms to cool us down and bring out the beauty of the desert that, like October skies, is so fleeting.

If you have never heard of the monsoon phenomenon, let me give you a visual. This particular storm is building in the Santa Catalina mountains that serve as our house's backdrop. It was a doozy by the time it made it down into the foothills where we live. We are averaging about 4 days a week of storms right now.

Our pomegranate tree is very productive. Unfortunately, thanks to the pack of javelina that live in the wash next to our house, not many of the pomegranates are going to make it to ripe. Said javelinas also think that my driveway is their toilet, but I will save that story for another day.

I just love bouganvillas. Even someone with a brown thumb of death like mine can grow them.

The purple and white sage are SO fragrant after the rain.

This is one of the saguaro's growing in our front yard. They put on these little antennae at the top, which bloom out into the state flower of Arizona.

Mmmm, prickly pear. Margarita's anyone?

I think this is called a barrel cactus, but I am not really sure. These blooms are absolutely gorgeous, and, honestly, were kind of unexpected.

This is the biggest agave I have ever seen. It's taller than me. Tequila!!

I really need to brush up on my cactus names. No idea what this one is.

And finally our oleanders. Good ol' oleanders, they grow just about anywhere.