blooming arizona!

i recently spent a week in arizona and was captivated by the desert landscape. never before had i seen cacti lining the roads as abundantly as trees line ours.  it was absolutely beautiful and i couldn't stop trying to seek out more and more types of cactus.  at night i'd google their names so that i'd be able to identify them the next day. 

we were lucky to hit arizona just as everything was in bloom.  i was entralled with all the colors and sizes and shapes of the flowers.  it seemed like every plant, tree and shrub was blooming.  i first fell in love with the yucca plant.

every day i said i'd take its picture and every day i forgot my camera.  so the only shot i got was one i took as we were leaving to catch our 7am flight.  what a shame too b/c it was truly a stunning shade of salmon.

but then

i discovered

 the cactus flower

oh my.....

to see a plant that looked so menacing with its harsh lines and sharp points 

produce a flower that was delicate and soft

was pretty breathtaking

and then there were the other agave plants with spears of flowering towering over their thick leaves

don't get me wrong - pennsylvania has its share of beautiful blooming plants and trees and springtime is magical here too.  but you kinda expect it - with everything being green and grassy and woodsy............but it was a magical experience to find that beauty in an area where you don't expect to find it.  i wonder if i would have felt the same thrill had i visited mesa when blooming season was over......