The Desert in Bloom (nearly Wordless Wednesday)

It was hot in Arizona, though the locals told us we were blessed to come during a "cooler week." Every day the temperature reached 100 degrees. We planned well, doing our activities and hiking in the mornings, resting in the afternoons, and swimming in the evenings.

Before we went, I really questioned if I wanted to go hang out in the heat. But afterwards, I'm just so thankful that I didn't miss the desert in bloom. I was amazed everywhere by all the flowers. I hadn’t realized cactus plants could bloom so prolifically or so beautifully. The saguaro blooms were particularly stunning, and even somewhat odd -- many of the blooms made the cactus look like Gumby with gnarly hair.

I also enjoyed the dramatic skies against the desert landscape.