Succulents and More™

The  Boyce Thompson Arboretum  (BTA) in Superior, Arizona is usually a quiet place. This week, however, it made headlines, but not the good kind: On June 7, 2021, the Arboretum was evacuated  because of a raging wildfire nearby. Ultimately, the Arboretum was spared , but the Telegraph Fire had come perilously close to destroying Arizona's largest (392 acres) and oldest botanical garden (opened in 1929). The thought of losing so much history is terrifying, but it's a vivid reminder of how drought and wildfires have become the new normal in much of the West. None of those things were foremost on my mind when I visited the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on May 19, 2021. It hadn't even been on my original itinerary, but I decided to take a more circuitous and scenic route to Tucson and swing by the BTA (see map below). That gave me an opportunity to take a selfie with my old buddies, these golden barrel cacti: Probably the most popular selfie spot in the entire Arboretum!...

2000+ miles and a week on the road: Another trip to Arizona is in the can. This was the first time I visited Arizona in May, and things sure looked different than they do in late December, my usual time slot.  California may be in a drought, but Arizona is even worse off because their megadrought has been accompanied by record-breaking temperatures. Prickly pears are wrinkled like centenarians, and saguaros are exhibiting mass flowering in response to extreme environmental stress. Still, the beauty of the desert is undiminished, and being surrounded by it for five days was exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries. I took lots of photos—that goes without saying, doesn't it?—and will have a slew of posts in the weeks to come. As a teaser, here's a brief overview of where I was. On the road Arizona isn't around the corner from Northern California, so being on the road is a major part of any trip. Audiobooks— entertaining , not too brainy—help pass the time. And there are...