Shot this photo just to demo the zoom factor... arrow shows cactus, inset pic of cactus on full zoom.

Shot of trail...

Boulder face...

Another boulder face...with lichen...

Signpost

Plant and rocky knob where the climbing area is located...

The barrel cactus were really trying to bloom a couple weeks ago, following good rain. I figured they would be out in force today, but the buds on most of them have been reduced to dried husks. There are a few still trying to make it happen, though.

Another barrel trying to get some blooms out there...

Shot of a crow, beak into the wind...

Looking across the northwest portion of the preserve.

Needle array on the side of a barrel cactus.

Looking east at the climbing area. Pathetic though it is, we can still claim to have a climbing area in the back yard! :-)

This climbing area just isn't complete without having some doofs up on top scrambling around or knocking or throwing rocks down on the climbers.

The saguaro blooms are getting ready to explode.