The area of town I live in used to be full of old ranch-style homes like this one. Many of them are being torn down for high-rise condos, but I enjoy seeing the few holdouts.

On Camelback mountain there is a stone formation called “the praying monk” that resembles a person kneeling in prayer. Do you see it?

I stopped in for breakfast sandwiches. I had my camera with me. What else could I do but snap this photo? Strange optical illusion in lower left corner boggled my brain for a bit.

Another photo taken back in April. I actually snapped it out of the car window as I was driving by. I just wanted to capture the beautiful glow of morning light on the saguaros, and their developing flowers. I could not resist. That’s Camelback Mountain in the background.

Once again, it’s the first day of the month, and that means Theme Day for City Daily Photo sites. This month’s theme is metal. Fortunately for me, just down the street from where I live is a funky and creative shop called Urban Southwest whose artist owners have a penchant for getting really creative with metal.

Click here to view thumbnails for all Theme Day participants

I can’t remember what this plant is. But its flowers are pretty, and it’s a popular choice for xeriscaping.

Hummingbirds enjoy the long, orange blooms of the tall ocotillo. In this shot you can see how its lush-looking leaves hide wicked thorns.

Ocotillo is one of my favorite plants. It’s like an old friend. I used to read a lot, even when I probably shouldn’t have been reading, like when walking home from school. Every day when I rounded a certain corner, my nose buried in a book, our neighbor’s ocotillo plant would gently tap me on the head or shoulder with one of its long, curving branches, saying “Pay attention, you’re almost home!”

A closeup of the cholla blooms featured yesterday. I snapped the photo in a hurry on the way to class. I was delighted to find I had photographed things I hadn’t even seen with the naked eye. The tiny ant. Minuscule grains of pollen. The faint gossamer of spider’s web. From the moment they open, these blooms are providers for a lot of tiny creatures, who in turn support the skinks and geckos and quail living nearby, and on the cycle goes ….

Back in March I published a photo of cholla cactus as it appears during the colder early months of the year. Generally during January, February and March we have a bit of a wet season, and those rains allow the cholla to really green up and produce gorgeous bouquets like these.

Another photo from mid-April. Yesterday’s photo was a closeup of the flowers. Here’s a cluster of prickly pear cacti, so you can see the amount of flowers they produce. The flowers and cactus flesh are a perfect color contrast.