The Flowers

When I moved here, currently in the 19th year, I didn't know much about nature. I bought Edward Abbey's book Desert Solitaire. Read it and then went out to see if specific things were true. Was easy, all I had to do was walk out the door and I could compare. Edward said, as I recall the first flower to bloom each year from him vantage point where he lived in Arches, maybe before it was Arches. He said was Indian Paint Brush. I went out and looked and here, it was the second. I no longer remember who was first. I realized at different elevations the results were probably different. Later learned our elevations weren't that different from each other. Paintbrush.

Sunflowers are early in the season. The cowboys tell me there are more and more sunflowers within a mile or so of Base Camp. They wanted to know if I was planting them? No, but I do feed the birds, chipmunks, and squirrels every morning and I don't doubt the birds have carried them to lots of places.

The Desert Willow that blooms on May 10th each year bloomed on May 10th.

The cactus only bloom for a week or two each year and it has happened.