Desert Flora
Cacti
Doesn't this look like a menorah?
Joshua trees only grow in a few places in the world.
In the southwest, there are acres and acres of them.
Pretty Plants and Fleurs
I liked this view for the contrasts. You can't tell, but the tree is scarred from a major fire that swept across this valley about three years ago. The underbrush is coming back, which just highlights how resilient nature is.
Major flooding on the Virgin River a few years back wiped out a lot of the area where I was staying. Some of the trees didn't make it, but others did. If you also look closely at the foreground, you can see tumbleweeds, as well as some in the making.
It's really bright in the West. My eyes are VERY light sensitive. Considering I had to peel off the dark shades, squint, and try and focus a mini-esque digital camera to shoot a lot of these, I don't think they came out all that badly.
Also, NO photographers were harmed by the cacti in the shooting of these photos ... unlike some of stories my siblings could tell of their photographic adventures!