Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

A few days ago we all decided to visit Casa Grande National Monument, http://www.nps.gov/cagr/. Morning seemed like a good time to go as it's been getting quite warm in the afternoon. Well who knew a cold front would come through and keep the temperatures low?

We dressed warmly and it wasn't bad in the sun. The wind made it a bit chilly in the shadows. We left around 0900 and arrived about 40 minutes later. There was a tour at 1000 so we waited for that to start. We browsed the shop and grounds.

These are my pictures taken with my phone camera.

this is a fish hook cactus, see how the spines curve down?

this is a Santa Rita prickly pear cactus, it has purple coloring, quite striking in the sunshine.

I love dead trees....lives one too, but when they die they still provide shelter

Ocotillo blooming

looking up I thought this would be pretty and it is!

We were home by noon and had taco soup for lunch. I watched my soaps and continued with the laundry I had started before we left. Jim washed the truck and Boo just liked being with us.

Anne and Scotty are visiting a relative in Phoenix and Jim and I are going out to dinner tonight.

There are more pictures but Jim hasn't sent/given them to me yet. I wanted to get this posted in case we're out late!

"God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools ~ John Muir"