My pile of Rose Quartz was right where I left it last year, so I collected some more until I had enough to make a circle around "my" Ocotillo tree because I love her.

#vanlife #mojave #desertlife #campinglife #arizona #snowbird #dispersed #ocotillo #vanlifeusa

After 3 years of weekly entries I finished my 1st Perpetual Journal! I ended on the left page (Verdin 9-19-25) & started on the right page (Cloudless Sulphur larva 9-28-22). Read more: https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/i-finished-my-first-perpetual-journal

#SciArt #art #illustration #watercolor #painting #sketchbook #NatureJournal #PerpetualJournal #Tucson #SonoranDesert #NativePlants #biodiversity #environment #nature #Ocotillo #wildflower #BloomScrolling #insect #bug #bugstodon #caterpillar #bird #BirdsOfMastodon #quail #verdin #coyote

I thought ocotillo were solely indigenous to the Sonoran desert, but according to our Volunteer Park [Plant] Conservatory, this one is from Madagascar.

It was scary-pretty.

#plants #ocotillo

laid out
writhing in place
under the vulgar sky
the last dance, negotiated
alone

https://xxyxxy.com/blog/aajGOljw

#poetry #ocotillo #sketch

In Spring & Summer I often see White-winged Doves sitting on top of our Saguaros. Here’s 1 drawn in my Perpetual Journal. Read more on my blog post All About Birds Part 5 https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/all-about-birds-part-5

#SciArt #art #illustration #watercolor #painting #sketchbook #NatureJournal #NatureJournaling #PerpetualJournal #blog #Tucson #SonoranDesert #NativePlants #nature #cactus #Saguaro #Ocotillo #wildflower #BloomScrolling #insect #bug #bugs #bugstodon #beetle #bird #birds #birding #BirdsOfMastodon #Dove

Ocotillo in bloom on the floor of the Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fouquieria_splendens

The sky background is dramatic...dark, threatening thunderstorm clouds.

Then I drove up into the mountains...snow!

But south of us, across the border in northern Sonora and Chihuahua under sunny, dry, breezy skies...forest fire smoke. (Weather satellite image.)

This place continues to have dynamic weather.

#NewMexico #Snow #Drought #Thunderstorms #Rain #Desert #Ocotillo