March 8-9, 2014 Patagonia Lake State Park, Arizona

We took a walk in the Sonoita Creek  Natural Area, which is right below  the dam of the lake.

The area around the lake and creek is desert. Tons of ocotillos blooming. The mesquite trees in the background are getting leaves now. Looks like it is green here sometime, since there is so much grass.

Sonoita creek is what fills the dam and what runs past it. It looks really green. All the bushes and trees are just getting their leaves now. There are tons of birds. Here is the lake on the way back up the trail.

After our hike we went to the town of Patagonia that is up the road. Cute little town. Here is the cultural center there.

Sunset on the lake.

Purple flowers on a bush, white and yellow flowers, white pea flower, yellow flowers on a bush, june bug, trailing desert 4 o’clock, yellow flower, flower bud.

Red striped cactus, penstamens, ocotillo leafing out. They leaf out right after a rain, and it rained last weekend, The elegant trogon is a exotic bird and this area is the only area in the US it is found. The elegant Trogon  is in sign  is in the visitors center, the bird  looks like the second picture from my bird book, we haven’t seen any yet,but we did see this cute little red bird- also a photo from my bird book, it is a vermillion fly catcher. And some red cardinals.

It was really  windy today-gust to 29 mph. I worked on the basket waiting for the wind to die down so I could paddle on the lake. Going to add a couple shells, or nuts or something to this, but basically it is done. It is for our basil plant. I was afraid that the plant would die before I finished this!

The wind died down a little. John saw white caps on the lake and said he was not boating white water on a flat lake, so I headed out. Not bad near the edges. See the cattails blowing?? It was calm and very beautiful in the side channels.

Multicolored cactus on the cliff wall. The only real waves were cutting back across the lake to camp.  But not bad. Glad I went out.