December 29-30, 2020 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

 56 and partly cloudy.

We went though yet another border patrol check station, we did not even have to stop here, it had  a sign that said to drive on through. We drove through Why, AZ. They named it Y for the Y in the road, but the post office would not let them have a name of just one letter, so it is Why.  Water tower, sign entering town and the Why not travel store and gas station. 

We are now in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It is a really pretty place. The organ pipe cactus is the one with all the branches coming up from the ground, it is pictured here with lots of saguaro cactus. This is the northern most range of the organ pipe cactus.  A couple of saguaro with hands on their hips.

This cute little fuzzy looking piece of cactus, is not cute. They are called jumping cholla and have fish hooked needles that grab onto anything that gets near them, like your skin and don't come out easily. If you grab it with your hand to pull it off it sticks in your hand. They are vicious. The sign at the visitors center said 'many visitors have been attacked by them'. The best way to get them off is with a comb, They fall off the cactus to the right of the photo. creosote seeds backlit, and some tiny fishhook cactus. Organ pipe cactus.

The current masterpiece is coming along. The center is a glass dichroic turtle I fused and the beads have frogs on them. The twin peaks the campground is named after at sunset.

Full moon rising below the clouds in the sunset.

Full moon rising above the clouds at sunset. The full moon stuck on a cactus. 

John is on top of the bus washing the solar panels. There are no hook ups here so we use solar and our generator when needed.  A bird  on an ocotillo in the campground.

The basket in progress. I am done adding needles, but have some finishing touches left to do. There were almost no clouds for sunset tonight. But nice color.

The few clouds there were are here for sunset.