Burro Canyon

We were at the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge today, and I have found a place that ranks up there in the top 10 of my favorite places. It is Burro Canyon. I can’t describe how pretty that place is with all the wildflowers blooming. What a gorgeous place. We could have hiked around there for days and days. (Which we might just do!) What a great day we had. Although it started off not that way. We wanted to go see the palms in Palm Canyon there at Kofa so drove to that area. I knew it was to good to be true, because I could drive in third gear in our jeep. The road was graded sometime in the last six months or so. That should have been my first clue. Too many people! We stopped at the trailhead and there was a guy doing a watercolor painting of the rocks as the sun was starting to shine on them. I said good morning to him and that he sure had a pretty object to paint. He said he had been there before sunrise to catch it. I then said that the desert was certainly beautiful this year. He said something like “It is a wonder Bush doesn’t have oil wells all over it.” Now what brought that on? I was just remarking about what a great day and place this was, and he jumps into this political tirade. Maybe he saw my Montana license plates. Who knows? But I really wonder sometime about all the hate there is for our President. And I alluded to no political overtone what so ever. That did not start my day off so good. I did not say anything, but I just turned around and left his little feeble mind and watercolor. (Really wasn’t very good anyway.) Of course I am not quick witted enough to come up with a remark at the time, but I did think of one as we were hiking back down the trail. I should have said that Pioneer Natural Resources had just got the okay to drill here, but there was not enough electricity in the California – Arizona area to run the new refinery that would have to be built. But that Halliburton was going to put in a small nuclear plant just north of Yuma to provide that. I would have loved to see his face. But as I said, I am not that quick of wit. We did hike up the canyon and see the only native palm trees in Arizona.

But the day was to get better. Much better. We drove over to Burro Canyon and spent the rest of the day exploring that area. What a treat it was. I have tried to capture it with my camera, but I just cannot bring the whole concept in to focus. It is just too big. The prettiest rock garden in the world. The desert is certainly on top of it's game this year.