Southern Arizona

Southern Arizona has a very unique beauty. As part of the Sonoran Desert, it does have alot of green, although it is often a rather muted green. The sun is a constant companion, and in the summer it does get very hot. Except for the Navajo reservation, Arizona does not go on Daylight Savings Time in the summer time, because when it is that hot, we want the sun to set. Our winters are very mild, and if we're lucky, we'll have enough frost in our winter nights to allow our apple tree to produce. But some years, we won't. These mild winters, of course, draw alot of tourists, which is a major industry here, except, of course, in the summer time. Those who live here through the summer are rewarded with the spectacular sunsets associated with the summer monsoon season. Some of the skies we have pictured here are winter skies, and some are more summer monsoon style sunsets.

All throughout Southern Arizona are mountain ranges, isolated from each other by the valley floor. Sometimes called "sky islands", these ranges sometimes host species of creatures unique to themselves. You might have heard of all the wrangling over Mt. Graham, involving telescopes and certain red squirrels. The Catalinas, which run along the north side of Tucson, reach to about 9,000 feet, and provide nearby respite from the summer heat and even skiing in the winter.

Of course, Arizona is known for it's cactus, of which the Saguaro (pronounced sa-wa-ro) is the most recognizable. It is, in fact, the state flower.