The second Tuesday of each month is free entry into the gardens. It seemed like the perfect time to check it out. There were docent stationed throughout the gardens to educate us which added greatly to the experience.
Around the holiday, luminaries are placed along the paths and lit up at night.
We were shown how the Native Americans used the skeleton of the prickly pear cactus to make brushes and utensils.
What a nice sundial.
Rock fountain
Replicas of the homes of the Indians that lived in the desert. The mesquite seeds were ground to make flour high in protein and made into hard biscuits to be worn on a leather cord around their necks and eaten while out hunting.
The inside of an old saguaro
The woodpeckers make their nests in the saguaro and cause a scar to form. Then other owls and birds can use it for their nests once it is vacated.
It was a chilly morning with a high of 53 degrees with plenty of sunshine. It seemed like a good day for a walk along the Salt River and look for the wild horses.
We saw plenty of herons, cranes and hoof prints but no wild horses this time.
The sky has been much clearer with the rain and cool breezes we have had. Often when it gets cooler, the air gets pretty dirty from the inversion.
