Kactus to Koi

I've fallen behind in my postings. Time has been spent getting ready for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument's 75th birthday which was celebrated on April 14. At the same time we were getting ready to leave ORPI, which we did on the 17th. We are now in Phoenix and having visited with sister Susan and completed our shopping, we will be heading to Sedona tomorrow for six nights and then it's on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for our summer work.
Before leaving Organ Pipe, I hiked Mount Ajo one more time with Sardius, Jim and Steve a visitor.

 The view from the top is spectacular.

The climb up is tough, but not nearly as hard as going down over the scree. Fortunately, we only had a couple of minor slips and falls.

Many cacti were blooming. The saguaro are just starting while the hedgehog are in full glory.

A great hike to finish out the season. The lizards are also out in full force. We spotted this desert iguana under a creosote bush right next to the 5er.

Although the high season is winding down at Organ Pipe it was tough to leave. This part of the Sonoran Desert is beautiful and over the past five months we learned a lot about the flora and fauna, and the people. We also made many friends who we already miss. The volunteer community is like no other and after working this summer we will look forward to volunteering at Santa Ana NWR next winter.
While in Phoenix we visited the Japanese Gardens with Susan. Tonight it is out for dinner.
Susan and Sherri sharing a bench at the gardens.

The visitor center sells cheerios to feed the Koi. I will leave this post with a photo of the Koi in a feeding frenzy, with one duck trying to outmaneuver the Koi.