Nothing eh? Here is a close up that shows leaf detail. It need not be an AZ native, as Indians were known to introduce non-native plants such as tobacco and Agaves.

>Can Apache Junction be that different from Tucson, with no rain at all? Um Susan, that's like saying that Queens isn't any different from say, the Finger Lakes area.....a world of difference, believe me (and I've been to both places :) The desert has many faces, many elevations. As mentioned above, Tucson is higher than the Valley of the Sun, gets more rain, and generally is about 10 degrees cooler. Plus, Tucson is a real city, with a downtown, barrio, university and cultural events, and some of the best hiking in the SW. Tucson is very old (in fact, its nicknamed the Old Pueblo, and has among its jewels San Xavier del Bac, a 17th century mission recently restored), and for the most part has tried hard to keep its desert from being over run by development (tho a recent visit did make me cry when I drove on Contaro road to get to Ina - what are they thinking?) Without rain, Tucson is dry, but still green in a lush desert way. AJ is a 'city' with no center, no history to speak of, originally a place where the Seniors went to escape from Phoenix. And any green has been bulldozed away. And when there's no rain, its a dusty and depressing place to be. While its fine as a base to explore the superstitions, its not a place you'd want to stay for very long. As amigo says, there are some places that you might stay in. But not many. The Mesa area bordering AJ is'nt a mecca, but I have to say that Mesa is starting to come alive with its downtown area.

How exciting! I am jealous, I grew up there and had a chance to visit there in 99. Jordans for Mexican is a must.And Durantes for fine dining- which I think is next door. In 1999 we walked into Jordan's and it was exactly the same as when I was there 25 (don't feel any older) years before. It is authentic Sonoran Mexican food. drool. If you get time to take a road trip- Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon are close enough and wonderful. On the way (I think)is Montezuma's Castle, an Anazazi Indian ruin. fascinating. When I was a kid, we could walk thru the pueblo- and climb up the ladders and wander through all the rooms. And all the artifacts were just laying around, no one touched them. Times change. Scottsdale has become a mecca for artists and has numerous galleries.

Liz GA - Seal point mitted Ragdoll? How pretty! We have a blue point mitted Raggy. He is getting old and has beginning feline Alzheimer's - don't laugh -it's real!