Description

A Good Landing

Butterfly Weed and Acmon Blue Butterfly
Sierra Ancha Wilderness
Bloomed 7.2.23  2pm
22×28 oil on canvas

$4400

One of my favorite National Scenic Byways is Arizona State Route 260, better known as the Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Road or the Young Highway. I like driving it from south to north.  In a day’s drive, I can enjoy everything I love about Arizona.  You begin with beautiful views of Roosevelt Lake, deep canyons, stands of saguaro and ocotillo. As you travel north and up in elevation, you quickly leave the desert and enter ponderosa pines, cool streams and grasslands. Along they way there is treasure to find. Indian paintbrush, yucca blooms, and on this day, the bright pop of Butterfly Weed.  I don’t see these very often in Arizona so this was a treat. Evidently the Butterfly thought so too, she landed lightly and stayed a while, as it should be.

Just a fun note, this milkweed has no milky sap, the thick tuberous root was once used as a cure for pleurisy.