atridim's photostream  

Looks very inviting on a cool January day.
I wish the desert 'dry heat' could stay with us year-round in Arizona's Valley of the Sun.

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Canyon Lake was formed by the Mormon Flat Dam, which was completed in 1925 after two years of construction. Canyon Lake, with a surface area of 950 acres (3.8 km²), is the third and smallest of four lakes created along the Salt River. Two others, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake are upstream. The fourth, Saguaro Lake, is downstream...but Canyon Lake is the most beautiful of all...and my favorite.

Canyon Lake lies approximately 15 miles (24 km) up the Apache Trail from Apache Junction, Arizona and 51 miles (82 km) east of Phoenix. It is within the Superstition Wilderness of Tonto National Forest and is a popular recreation area for the Phoenix metropolitan area. Nearby amenities include hiking trails, camping, and boating. Canyon Lake is a popular stop on the way to Theodore Roosevelt Dam, which holds a major supply of water for the Valley of the Sun.

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This Bottlebrush (callistemon) in my Oasis gardens in Gilbert, Arizona is getting set to spring into life as one of the most brilliant and complex flowers on earth. It will take on the look of a red fiber optic lamp as showcased in my comment below.

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One of the most beautiful places on earth.
Bryce Canyon was formed by erosion along the 9,000 feet (2700 m) Paunsaugunt Plateau that has created a giant natural amphitheater of unique red, orange and white geological structures called hoodoos. Its scenery is incredibly beautiful beyond belief.

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This is a rare capture of a rare sunset phenomenon that I have only experienced in Arizona's Valley of the Sun and only a few times during the past 15+ years. This occurrence was one of the best.
The phenomenon only happens in late summer during the Monsoon...for only a moment just as the sun hits the horizon. The clouds have to be positioned just right so that a tiny opening is left for the sun to shine thru and light up the entire underneath of the clouds. The chances of having all of this come together just right at the precise moment of sunset is one in a million.
For a moment, it looks like the bottom of the clouds are on fire. The dark areas actually take on a lavender glow from the 'rainbow' reflections off of the fiery yellow, orange and magenta, cloud bottoms.
A moment later, all is back to normal. Its a shame that most people have never seen this rare phenomenon...even most living here in the Valley. But, now you have seen it.

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