It was a hot day. I was drinking plenty of water. Fortunately, I encountered a very nice restroom halfway around the lake. Thank you, park planners.

Another beautiful Prickly Pear cactus — this one with a lovely purple hue. When you think of cacti, you think green or maybe green and brown. You might even think of the lovely flowers — perhaps white or yellow or red — those add to the ambiance. Even though this one is not stereotypical, I like it just the way it is.

I am not an expert but I think this might be a tree cholla cactus. Regardless of its name, it's a beauty and fits right in the desert landscape.

Another clump of marsh grasses — just where you might expect to see...

...another dragonfly. Without a doubt, they are so cool. I hope my newfound photographer friend comes this way too.

A few steps further the scenery gets even better with a picturesque Desert Willow tree on the lake's shoreline just waiting to have its picture taken. I could not disappoint this lovely tree, could I?

Now approaching civilization again, I look back and just stare at the beautiful scenery. I plan to return another day, perhaps when it is not so hot. That would be fun.

Just then I heard the cries of a baby duck, "Mommy, Mommy, where is my Mommy?"

"Here I am, my Baby. Don't worry. I am here to protect you, always."

Finally, I arrived back at the Chandler Nature Center which I'm sure you'll recall is nicknamed the "Cooling Center". I was fortunate because cooling was just what I needed.

Back inside, I browsed the nature displays showing desert flora and fauna — the most impressive of which was the skeleton of a giant saguaro cactus. Arizonans generally know that when the green outside of this particular cactus dies and falls away, what remains is what looks like strands of wood bundled together, including the side branches seen at the top. I can almost hear the tourists and new residents looking at it and saying, "What's that?"

Well, I hope you enjoyed our photo walk around the park as much as I did. But little did I know that on the way home, I would encounter something completely new to me — stay tuned for next week's photos which I hope you will enjoy as much I enjoyed capturing them.