An evening at
Usery Mountain Regional Park

Queen Victoria's Agave (victoriae-reginae)

Just one of many species of agave.  The perennial plant has four edible parts; flowers, leaves, stalks and rosettes.   The juice of many species can cause acute contact dermatitis.  Native people in Mexico used the spikes to make pens, needles and nails.  Leaves are used for textiles, the sap is collected, fermented into an alcoholic beverage pulque (octili) which Native Americans used in religious ceremonies.  The most imporant economic used of the agave is tequila.  A form of tequila is made from the blue agave.  Often included in the bottle is the Mescal caterpillar from the agave moth.

 The Cholla and Saguaro look even more exotic and beautiful at night.

An evening with our friends with the most incredible RED sky, campfire, no bugs and the sound of coyotes in the distance.  Coyotes are in abundance, even in our neighbourhood and all over the Valley.  

We have heard a large pack of coyotes several times in the field across from us.  They come out about 11:30 pm.   A neighour across the way apparently wasn't happy and fired off four quick rounds of ammo to scare them off.   3:30 they started up again but this time, someone decided to set up several fireworks!