We'd been talking about taking the boat cruise on Lake Pleasant for a couple of years, but just never got around to it. So, finally, this year, four of us sat down with our calendars and picked a date.

It wasn't the best of days weather-wise, heavy clouds above and white-capped water, but it was memorable just the same, especially for another reason:

We didn't realize when we picked the date that the brittlebush that covers the foothills surrounding Lake Pleasant would be at their peak!