Beloved tree scrutinized yearly for signs of growth

The sun pops through between the twisting and turning branches of the Great Mesquite Tree at the Roy P. Drachman- Agua Caliente Park. Its massive branches are magnificent to behold providing shade in the summer, nectar for bees, a home and food for numerous desert creatures and possibly some firewood for a long-ago barbeque. Located near the Ranch House Visitor Center, Art Gallery and Nature Shop, it is surrounded by a high wall in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, March 7, 2013. Photo by A.E. Araiza/Arizona Daily Star