I find myself in the desert often. It is where I lived for many years. I complain about the desert - the unforgivable heat; the harshness; the dusty, arid, uninviting landscape. But there is a familiarity there too. A fascination. There are marvels of adaptation in the inhabitants of the dirt and rocks. The dry air and big sky make for long sunsets and unbelievable views of the night sky.
The Huachuca Mountains west of Sierra Vista sit a mile above sea level. This high altitude desert provides some respite from the heat of the lower elevations. Tucked into the mountains is Ramsey Canyon Preserve - a quiet slice of this world where the birds and the deer come out to play. At night, a few minutes outside, eyes adjusted, the Milky Way spills out across the sky and over the mountain’s edge. The dark quiet only broken by the sounds of an owl in the distance.
Tucson sits in the Sonoran Desert and is flanked by Saguaro National Park on its east and west. The iconic saguaro cactus grows only in this desert. These desert trees grow slowly, taking in water at every opportunity, and covering themselves in needles to keep other thirsty desert dwellers at bay. They are tall - reaching 40-50 feet, in just around 150 years. A hike through this forest of grand saguaro provides one with an appreciation for the adaptability of life. And if you stop next to one of these giants and listen closely, you can hear them speak as the wind whooshes past their many needles.
