Our eyes become accustomed to our everyday surroundings. We take for granted the beauty in this world far too often. It is when the unexpected happens that our eyes are opened to what is right in front of us.
I visit the desert southwest often. I have roots there. Most of the time that I visit, the desert is dry, sunny, and warm. Winters, though, can offer a bit of the unexpected, and this journey was exactly that. The desert can, and does, get cold, especially in the higher elevations.
It is not uncommon to get snow on the mountain peaks and sometimes in the foothills. Rarely does it happen in the valleys and on the desert floor. Most of the time, in the foothills, it’s just a dusting, and then the sun comes out and the snow melts away quickly. But when the conditions are just right, the snow falls in places that just don’t expect it.
If you’ve never seen snow in the desert, it is a sight to behold. A landscape normally associated with being parched and scorched by the sun, is transformed by a light and gentle blanket of pillowy snow. I woke up to the monochrome landscape and could not believe that the snow kept falling throughout the day, until 5 inches of it covered the ground. Even at elevations of 5,000 ft, in southern Arizona, this just doesn’t happen. I half expected penguins to come waddling down the street!
Snow has an unusual effect on us. Most people live in places where snow only comes in winter (if at all). There really is no other weather phenomenon that so dramatically changes the appearance of a landscape, especially where it is unexpected. To me, there is a beauty to the starkness of a snowy landscape. The air smells different. Sound is muted.
These photos of the snow in the desert are not grand landscapes. Rather, mostly intimate details of the snow’s effect on the land, native plants, and the creatures confused by this development.
