When you hear desert, what comes to mind? Dry, sandy, sparse and prickly are the words that come to my mind. After this weekend I’ve added blooming, living, and vibrant to the list.
I was down in Arizona for a girls weekend with my sister, mom, and some other friends. What a gorgeous time to be there! Beautiful sunny weather, not too hot yet, and the desert in bloom.
It resets your impressions a bit, doesn’t it? There is this vibrant life there. The calls of the birds and the buzz of the bees filled the air.
Beyond just the spring bloom, I do understand why people want to live there. Since I’m always cold, the desire to be warm to the tips of my toes most of the year does appeal. But when I went for a walk Monday morning before leaving, I thought about what it would be like if this was my walk every day. For all that was in bloom, it is still a dry, sparse place.
And I realized, nope. I would miss the green, green forest. I would miss the trees, and the trails. This image is from my hike yesterday morning, back home. Quite the contrast, huh?
I think I’ll hang out here in Oregon for a while longer. My husband, who hates hot weather, is relieved to hear that I’m not planning to drag him to live in Arizona anytime soon.
I love the pala verde! We don’t have them here in Southern California.
I grew up in the Southeast, and though I would never learn to love a place that had no springtime, no dogwoods, no daffodills, no riot of green, no change of color in the fall… but after living in the coastal desert of San Diego for the past 15 years (for hubby’s job), I have grown to appreciate the subtle beauty of desert scrub and blooming native plants. It is sparse, but that makes the structure of the rocks and sky more important.
I still miss springtime in the Southland… but am grateful for the opportunity to live where it’s not so easy to love the native landscape. And I learned to love (and respect) those glorious claret-cup chollas!
Yes, it’s a different beauty. I love what you say about the structure of the rocks and sky! You see the land differently in the desert, don’t you? Thanks for the insight.
Beautiful images you shared of the desert and your lush green home place too Kat!
The busy bee in the cactus flower is perfection.
I enjoy the four seasons here in Virginia very much.
This time of year is a parade of blooms that I would not want to miss.
Arizona and Oregon are definitely two places we would like to visit sometime.
oxo
You would probably enjoy both places! Very different though.
So happy you enjoyed my neck of the woods..so to speak! I adore Arizona (live in Scottsdale) for the past 25 or so years…but after retirement I had to have a little more action which is how I now have an apartment in NYC too. Definitely the best of both worlds! But this spring (left the cold) the trees and flowers were the best I’ve experienced in all my years. Absolutely gorgeous so you really got to see it at the most perfect time. On a different note…will be heading to Oregon in September and will be staying three weeks just to experience the state and of course photograph!!! Will be in Dundee, Rhododendron, Jacksonville and Gold Beach. If you have any “omg you must see…” would love to hear! Of course we have all the big stuff already on the list..but if you have any local secrets – restaurants, wineries, hikes – would love to hear! Beautiful images! Thanks!
Wow, NYC to AZ, what a great range of exploration you get to do! Hmmm… must see areas of Oregon… Anything? Actually, the central and southern Oregon coast from Newport heading south is my favorite area, other than my home town of Corvallis. Lots of stuff to do and see there. Send me an email if you will be driving through that area at all and I can point you to a few things. It would be fun to meet up if we could swing it!
I grew up in the desert in a harsher place than the Arizona spot you visited, but it still had its own beauty. As kids we reveled in the freedom we had to play outside and run free almost year-round. I’ve also lived in Portland, Oregon, which is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen – but all that greenery comes at the price of a lot of grey skies and rain, too much for me to live with. Now I’m in Maine, which suits me perfectly despite the long winters. I love the four seasons and sense of history here.
I love your photos and the memories they bring back!
Yes, there is a price to the green (rain) same as there is a price to the sunshine (dry). Right now I’m happy with green. Isn’t it awesome you were able to find and choose the perfect place for you in Maine.
I’ve only just discovered your blog and am so thankful that I did. I find your work inspirational and just want to thank you for sharing your tips and creating such great tutorials, so much to learn. I live close to Charleston and am surrounded by beautiful scenery, if you like marshes, amazing architecture, if you enjoy history, and an abundance of wildlife, what’s not to like about that – now if I could only learn to do it justice.
Welcome!! I would love to visit Charleston someday. It looks like such a beautiful place. Keep practicing and learning – You will be able to capture it the way you want eventually!