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.