Saturday, February 25, 2023

More photos from yesterday's ride...

 

 

Our Location: 

Road Runner BLM, Quartzsite, Arizona

 

Wind gusting to 40 mph today, sun until late in the afternoon when it clouded over, rain is in the forecast.  A few more photos of yesterday's jeep ride.

 

So many arms on this saguaro.

Each are unique and appealing.

Even the Teddy Bear Cholla is beautiful.

Maybe an old mining operation but that's a guess. 

Before we left home last October my uncle asked what draws me to the desert. It isn't just one thing but a multitude of things.  I find beauty and comfort here in many ways. Yes I complain about the wind but the views are stunning and the haunting quality of the place draws me. Peaceful but vibrant, busy but relaxed. The various hues of brown and green add a magic to the landscape that is indescribable. It's raw beauty lures a person, seeps into their blood and stirs that blood every so often. Like the sailor beckoned to the sea with it's salt air, rolling waves and the cries of gulls in the air, the desert also calls but in a much more subtle way. The promise of warmth, dry crisp air, a hint of dust, and a stillness that is hard to understand. The quiet of the desert is unlike other places I've been, for there is literally no noise at times, not a bird chirping, a frog croaking, a dog barking, a leaf rustling, there is no sounds, not even the wind. Just silence. It is almost eerie then, almost as if you could listen hard enough you will hear the soft fall of feet slipping quietly along a mountain trail, the hint of buckskin on a bush. Of course the desert isn't always quiet but it has its long moments of such. It is something one needs to experience to understand and appreciate.  I haven't  been able to get out as much as I would have liked this year but I'm hoping next year will be better. I miss the climbs, the views, the lonely spots in which I stand looking back at a world that whispers it's secrets if we only listen hard enough.


Deb at the bottom of the hill, I zoomed my phone in as far as it would go.

The sun plays with the mountains off in the distance and the saguaros stand like thin lines on the valley floor.

Stately, regal, standing tall and proud, they watch over the land, seeing all, telling nothing.

I love these views! They appeal to me in ways very difficult to explain.

 

Windy and very cool at the top of the hill. I need a haircut!



Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed a few more photos. 

 

Until next time....

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb

 

 

16 comments:

  1. For sure the desert is a draw, well said! In the Bible God sent so many to the dessert to think.
    I agree there is a draw that is hard to explain.

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  2. Not everyone understands and appreciates the desert, but for those of us that do, whichever form we find it, it is a true joy. Nicely put.

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    1. Thank you. I agree, it isn't for everyone but for those of us that love it, it is a constant pull.

      Deb

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  3. Your thoughts about the desert are my thoughts as well. I really enjoyed how you not only described it but how it makes you feel. The desert truly has a mysterious allure to it like no other place.. .

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    1. Thanks Al. There is a mystic about the desert, whether in our minds or our hearts, I'm not sure but it's there. I imagine sailors have the same pull from the sea or big waters. Some definite but not definable.

      Deb

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  4. Loved your sentiments of this beautiful part of the country. Sometimes, I wish I could see through the eyes of a centuries old Saguaro. The changing beauty of this area is amazing. Love your pictures.

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    1. Thanks Doug. I too often wonder what stories they could tell us, life and death, struggle and triumph. The history is rich and full but silent as only they know how to be!

      Deb

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  5. OMG so right. Everything wants to bite you, stick you, get in your eye or ears, but there is no better place to search your soul. Enjoy!!!

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    1. Oh so true, bite you, stick you and crawl, blow or sift into places we don't it to go.

      Deb

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  6. Two blogs filled with wonderful pictures of our ride on Friday. You took some beautiful pictures of the Saguaros.
    Your words captured perfectly what draws us back to this special place we love.

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  7. It's all about the beautiful landscapes that look pretty much the way they did 200 years ago and how the heck critters can survive out here. Capturing all that on my camera is probably what brings me here the most.

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    1. Life in the desert must be harsh at all times, easier these days for humans but not for animals and vegetation. It calls to me though from the photos I've seen in other blogs before I started travelling and now from my own memories. It is powerful in many ways.

      Deb

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  8. You have such a way with words and feelings :) Love your selfie! That darn wind! I love the pic of Deb! :)

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