Home in the Southwest

It had only been a few weeks this past summer without mountains in view when I approached Glacier National Park from the east. The sight of high, steep terrain moved me; caught my breath. But it was when I left Palisade and Grand Junction in November headed for El Paso and Thanksgiving that I really felt the deep connection with a landscape that I had not been part of for years—the deserts of the Southwest.

The colors, landforms, light and feel of these lands stir me like no other. I quit taking photographs a few years ago, but over the last couple of months I have gone crazy! Wide angles, close-ups, low and bright light—I love the desert and can’t seem to take enough images to capture that love. I don’t believe that deserts hold that same appeal for many folks.

Merriam-Webster defines desert as an “arid land with usually sparse vegetation; such land having a very warm climate and receiving less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of sporadic rainfall annually.” Which means that the flora and fauna of deserts have acquired adaptations for such harsh conditions that include spines, thorns, fangs and venom, nighttime activity, and other traits that some consider sinister. I consider them remarkable and beautiful. The Southwest has three hot and dry deserts: Mohave, Sonora and Chihuahua. But a desert might just be coming to your neighborhood.

Heat and lack of moisture clearly define these deserts. Higher temperatures and drought are increasingly more common in temperate regions of the west. The shift of species geographically and temporally has already been documented and poses great concern for pubic land agencies charged with managing ecosystems; do we strive to maintain existing conditions as the environment changes or manage for an ever-evolving landscape?

 

Meanwhile, here are some of my favorite glimpses from the past couple of months:

 

Fisher Towers

 Toward Castle Valley

The Colorado River

Acoma Pueblo

From Acoma looking down into the valley

San Estaben del Rey Mission

Chili field near Hatch, New Mexico. Yea for chilis!

The Rio Grande River north of Las Cruces, NM

Hueco Tanks State Park

Approaching the Big Bend

                                                                           Chisos Basin, Big Bend National Park

Looking across the Border–No Fence

The Window at Chisos Basin

Going to St. Elena Canyon

At the Chihuahua Desert Botanical Garden, Ft. Davis, Texas. And, no, I did not write down the names!

Cemetery at Lajitas, Texas

Friends in Terlingua, Texas

 

And, like any place or person or event–expect the unexpected: 11 inches of snow in El Paso on December 26, 2015.

 

                                      HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR FRIENDS!

                                                                                                         HAVE A WONDERFUL 2016