There is a beauty in the southwest that is like no other. It is not a soft beauty but a beauty that is harsh, sharp, tough. It's not a beauty that is laid out before you. You have to look for it... be open to it and for it. If you just scan the landscape you will see brownish red rock, scraggly, stunted looking trees and blue sky. But it changes and morphs throughout the day.
In the morning the brown rocks show a rainbow of lichen in multiple shades of greys, browns, bright yellows and greens.
As the sun travels across the sky the red of the rocks deepen and the stunted little trees become works of sweeping art covered in dark greens. Brown and tan strands of grass stand out against the red and blow with the wind. Plants and trees grow straight out of rock. Flowering cactus emerge from within the shadow of a tree.
The sky changes hues constantly....all different shades of blue, white clouds that are sometimes large and puffy and sometimes look like sands of a beach. The sunsets are incredible splashes of oranges, pinks and reds. And you can actually watch the sun rise and spread across the land. And the stars.... so many dazzling, twinkling lights that fill the night sky.
I loved the Southwest from the first time I visited and I've always wanted to come back here. There is something healing and humbling about life in the desert. I think I will always need to spend time here. It's where I can discharge and recharge. It's a place to just be.
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