Just musing while in Arizona

The best part about Southern Arizona is the cool breezes after the sun goes down. No matter what the high temperature was that the unending sunshine brought on by the day, the sunset brings refreshment and rest. Oh, how I miss the crisp evenings. I’m sitting out here writing, at 8:00, no mosquitos in existence here, on mi suegra’s back porch. In fact, I haven’t slapped a leg or arm once for any kind of biting creature!


The second best thing is the sky. Oh, what a sight! The clear, open, friendly sky. Reds, pinks and purples spread in gorgeous harmony across the mountain ridges as the sun and its heat slowly disappears behind them. The stars, one by one, appear in clarity in the deep blue heavens. As the sky gradually grows darker, the stars multiply and soon, the Big Dipper sits in its regal majesty mid-sky. The Milky Way glistens, and the sliver of hopeful moon smiles sideways at me, happily back in my desert, at least for now.

Growing up, I either had to develop an appreciation for the desert, or be miserable in the ridiculous heat that overtakes this land with no reward. Dry, thirsty shrubs spread over the dusty landscape, with a cactus here and there amongst the stones and brush. The mesquite trees provide the respite from the harsh rays, and even then the shade is a tease. But I found the beauty here – beauty I still appreciate. The way the dry, sandy soil would smell after a fresh summer rain, and the rocks would shine because the dust was washed off their surface.

As kids, we had overactive imaginations (my husband would argue that mine has never faded!) and when the monsoons came, our front porch became a pirate ship in a raging sea storm. In drier times, we built forts on the ridges of the arroyos. We were John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. We were cowboys and Indians, ranchers and outlaws, scientists and inventors. It took no money and even less effort on our parent’s part for our imaginations to invent days, weeks, and then years worth of fun and fulfillment!  On those long summer days that we would lounge in front of the air conditioner, our bodies lazy from the draining heat of the Arizona sun. Then, when the relief of the evening came, out the door we would go, enjoying the desert and all its hidden charm.
Sometimes I'm sad for today's kids, who seem to need to spend money or have all the newest gadgets and electronics to be entertained.  I wonder where their imaginations have hidden!