Over the past 7 1/2 years that I've been married, Rand and I have traveled to Phoenix numerous times. Sometimes over spring break, sometimes over Christmas, and absolutely never during the hot summer. I never, ever thought I would live here. I never got to do much sight-seeing or desert exploring, so I didn't really appreciate the beauty of the desert. Being from the Northwest, I get green. I mean, you can't keep the grass from growing right in the middle of the blacktop. Rain=Green. It used to drive Rand nuts because our lawn was just not contained enough. He always wanted to barricade off our lawn from our flower beds with cement. I kept saying, "You're fooling yourself to think that the cement is going to stop the grass, it's just going to be one more obstacle for the mower."
Well, here we are in the desert. Grass could be a whole other blog, believe me, I'm still trying to understand the grass here. Anyway, all summer we would drive around and I would gloomily look at the brown landscape and wonder if my eyes would ever feel the relief of looking on real green nature again. If there was a patch of desert, undeveloped, it just looked like a patch of dirt with some pitiful bushes.
Now transition into fall and winter and soon to be spring. We've moved a bit to the outskirts (a lot more undeveloped desert around) and up against some mountains (if you are from the northwest, you might just call them big rocks). We have gotten quite a bit of rain and I have watched the mountains and desert totally transform. We keep going past these large areas of desert and I keep saying, "Look out there! It looks like the desert is covered in grass." It's not really grass, but it is green. We have a nice walking path that goes right by our house and I took some pictures to prove it. Maybe it's just me, but I can't believe how much green there is! Click on the pictures to see them bigger. Seriously, you'll be impressed!
7 comments:
it looks like spring!!! who da thunk that the desert could produce anything other than tumble weeds and poisonous creatures! now, i'd like to see before and after pictures, just to make sure you aren't faking it. :)
I'll be sure to post pictures of the same locations in middle of July, just to prove it. That is, if I can make myself go outdoors when it's 110+ out there. Trust me, there won't be anything green in that heat.
Dat's a lots of green! I saw the cactus in there, so I believe you!
What were the boys so intently looking at?
wow, that is impressive!
nice pictures :)
Wow! Who knew the desert was so pretty! Just don't be gettin all cozy there, now.
I am sure Kaylee was not the only person taking pictures. I am sure all of Arizona was out on that day taking pictures. They want to remember what green looks like as well.
I thought this was funny! I moved to AZ when I was 15 from St.Louis, which is fairly green being the midwest and all. I LOVE the beauty of the desert AND I miss the green. This happens every year, some more than others. When the desert blooms it is like magic and it smells so amazing. I know it is often hard to see the beauty in a place so different than what we are used to, but we need to remember that God created the desert as well as the "green" areas and we can see His beauty in it just as much, it is just different. It is much more rugged, but shows His miracles of life in a harsh land. Living in Scotland now, I am surrounded by lush green beauty, which I will greatly miss; but I miss the warm sunshine of AZ and constant blue skies. If you ever need to appreciate AZ, move here for a year;)
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