Vernal equinox, Spring’s beginning, equal day & equal night; surprisingly the beginning of our driest season as the days grow longer still. In years of plentiful winter rains, we experience an abundance of wildflowers. This past winter was another of non-abundant moisture, yet it is always amazing that life pushes its way up through the baked, crusty desert earth in bits & pieces here & there, thriving in spite of those seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Seems humans would do well to stop to notice what’s underfoot, as Georgia O’Keeffe once said.
Desert marigolds & globe mallows visually punctuate the dun desert with their vibrant colors, penstemons wave their flowered spires at the sky, blue belly flowers & purple lupines hug the ground. Not in profusion, but just enough to make us notice the desert coming to life. The air is tinged with the sweetness of citrus & acacia trees flowering. Scented geraniums bring beauty to our back door, & the star jasmine’s creamy blooms have filled our bedroom with an exquisitely heavy fragrance that graces our pillows as we fall asleep each night. My insomnia is greeted by the nightly owl hootenanny, coyote choruses, & the unearthly yowl of our resident bobcats. Soon to follow in the spring parade will be a cascading & quick procession of strawberry hedgehog, prickly pear, palo verde, pincushion, ironwood, & saguaro blooms. Life must move quickly here before the intense summer heat arrives to wither & desiccate—the desert does not coddle late bloomers.
Earth, our planet, our only “ride”. Such beauty this planet provides for us to abide in. Yet, we take & take, giving so little good back in return. How long will she continue to love us if we continue to treat her like this? Here’s a wonderful way to tell her thank you, the only cost is an hour of your time…
