Define for me, if you will, the Southern Arizona High Desert? Explain to me its allure?
Well, I would begin; it is not the desert you imagine when you imagine a desert at all.

It is a study of opposites and a place of extremes. It is towering snow-capped mountains surrounded by arid valleys. It is high altitude coniferous forests with mighty oaks and junipers nested amongst majestic firs, spruce, and pines that gently fade into Caliche lined plains dotted with Yucca, Ocotillo and other cactus. It is azure blue skies accented with carpets of effervescent clouds that stretch for more miles than the eye can see. And, in spring, it is the home to a wondrous bloom of brilliant wildflowers. A sea of poppies, lupines, and others that force you to reconsider everything you thought a desert was.

It is a living parallel to individual life, with all the good and bad mingled together to create a complex beauty which must be experienced to appreciate fully. It is the hand of God creating a masterpiece which leaves the viewer in humble awe.

It is home. And I, blessedly and humbly, am its scribe.
Shoot Date: March 1, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority f/16
Lens: EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM @ 35 mm
ISO: 100