Cactus Flowers - NM

Someplace in New Mexico

I love the high dry dessert.  It is a deep visceral reaction. I just relax and go Ahhhhhhh! It is probably tied to two visits to Arizona as a very young child.  When I was in kindergarten, my family spent three weeks in Phoenix, the following winter we lived in Phoenix from November until March, my first year in the first grade.  Oh, by the way, failing the first grade shouldn't frame anyone's expectations.  I went on to finish in the top 10% of my undergraduate class and my doctorate with honors (top 20% of the class.)  But that is off the topic,  I love the landscape of the high desert.  

I like the colors, the flora and fauna. I like the earthy colors of the land, the contrast of the cactus, mesquite, and scrub grass. In a lot of ways, the colors remind me of Italy, but the light is much brighter with much greater contrast.  The desert blooms, it smells, it is inviting,  A lot of high desert is hot, some of it is higher and cooler.  From Las Vegas to Tuscon to Albuquerque I love the desert.