Courtesy of Saguaro National Park
If you've never visited Southern Arizona, you've missed a truly magnificent gift of God that is awesome to see first hand. The saguaro cactus, standing tall and proud with uplifted arms is so plentiful there that it is almost like a forest awaiting harvest. They can grow up to fifty feet tall and can have two to ten arms off of the main trunk. They also flower in the spring, but not necessarily every year, and the flowers open at night and remain open only until the next afternoon, with other flowers blooming thereafter.
I saw my first saguaro as a freshman at the University of Arizona in Tucson. They fascinated me due to Tucson being in the center of the area where they proliferate. From the far southeastern tip of California, across Southern Arizona and down into the Sonoran state in Mexico, they thrive. They are found nowhere else in the world and outside of Tucson is located the Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park, two large plats of land of nearly one hundred and ten thousand acres where they are protected.
Just imagine standing outside in the park, watching the glorious Arizona sunset behind a forest of saguaros in silhouette. What would you see? Well, I can't put words into the mouth of anyone else, but to me I see a man or woman with outstretched arms, praising God for the beauty of a sunset with little atmospheric interference to mar its beauty. During the time I matriculated at the University, I spent a lot of time with friends hiking in saguaro country, up and down rocky hillsides and into valleys admiring the natural beauty of the Great Southwest. It's what you must do to really give the land justice, for it's where you see all living things in the desert carry on their struggle for life over death in a harsh climate. In addition to the beautiful saguaro, you might see a coyote, a wild pig, possibly even a wolf. There are also large desert lizards and, of course, snakes, including the desert diamondback. Dress appropriately and wear strong hiking boots and just stay out of their way and you'll be fine. Probably the biggest mistake that hikers make is to try and pick up a rock to examine it since snakes love to spend a hot day beneath them.
It's not unlike going to the beach on the Atlantic or Pacific shore in one regard. If you respect the desert, it will respect you. And what you can witness and learn from your visit there, away from the madding crowds, will astound you. And perhaps that leads me to the point of all the comments about the beauty of nature, for wherever you might roam or live, take the time to get to know what is around you. It will make your life so much richer and, if like me you share the faith, it will make the Spirit rise high within you from what you see and witness. Have a blessed and productive day.
I saw my first saguaro as a freshman at the University of Arizona in Tucson. They fascinated me due to Tucson being in the center of the area where they proliferate. From the far southeastern tip of California, across Southern Arizona and down into the Sonoran state in Mexico, they thrive. They are found nowhere else in the world and outside of Tucson is located the Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park, two large plats of land of nearly one hundred and ten thousand acres where they are protected.
Just imagine standing outside in the park, watching the glorious Arizona sunset behind a forest of saguaros in silhouette. What would you see? Well, I can't put words into the mouth of anyone else, but to me I see a man or woman with outstretched arms, praising God for the beauty of a sunset with little atmospheric interference to mar its beauty. During the time I matriculated at the University, I spent a lot of time with friends hiking in saguaro country, up and down rocky hillsides and into valleys admiring the natural beauty of the Great Southwest. It's what you must do to really give the land justice, for it's where you see all living things in the desert carry on their struggle for life over death in a harsh climate. In addition to the beautiful saguaro, you might see a coyote, a wild pig, possibly even a wolf. There are also large desert lizards and, of course, snakes, including the desert diamondback. Dress appropriately and wear strong hiking boots and just stay out of their way and you'll be fine. Probably the biggest mistake that hikers make is to try and pick up a rock to examine it since snakes love to spend a hot day beneath them.
It's not unlike going to the beach on the Atlantic or Pacific shore in one regard. If you respect the desert, it will respect you. And what you can witness and learn from your visit there, away from the madding crowds, will astound you. And perhaps that leads me to the point of all the comments about the beauty of nature, for wherever you might roam or live, take the time to get to know what is around you. It will make your life so much richer and, if like me you share the faith, it will make the Spirit rise high within you from what you see and witness. Have a blessed and productive day.
Flowering saguaro bouquets caught in a prolific spring blooming period.
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