It's raining today. That's a big deal in Arizona.
I have to laugh at the news coverage rain garners here. You see, I grew up in the Midwest and rain was just something we took for granted. It spoiled picnics, but made the flowers grow, it meant we couldn't play outside, but the soft tapping of raindrops falling on your window would lull you blissfully to sleep at night. It was a nuisance and a necessity, but it was just...rain.
When it rains in Arizona television news organizations scramble reporters for "Team Coverage" of the storm. Now, granted, sometimes the weather is newsworthy, but often it's merely the same type of storm I took for granted growing up in Ohio.
Nevertheless, because it's such a rarity here in the desert, I have come to love the rain. Love isn't even a strong enough word. I take it in with all my senses. When it rains I open all the blinds and watch, I sit on my patio and listen and feel the mist in the cool air on my skin, and I inhale deeply the freshly ionized breezes and rejoice in the memories of my youth.
As much as I love the rain, our desert plants love it even more. Cacti are specially adapted to make the most of each precious drop, sucking the water up into their fleshy pulp and holding it through the long, unbroken stretches of blazing hot days. In Arizona's Sonoran desert it's not unusually to go months without seeing a single raindrop.
The abundance of life in a land so arid and inhospitable always amazes me. Cacti are unique, sculptural even, and it's that strange beauty that has captured my heart and which, through my art, I try to share with the rest of the world.
I hope that if you ever come to Arizona you'll find time to experience our desert trails and the natural beauty you'll find around every bend and over each hill, and if you're really very lucky, maybe even a rainstorm or two.
This is my first blog about the place I love best. I'm always interested in learning about new places to explore and would love to hear your feedback about Arizona, the southwestern United States, or my art. Please feel free to comment...I'd love to hear from you!
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