April 24, 2015
Far
Spring in the Desert
When I was a little girl living in Southern California, my parents purchased a home in the desert. It was off of Bob Hope Drive in Palm Springs. That house was on a cul-de-sac, and three other families we knew from Santa Monica also had houses there. The kids outnumbered the grownups by about five to one. We played a lot of Kick-the-Can late at night...
The house had a swamp cooler, and the cul-de-sac had a pool. Over the block wall was the desert, and in the desert there were snakes, and beyond the snakes were date palms. Pretty interesting stuff for a seven-year old!
However, I'm a redhead, and fair-skinned, and really am more built for the Lapland than the desert. In fact, if I'm dehydrated, and it's hot, I faint. I have a lot of fainting stories. I didn't really like our trips to the house off of Bob Hope Drive. The beach in Santa Monica was nice. The beach was always cool and breezy and didn't make my face flush red for days. And why did we always go to Palm Springs in the summer? Why not November?
So when I married a man whose family all lived in Arizona, in Phoenix, in the desert, I started making up names for the place. I called it the Arid Zone. I complained when there were June weddings. I added to the fainting stories.
But you know? I'm older and wiser now. I'm not 16 going on 17 anymore, and I've figured out how not to faint. I am admitting today, publicly, to all Meyers everywhere, to all desert dwellers in the universe, that spring in the desert is about one of the most amazing things going. If you ever have a chance to visit Scottsdale in March...
You Should Go!
Cheers, friends!
Published: April 24, 2015 | Filed under: Far
Over the decades my husband and I made several trips -- sometimes camping with the children -- in the desert, and of course March or April are the loveliest times! Our favorite place is probably the high desert in summer - but 4,000 ft. of elevation makes for a different world altogether. Thanks for the great photos.
GretchenJoanna: Yes, March is really the best time for most of the Sonoran Desert, though it really varies so much year to year. At the higher elevation I bet summer is so beautiful. I'd love to know some of your favorite places to stay or visit, if you have the time to share with us. :)
You just made me homesick! I grew up in the Mojave Desert and am now living in Wisconsin. There are times during the year I miss the desert something awful!
Jessica: I was just speaking with my son about the Mojave and how we need to venture out there sometime soon. (Certainly before June!) Sending you a hello, and hoping you get to visit your childhood homeland soon...
I too am a fan of the desert. A visit to a friend in Arizona was what turned me on to it. The blooms and colors and oddly beautiful varieties of cacti and succulents swept me off my feet. :-) My friend moved away because her children kept burning themselves badly on the pool's metal handles. So, you do have your challenges living in a tranquil, nearly monastic setting.
Alyson, what a curious story! It's true how there's a very strong sense of prayer in the desert. This last time we visited, near the end of March, the city of Scottsdale was almost completely yellow as the palo verde trees were all in bloom.