“Getting Over the Color Green”

Wallace Stegner said that to appreciate the arid west, "You have to get over the color green; you have to quit associating beauty with gardens and lawns..." I sometimes call Albuquerque the Big Brown. Not as an insult. Not with full affection. Perhaps somewhere in between, depending on how I feel. Tan, chocolate, taupe—there’s a… Continue reading “Getting Over the Color Green”

Don’t Argue with Desert Mountains in the Winter

We ascended in deep snow. The trees relinquished their embrace and the air’s rare moisture crystallized and was made visible, glittering in the sun. As our view expanded, the flickering spirits of ten thousand small gods swarmed us. Their gentle flurry felt like a greeting. Here’s the thing. I haven’t crossed frozen earth or traversed… Continue reading Don’t Argue with Desert Mountains in the Winter