The Pulse of the Desert

I was awed when everything around me became fire.

The first light on the peak cut through the twilight turning the landscape alive with warm breath. I had been on top of Dante's Peak a short walk from the Overlook scouting the day before. I parked in earliest twilight. I was alone. A headlamp and flashlight guided me up the mountain to seek wildflowers blooming in the desert. Unsure if this brief ascent would be rewarding, I climbed toward the summit. There, nestled amongst rocks, I found a cluster of apricot globemallow awaiting me.

 I found that revisiting a place allows my connection to nature to form more quickly, deeply, and without distraction; this return visit revealed its spirit instantly. I was not wrong to come back. As the first rays of sun struck the mountain top everything glowed a deep orange. Conjuring images of sunsets and autumn, fruit and fire, the color orange is the pulse of strength, joy and enthusiasm. .Here in this arid place, the sun burns with a deeper, richer fire.

The color lasted only 5 to 10 minutes. Still in twilight, the Basin complemented the scene in blue nicely. I stood in awe, listening to the earth speak.