I wrote about the arrival of this year’s winter in a post back in November. Little did I know then that it would be a winter of record breaking cold. Here at the Casa, we lost many plants. Some well under the patio and up next to the house, others covered but still not standing a chance. Not just us either. A drive across town revealed endless carnage. There were dying palm trees and citrus, and cacti that had been thriving for over a quarter century lying in gelatinous heaps. It was a winter unusual for the Northern Sonora Desert.
The warming temperatures and increased sunlight bring anticipation, excitement and the stirring of all the desert wildlife. The Morning Doves have been back for a few weeks now and we saw the first bats of the season just the other evening. There are a greater variety of birds around and we suspect we’ll see the return of the Cardinals any day now. There also lurks a more active reptilian population. Snakes and lizards of all sorts are coming out to feel the sun and search for food. This is the start of “watch your step” season.
Relative to the rest of the nation the winters here are not hard. Never the less, the short days wear on one’s spirit. We both have mentioned just recently how lately we’re feeling good, and there’s a certain optimism in our day-to-day. And, as I sit writing this, the window in the office is open and there is a very gentle warm breeze moving past and I can smell the warm dry earthiness of a sun drenched desert. There is possibility and potential as far as the eye can see. The outlook is much improved.
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| A beautiful, and much welcome, spring day outside the office window... Click the Pics to see them full sized! |
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