The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert in Arizona called to my parents, often, and I visited the area many times with them. Then, when we had children, we took them there as well.

We drove the “loop” of Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and then back through Grand Canyon to get home, with the inevitable cries of “are we there yet?” from the backseat. I don’t really remember the sibling squabbles from the backseat, (and I know there must have been many), because the vistas took my breath away and kept my mind busy. There was an occasional “Knock it off!” from me, directed toward the back, as we waited for the next turn in the road to show us something new. No matter how many times we did the loop, there was always something new.

There are those that do not see beauty in the desert, and only observe the land swathed in dry yellow weed, brown sage and sand. My painterly eyes see citrine colors and yellow jade, reds, the color of pomegranates; the ochres of landscape, imbued with an orange, 4 o’clock, atmospheric haze. Gorgeous.