desert visit

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Laura and I recently spent a weekend out around Marfa, Marathon, and Ft. Davis in West Texas. The change of scenery itself was refreshing. The open space of the desert is so quiet it invites an internal dialogue.

We didn't do any extended hiking, but we did take a short walk around Ft. Davis State Park, playing chicken with the looming storm clouds. Yes, there were storm clouds! The whole desert was actually green from all the rain they've had recently. I am accustomed to seeing the rugged rocks with the bare, dead-stick-looking ocotillo. But on this trip, they were completely green. A couple of times the view was so green it looked more like Smokey Mountains.

Even though I live in a beautiful, natural setting, it is still nice to get a change of scenery from time to time; it restores my soul. West Texas (Trans-Pecos) also holds a lot of memories for me. That was the preferred Spring Break and Christmas Break get-away during my college years (rather than a crowded beach.) The desert always holds surprises, little lessons to be learned. This time, it was as green as I've ever seen it. Some people forget that the desert (even in the dry times) is full of life.

The entire weekend we watched as the large mountains ducked behind larger clouds: a dance of natural elements offering a new pose at every moment. It invoked a new curiosity in a place I'm a little familiar with; it reminded me that even familiar places become new.

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