The crucifix that once hung in Nada Hermitage’s Sangre de Cristo Chapel in Crestone, Colorado formed me. Created by Santa Fe artist Dan Davidson, it combined both wood and bronze. And instead of a dead Jesus with eyes shut and head to the earth, it portrayed an ambiguous moment just before death. The young...
Our latest Fire and Light podcast is now available: "Breathing Room for the Spirit." We explore ways to create breathing room in a world of speed and utility. We describe a recent desert camping trip and I recite “Superbloom Toast,” the poem that appears below. Since April is National Poetry Month, we ponder the value of poetry and its...
Happy Easter! Resurrection came early to the Arizona desert this year. After our winter rains and cool temperatures, we experienced a wildflower “superbloom.” And we immersed ourselves in it: luxuriant carpets of golden poppies and purple night scented stock, scorpion weed and delicate blue dicks – more lovely than their names – creamy white...
Photo by David Denny taken at the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
As days lengthen and spring arrives in the Sonoran Desert, wildflower season begins. We went for a walk at nearby Sanctuary Cove and found fourteen species. My favorite is the yellow-golden Mexican poppy. We’re also planting petunias and marigolds on our porches. Tessa is a more avid and attentive gardener than I am, so her porch is...