“Hope is not a resting place but a starting point – a cactus, not a cushion.” -H.Jackson Brown Jr.
camping adjacent to saguaro national park
gave access to the park trails so we followed
path past park bench to fork and rock painted
with words: far west trail. another fork and a sign
painted with a loop and you are here. “let’s follow
the loop,” i said, not knowing how far it led away
before leading us back again.
desert introductions are intriguing as we met
various species of cacti: prickly pear and purple
prickly pear, majestic saguaro (some pointing the way
with crooked arms and others on their way out, dry ribs
exposed), ocotillo, and barrels in bloom. “i’m tired,” he
said and pretended to sit on a barrel. unaware, we were
ankle ambushed by a teddy bear cholla, ow!
maybe desert is hostile environment after all with
water and daylight running low, we fear we’re only
ones still out on trails…how cold does it get at night?
did we miss a fork or is it up ahead? met a guy walking
his dogs and he reassures us, “it’s 300 yards ahead to the
fork.” we find hope and the park bench at sunset, footsore
after 7.9 miles round trip from home on wheels.
a poem in my pocket 
Mar 08, 2024 @ 14:24:31
What a journey! I love the descriptions of the cacti, especially “prickly pear and purple
prickly pear, majestic saguaro (some pointing the way
with crooked arms and others on their way out, dry ribs
exposed)”
Mar 09, 2024 @ 15:36:32
Thank you, Melisa 🙂
Mar 04, 2024 @ 12:58:43
I so enjoyed this, Lynn. Must have been quite a trip.
Mar 04, 2024 @ 18:48:24
It was an adventure for e sure 😀
Mar 03, 2024 @ 08:53:00
I do remember those teddybear cholla from when I lived in the desert… on my first ever desert walk I met some people and one of them had stumbled into on on those… fortunately I had just bought a leatherman tool so I helped them by lending them the pliers to get the spines out.
Mar 03, 2024 @ 08:57:32
Glad you were prepared, Bjorn…those spines are painful! My husband used two sticks like a pliers to pull them off our ankles.
Mar 03, 2024 @ 08:58:36
It was pure coincidince, I had just bought the tools, but after that I never went out in the desert without them…
Mar 03, 2024 @ 07:03:18
A beautiful scene and enjoyed the narrative too.
Mar 03, 2024 @ 08:58:55
Such a beautiful place but not without it’s dangers.
Mar 03, 2024 @ 03:50:18
Luv the way you described the saguro in your trek wanting direction guidance.
Thanks for dropping by my blog
Much♡love
Mar 03, 2024 @ 08:59:25
❤
Mar 02, 2024 @ 21:07:15
That was quite a hike, Lynn. Glad you made it back safely before dark.
Sounds like an interesting trip.
Mar 03, 2024 @ 09:00:58
Yes, we enjoy some adventures on our westward wanderings! We didn’t walk very far the next day 😀
Mar 03, 2024 @ 15:08:29
I can imagine! :>)
Mar 02, 2024 @ 19:20:22
Oh those saguaro cacti are magnificent. I like the personification of “some pointing the way with crooked arms”. The desert does have that intimidating side to it, especially as night creeps in. I had a good chuckle with the barrel cactus. Not a good cushion at all!
Mar 03, 2024 @ 09:03:00
i know…but so tempting as some barrels are just the right height and width!
Mar 03, 2024 @ 23:35:08
Hahaha…true!