The Desert

As we drive around Big Bend, my eyes are naturally drawn to the mountains that fill the horizon with such glory. Some mountains appear to be fuzzy with yellow grasses growing as cotton balls up the mountainsides. Other mountains are pure rock jutting straight up from the earth. Belts of red, orange, and yellow encircle some mountains and pour sands of the same colors down the sides.

The desert landscape is much more than mountains. Looking across the horizon, the land is dotted with prickly pears of many different types. Some contain yellow spines, others red. Still others have no spines at all but instead have furry brown polka dots. My favorite are the scandalous Pepto Bismo-pink prickly pears that create a spectacle where they grow.

The smoky ocotillos reach for the sun. Small red buds appear as nail polish on their finger tips. The chollas are indecisive. They begin growing out in one direction but change their minds and turn around as if they see something new in another area of the desert.


Short and tall yucca look like characters in a Dr. Seuss book with spiked hair and grass skirts.


To my surprise, the branches of a dry bush with ugly big spines appear to be lined with a hint of red against the blue sky. As the sun goes down in the evening, the light catches the green pads of the prickly pears and they light up against the mountains.