It's hot, it's dry… And I love it. Ah, just thinking about Tucson brings back so many fond memories. It was the place I spent 30 years in, I had to love it. Which brings me to my next source of inspiration, the Sonoran Desert.

This desert is simply like no other. It's one of the largest deserts in North America and also one of the hottest places on earth. It is the only place that contains the saguaro cactus. I never knew how much I took that specimen for granted until I moved up here to Seattle. How I miss seeing the desert, being outside in that dry air, smelling the creosote after a quick ten-minute, but spectacular monsoon. The lightning and thunder are nothing up here in the NW compared to witnessing huge crackles just outside your window. Always hit save.

As a whole, the desert seems very brown, especially after living in Seattle for a while now, but there are such vivid colors to be found everywhere you look. From the dramatic sunsets to the blossoms found on a barrel cactus, there is truly beauty found in this enormous desert.

I lived way out east, just below the Rincon Mountains, and wildlife was everywhere. I always had to check my shoes for scorpions and chase rattlesnakes out from inside the house. Packrats used to steal little trinkets and I'd find them later in a nest in the side garage. I'll always remember having to clean up after javelinas because they'd scour our trash barrels. There would be bobcats perched in the sun out on our backyard wall, just sitting there for hours on end. Hawks would tackle pigeons on our back patio in dramatic fashion. It is truly amazing and I can't wait for my next trip back.

Photo by Bryan Salzman