The Mountain and the Cactus

I was climbing over a little mountain. 

The path stretched up and around and down, then up once more and down some more, and then all back and over again. 

There were ocotillos, ripe with leaves after the rain. There were saguaros and teddy bear chollas in abundance. The rocks were mostly pale. 

The sky was bright blue above me, and far away were the Four Peaks up against the horizon. 

My feet paced over the dirt and gravel. I didn't mind the light inclines and declines, but the handful of steps that were as high as my knees did give me pause. I found myself not much taller than the children on the trail--except that I had not quite their youthful, scampering energy. So I paused for half a beat to look at the view or lean on a boulder. 

On the first part of my walk, there was a story--that is, a story not my own. Or was it? 

The slides told in words and pictures of a cactus. The prickly one who tried to be content on its own, until it realized it was lonely, and others were lonely, too, and maybe they it would be better if they could be together. 

I smiled at the cactus in the pictures, and stretched my legs toward the next peak, the next bend in the path. Do you know what might be there?

In less than two hours, I had gone there and back again. I soaked in sunlight and perspective both. 

Pinnacle Peak Trail.

Of Land and Rain

When in the time of summer, it is sometimes nice to go off to the cooler zones--that is, to Flagstaff. I've always had mixed feelings about Flagstaff: while the blue and green, the mountains and the trees are beautiful in summer, I wouldn't want to live there because they get snow in winter. Snow is nice--but not having to deal with it every day.

In summer, though, Flagstaff feels so nice and cool compared with the more central regions of the state. I think the high temperature was about 80 or 81 this past weekend when I was there. And if you'd like even cooler weather, head up to the Snowbowl: in summer, the ski-lift operates as a scenic chair-lift up the San Francisco Peaks. 

I think the temperature was around 70 at the base and another ten degrees less at the top. One of the only times you have to use a sweater (or jacket) during summer. It's about half hour up and then another half hour to go back down; you can go on some trails when you get to the top, or just look around and make your way back right away. 

When you're at the top looking down, it's amazing how high you are: the Peaks are visible from quite far away, after all. So when you're on top of them, you can also see things far, far away: mountains and hills that are barely recognizable because of the distance. So much blue and green. 

We made our way over in the morning to try and avoid afternoon rain--but what happened when we got to the top? We were watching the clouds, guessing about how long we had until the rain started while we waited in the (short) line to go back down. And it started raining on us. And then it hailed. And then suddenly the line behind us was much longer, most of the people deciding they would rather go straight back down than linger on top of the mountain so near to the clouds. The rain continued until we were, oh, about two-thirds of the way down. So perhaps I didn't continue looking out at the view as much--but the rain did make the ride much sillier. 

To Arizona Visitors

So if you're taking people who have never been to Arizona around the Central to Northern regions (during Spring), what ends up on your list? There are many, many places to go--especially many outdoor places when the weather is nice like it was during said visit a week or so ago. But you don't want to get too tired or just go on trails day after day; you also need some indoor things and some touristy things. So here is, more or less, what was on my list:

The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix - A nice introduction to the great variety of cactus and succulent plants that are out there, this garden can be a casual and brief visit or a longer walk through all of the paths. It's also a good place for lunch.

Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde- Such a good park with such a good philosophy, Out of Africa is always fun to visit. You get to see the animals (and feed a giraffe and a tiger), take lots of pictures, and also immerse yourself in some of the vegetation of the Verde Valley.

Predator Zip Lining at Out of Africa - Thrills or sightseeing? It's kind of both. A series of zip lines above the park is exciting and fun, while also giving you a great view of the lions and tigers and of the mountains surrounding the valley (including Sedona's famous Red Rocks).

Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale - A four hour, roundtrip ride in a vintage train to the ranch at Perkinsville (you don't get off the train there) and back, this ride lets you take in the scenery of the canyon. It's sort of like a more immersive experience into a lesser Grand Canyon (you know, unless you're one of the relatively few to raft or hike down the Grand Canyon).

Blazin' M Ranch in Cottonwood - It's an old, family-owned ranch that's set up like a little Western town. You can take pictures, wander the shops, practice shooting (not with real bullets), take Old Time pictures, and then everyone goes into the main area for dinner, with a show to follow. Though it's sort of a touristy concept, the singers are good, so if you want a little silly Western feel, this is the place.

Petrified Forest National Park in the Painted Desert near Holbrook - I adore the Painted Desert. I absolutely adore the quiet feeling of the land, painted in colors of red, pink, white, purple, and blue with still and sparse vegetation. It's like sunrise stretched across an open land. Visiting the Petrified Forest, you get a look at the Painted Desert without having (unless you want to) to hike around much; you also get to see some big collections of petrified wood. I recommend the Blue Mesa trail.

Sedona - Sedona is the land of the Red Rocks, stretching up toward the sky and calling many, many visitors every year. There are trails, shops, restaurants, and Red Rock State Park.

Slide Rock State Park in Sedona - Where the river climbs down the mountains, there is an area that makes (by itself) the equivalent of water slides. It's all at your own risk, so do be careful, but this area is always popular, whether for those wanting to slide through the smooth rapids, wade in the calmer water, or simply take in the sun and the short trails.

Prescott - I'd recommend the Sharlot Hall Museum, where there is a small collection of historic buildings and a great gift shop (it has candy and books and toys and things). It's just a block of two from the Square, which is a quiet, tree-shaded place for a stroll, surrounded by shops and antique stores. Eat at Bill's Pizza.

Jerome - You have to stop at Jerome even if you don't go anywhere or do anything while you're there: the views of the Verde Valley are wonderful. Jerome was a mining town built up on the mountainside; it became a ghost town after the mines were abandoned. Now it has a few shops and a couple restaurants in the old buildings, but mostly you go just to go and to walk around a little. Jerome State Park is also a good place to visit if the town is new to you.

Grand Ganyon National Park - Usually I like to talk about how Arizona has a lot more than the Grand Canyon and a lot of Arizonans don't even live close enough to it to visit very often, but if it's your big trip to Arizona, naturally you should try and make it over. If you can stay longer, do, but just one day is fine, too. You can stop at the viewpoints and gift shops, picnic outside, go see the Desert Watchtower, and maybe hike partly down South Kaibab Trail.

Montezuma's Well and Castle - These are quick stops, but they're some of the more easily accessible, well-preserved examples of cliff dwellings (left by the Sinagua). 

Fort Verde in Camp Verde - For a little history and a look at the remaining buildings from one of Arizona's military forts, stop here. It's also a general look at how some of the settlers to this area lived. Sometimes they let you try out their clothing and guns, too. (There are less yellow pictures, but I'm not holding the gun in them.)

Flagstaff is also good: I love Sunset Crater/Wupatki National Monument, and there's also a nice arboretum and an observatory; but Flagstaff can be good if you're visiting in the summer because it isn't as hot as much of the rest of the state. On the opposite to that, Tuscan and the areas around it have some traditional desert views: there's the Saguaro National Park and Picacho Peak State Park and I think one more area that's slipping my mind. 

It's such a lovely state. Such variety of beauty. So many different kinds of plants, so many animals, and so many natural features that you can just spend months and years exploring.

Picacho Peak

Sometimes I like to complain about how never mind all the places in the world and the country that I have never seen, there are so many places in my own state where I have never been. Picacho Peak State Park was one of those places where I had been wanting to go for a few years. It isn't that far . . . and when I was around the Phoenix area it was only an hour or so away . . . but it's still a long drive, especially since I am no longer around the Phoenix area. But last weekend I finally made it over. 

I don't think I had even heard much of the place until I read The Host--which is kind of ironic that a mainstream book would remind me of something in my own state. Then lately it seems like I've been hearing so much about how pretty the wildflowers there are in spring. I've seen pictures (better than any of the pictures I took, too, I might add), but I really wanted to be there in person. So we planned out trip for March. It was absolutely perfect timing. It's been such a wet winter that there were lots of flowers out and we also came just in time for mild weather. It was about 80 degrees when we were there; this weekend I think it's about 90. Perfect timing.

The first view was our view from our picnic table; I think the above picture was from the same location, just pointing over to the left. We kind of didn't leave that early, so it was already lunchtime by the time we got there. So we took time over lunch, lingering around the table afterwards. If you've driven through this general area, you'll have observed that the plants tend to grow more on slopes than on the flat areas. Picacho Peak is part of a little ridge of sorts and the park is set up around this small line of mini mountains, so the cactus are growing all over. Saguaro and prickly pear and cholla. Especially with it being spring, everything was so very green. Add the wildflowers to that and it was just gorgeous.

Don't make fun of us, but the only trail we walked was the Nature Trail (unless maybe we also walked partially on another one? I'm not sure). It was afternoon by this point (you know, the hottest part of the day) and we did have that long drive back afterwards and everything felt to pretty for anything other than a casual stroll. I mean, it was never the plan to go on Hunter Trail, anyway--that's the steep trail up to the peak with steel cables to help you along through certain sections.

We were all dressed for a casual day, anyway. I wore sandals (a little more walking/outdoor style), long shorts, and a white open shirt over a tank top (white is a must--I was surprised to see quite a few people in gray or even black) with my hair in a side braid. Do you know those cloth bags Free People gives out? They're perfect for outdoor days; just throw in a water bottle, lip balm (I used Fresh's Sugar balm in Petal), and whatever else you need and sling it over your shoulder.

It was just a really pretty day to spend outdoors in a really pretty place. On the way home, we stopped by Happy Valley for dinner. I've developed a strange affection for Happy Valley; it makes me happy there. Maybe it's because the new developments have so many restaurants.

The Sun Is A Vampire

This thought occurred to me earlier this week whilst I was pedaling along on my bike, feeling my skin shrink beneath the sun's yellow gaze. It was afternoon, above 105 but less than 110, sunny, and while I was still sort of getting used to riding after taking the summer off. And the sun was stealing my energy from me. It shot out at me, forced its presence on me, dried out my skin and made me sweat, then sucked up that sweat as soon as it formed. I kept pedaling because that's how the world works; but I grew more and more tired, feeling as if I was pedaling against the sun itself.

It's in that act of stealing from me that I happened upon it: "the sun is a vampire." As any will know who have studied a bit of literature, vampirism (which is quite frequently a part of Gothic novels/stories, as in of course Edgar Allan Poe) doesn't have to include supernatural figures that go under the name of vampires. It can simply be that act of taking something, like a person's energy or life force, from someone else. It's sort of like a person simultaneously weighing someone down and using him.

That's what the sun did to me. And my comparison I find makes sense on another level: in the seduction. I've often found an almost sensuous quality to the sun (please don't think I'm too weird for saying that: it's just a literary/poetical thing), just as there is that aspect to vampires/vampirism. And, of course, the sun is synonymous with heat, so there you go. The sun is a vampire.

Arizona Pride: The Past Year

Since I randomly threw out the idea of "Arizona pride" in my last post, let me take you on a picture tour of some of the things in Arizona I have enjoyed in the past year. (Not that any of these are brilliantly good pictures, but you'll just have to excuse, as usual, my lack of photographic skills.) All the pictures are marked with the month in which they were taken. 

First are these yellow desert daisies. During spring, they crop up on their own and make the world ever so much prettier and brighter. (5/11)

Then there are the friends you can go visit. What's wrong with small towns? And what's wrong with chickens that you can hold as if they're dogs or cats . . . ? (5/11)

But drive a little and you can come to pine country like in Strawberry: (7/11)

Or you can drive up a bit to the historic mining town, ghost town, funny little town Jerome, which sits precariously on Mingus Mounain: (10/11)

For a short afternoon's hike, Montezuma's Well does nicely. Besides the section overlooking the well, there is also a short trail shaded by trees. (1/12)

For an outing in spring, try out a boat ride on Tempe Town Lake. (3/12)

And of course we must not forget about the lovely Sedona. (3/12)

There is more than a multitude of trails there to keep you busy for weeks.

If you like, you can head to Jerome afterwards for dinner.

Be careful in March, though: the weather can be nice, but it can also be bizarrely unpredictable (until, that is, the point that its unpredictableness begins to feel predictable). This is what I found to welcome me into Spring Break: (3/12)

(of course, a week later, it was much warmer)

On the other side of the mountain from Jerome, you will find the not-as-small-but-still-with-some-small-town-feel Prescott. Visit the square for a quiet walk in the shade, some of the best pizza, and an entire row of antique stores to sift through. (5/12)

Since this year celebrates Arizona's 100th as a state, there were some Arizona flags set up.

One hundred years? Though the official day was on Valentine's Day (how fitting, eh?), I say we celebrate all year. I only wish they sold little Arizona flags in the stores like they sell U.S. flags for the Fourth of July. I would put one up in my room next to my mini, vintage, silk U.S. flag (which was one of many used to welcome Theodore Roosevelt to the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA).

December Favorites

I don't know if I will ever do any more Favorites posts, but I want to now, so I shall. These are completely random things I have been enjoying, complete with links to buy them.

1) I mentioned my new love for Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain (I have it in Passion and in Twilight) and Burt's Bee's Tinted Lip Balm (which I have in Pink Blossom). Add to the list Tarte's lip colors. Last month, my mom and I split a set of them (which is basically five for the price of one); I ended up with the Lip Lusters in Glitzy and Flashy. If I were choosing individually, I would go for the Matte Tints instead; as it is, I like these two for when I'm not wearing very visible eyeshadow (or maybe none at all). They have a nice feel, the packaging is pretty, Tarte is a fairly natural brand, and you can layer on either more or less color as best suits the moment. Of course, the more you add, the longer it will last.

2) My new Aldo boots, a sort of pre-Christmas gift. They're black leather, a couple inches or so above the ankle, accented with Victorian-esque details, and have black laces. I love that this is a shoe that is very "in" and is also one that speaks to me personally (I do love the Victorian things); it's also very comfortable since its heel is very tiny. This is a very wearable shoe: I can put it with jeans, tucked in or out, or add it to dresses or skirts. Wonderful.

3) A week ago, I got Starship by StarKid on DVD. I know I can just watch the musical on their YouTube channel, but it just seems so much nicer to have the DVD (and I know it helps them when people purchase merch). I was also thinking about that newish TV of my parents; almost as soon as I got to their house, there I was, putting in my new DVD and finally seeing the StarKids on a real screen. I may have to watch it again before I leave.

4) I just learned how to curl my hair with a straightener. I am in awe. What also amazes me is that the look reminds me more of what you get when you roll your hair up into little bunches overnight; it has that almost old-fashioned type of look. I was never able to experiment with this before because my straightener was several years old and therefore of the thicker variety; now, however, I have this very nerdy one. Let me assure you that I only bought it because I had been wanting a new straightener and this one was half the price of the others I would consider getting. Anyway, I would rather have a hair straightener that only I see that says "Twilight" on it than a T-Shirt that I wear outside where everyone can see it. (Not that I wear T-Shirts, anyway, really.)

5) I have been a fan of Blondfire for some time now; they recently released a new single called "Where the Kids Are" that has been getting a lot of attention. It has an airy sound, a little more like Metric than some of their previous songs. A full album is coming soon, too, and I'm quite glad because, while their music has great replayability, I have now heard their songs so many times over the years that it'll be nice to have some new things.

6) I got very behind on reading Vogue this fall, so I have been catching up on issues instead of reading other books (I'll have enough reading once the semester starts again--for now, I just need a break). I finally finished with October, now it's on to November; I hope to also finished the December issue before December is actually over.

7) The color green. Need I say more?

8) Gingerbread cookies. Every year, I make a couple batches of these, enough for the family and enough to share. Everyone always loves them, though I can take no credit for inventing the recipe: I Googled it years ago and chose one of the first things that came up. But it's a great recipe because it's sweet and rich enough, also being the right amount of soft instead of crunchy. Gingerbread cookies can be hard enough to find at all in stores; when you do find them, they usually tend to be the crunchy kind, which I don't find as nice. Yet most people don't seem to make them themselves, so I have the advantage of uniqueness there.

9) The stars. Ah, I adore being able to see more than a few from my parents' house versus in the Phoenix area. I hate not being able to look up at the sky at night and see stars; I hate it so much that whenever I'm here, I go to peer out the window in the kitchen every night before going to bed. I think I have to assure myself that the stars really are there, waiting to be seen by me.

10) I'm not one of those people who like school. Don't get me wrong, I like what I'm studying and I'm grateful, but school stresses me out. It's good to have my mind occupied, but I like a little quiet time, too. That, I feel, gives me more space to feel other, more positive emotions. I have time to stare out the window or to go outside and enjoy the tableau of the surrounding mountains. And I can think about the people who inhabit this land that I love. It's a lovely place we live in, and so is the word "we" because of the unity it stands for.

Miraculous, No?

I have lately taken to riding my bike to classes. Because I am a newcomer to biking and because it is very much still summer in this place where I dwell, I only ride halfway, taking the bus for the second half. It sounds rather too complicated, but it's beginning to suit me. I have the chance to get a little exercise in during my daily routine (and spend some time outdoors) and it doesn't take an extraordinary amount of time to get to campus.

But here is the thing about spending time outside in Phoenix: you sweat. No matter if you're just sitting outside and you're not even uncomfortable, if the temperature is over a hundred, you will sweat. It's inevitable. It just happens. So if you're riding your bike, even for just fifteen minutes (although I must add that my route does have a bit of slope to it, as well), you will sweat just a bit more. And the thing is, I like to wear makeup. In summer, I have to be conscious of what makeup I am wearing. For one thing, blush and bronzer are out of the question: your face gains enough color on its own. I worry about my eyeshadow not sticking, but thanks to the wondrous Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, no matter how much I am outside, my eyeshadow will stay on from dawn to dusk. Eyeliner is a little more iffy, I always feel. I usually carry my eyeliner with me in case I need a touch-up.

But I hardly ever do. It's almost like sweat acts as another primer, glueing the eyeliner in place. I get to campus and glance in a mirror cautiously, but the makeup is still on. I get home and do the same, and though my face be reddened from the afternoon sun, there sits the eyeliner not so different from how it was in the morning. Amazing, no?

(All of this rambling is simply my way of putting off writing my first paper for the semester. I have finished practically all my other work for the week, so I don't have too many more reasons to put off the paper. But it can at least wait until after lunch, right?)