Home Away from Home

February in Arizona, at least according to the locals, turned out to be a little cooler than normal. I already knew that camping in the desert could be chilly as the very dry air rapidly gives up the daytime warmth once the sun goes down. At the White Tank Park campground I’ve been one of the very few tents or pop-up campers and I can attest it gets pretty darn cold in these parts at night.

Most mornings it’s been in the high 30’s and if the wind is blowing it’s tempting to stay snuggled up in the sleeping bag until the sun gets a chance to start warming things up. Still, most mornings I’m up by seven and off to grab a shower. If the campground here has any weakness it’s that there’s only one shower but fortunately most of the folks in the big RV’s seem content to use their own showers most of the time. And not to make it seem that I’m glamping  or anything but the shower actually has hot (v e r y hot) water so by the time I head back to make breakfast I’m nice and toasty and ready for the day.

With my wife still working we haven’t yet invested in an RV so I brought our little Sylvan GO camper which is a glorified pop-up tent that has room to carry everything I need.

The other night we had a full moon and since White Tank is on the west side of town overlooking the Phoenix area we were treated to a spectacular treat as the glowing orb slowly rose over the eastern horizon. There were lots of photographers on hand to capture the view of the desert cacti silhouetted against the moonrise.

I never get tired of looking at the cactus. Just like fingerprints and snowflakes no two cacti (cactuses?) seem to be the same. Silent sentinels of the desert, they are sturdy enough to deal with the chilly nights and then handle the scorching days of summer.

The cactus pictured here are Saguaro cactus and they are very patient. It can take 10 years for a baby Saguaro to reach 1 inch in height and will start flowering at the ripe old age of 70. By the time they reach 95-100 years they are finally ready to produce their first ‘arms’. Some Indian tribes consider the Saguaro not so much a plant but a different type of humanity. Generally they grow to about 40-45 feet tall by age 200 though some can reach 60 to 70 feet with the tallest ever recorded topping out at 78’. As I hike and bike around these quiet behemoths I’ve come to feel a deep sense of respect for the tenuousness, as well as the tenacity, of life in the desert. Perhaps the Saguaro have a lesson to share...