cactusflower desert longings

it all started when missa gifted me these gorgeous vintage desert magazines.

1972, 1973... it was a good time to love the desert.

long before "coachella" was synonymous with hip music fest.

these magazines are chock-full of hidden abandoned spanish mines, unique prehistoric fish that only show up in seasonal streams of death valley, badlands, chalcedony, jackpots, Old Woman Mountains,

arroyos, the grooming habits of the cactus mouse, the White Mountain Apache Tribal Fair...

all sorts of goodies that make my heart's little dusty desert feet pitter patter.

my favorite might be the article about the lives and customs on the Navajo reservation circa 1972.

My heart beats in tandem with the lovely sisters above;

I want to ride a horse, weave on a loom,

and sit on a twisty old tree in a brilliant blue dress with moccasins.

missa also gave me this little tiny book, because, she said, it reminded her of darin (!!)

and i couldn't agree more, the snazzy little bandit.

missa is the best at themed packages, graciously giving me a bundle that brought together all the sweet warm golds and yellows of the desert sun. she had included this impossibly soft and silky yellow cactus blossom scarf which i immediately tied round my head on the night of our gathering, as you can see here. and which gives me some mysterious feeling, like a warm desert breeze on an october night...

needless to say, all this has me obsessing all over again about our trip we took round the southwest in october.

 

you probably saw plenty of it, but here are a few more photos that capture the feeling of wild land and ancient spirits that roam the deserts.

although it may be harsh and spiny, desolate, wild and bleak...

it is self protecting and vast. it holds all, it lives and breathes and returns.

the desert hides magic in the dry bones of its heart.

in the graveyards and the ruins of the people who have come together here,

under shockingly blue skies,

land of little rain, dust and wood and feather and stone.

and there is also honey,

squash blossom and hummingbird.

a place where old and new live together on the border of a spiritland unknown.

next time i go, this is how i wish i could travel:

i leave you with an invitation to watch the video i made of our southwest road trip set to music.

but i must warn you, it's ten minutes long....so only if you've got awhile to dream with me in desert land.

desert flowers from heather beatty on Vimeo.