The Sun
The sights of Arizona have been awe-inspiring and overwhelming today. The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest offered views that were baked over millennia and made one feel as though a visit on this date would differ little or maybe not at all from one in 3026. The colors and other-worldly landscapes constantly amazed me, but what was indelibly imprinted in my memory was the intensity of the sun.
The sun never relented today, burning across the sky, unforgiving. There were no clouds or trees, and it pursued me whichever way I turned and whenever I tried to duck away. Every time I stepped from the car to explore, I considered the sun, and even while in the car, I leaned away from the window and contorted myself to gain some relief from the visor. My left hand was permanently positioned to shield my eyes, and when I forgot momentarily why I needed the protection, allowing my fatigued arm to drop, I snapped it back immediately into a weary salute position. Unbelievably, I found myself yearning for the cool gray of spring in Cleveland.
I'll have to hope the sun fades in my memory, thereby allowing other aspects of today's beautiful vistas to shine in their own way.
No comments:
Post a Comment