Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM
A Portrait of New Mexico’s Stunning and Wild Landscapes
On capturing the essence of desert beauty, Edward Abbey articulates with such reverence for the land of the Southwest:
“The wind will not stop. Gusts of sand swirl before me, stinging my face. But there is still too much to see and marvel at, the world very much alive in the bright light and wind, exultant with the fever of spring, the delight of morning. Strolling on, it seems to me that the strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here, in the desert, by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna: life not crowded upon life as in other places but scattered abroad in spareness and simplicity, with a generous gift of space for each herb and bush and tree, each stem of grass, so that the living organism stands out bold and brave and vivid against the lifeless sand and barren rock. The extreme clarity of the desert light is equaled by the extreme individuation of desert life forms. Love flowers best in openness and freedom.” -Edward Abbey from his book Desert Solitaire
I open my eyes, breathe in the air and bountiful sweet aromas, feel my skin light-up with goose bumps as the wind flies by, admire the golden sparkle of the sun hitting the red, orange, and yellow rocks; moment-to-moment. I am awe-inspired:
Lake Abiquiu
Tent Rocks
Chimney Rock at Ghost Ranch
Hot Springs next to the Rio Grande
Plaza Blanca
Bisit/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
Atalaya Mountain
Hot Springs in the Jemez Mountains
Bandelier National Monument
White Sands National Monument
Aspen Vista Trail
Photographs by Mary Edson. All photos were taken in New Mexico.
