IMG_4565-200x300

“The earth has music for those who listen.”

― George Santayana”

Thanks to my New Year resolutions, my camera has a new home – sitting proudly on my desk waiting for the next hiking adventure. Over the past week I’ve hiked several times, but yesterday’s walk through the desert was memorable.

Typically the desert terrain is quiet for the occasional bird singing, horse hoofs pounding on the path, or the distant hikers talking. The silence of the desert is soothing and perfect to plot out the next chapter of my new book. My husband and I took the Moonlight trail, a great balance of flat land and hills. At the highest point, we rested on a park bench and took in the stunning panoramic view of saguaros and chollas against the backdrop of the SanTan mountains. Abruptly cutting through the silence came the sounds of howling, barking and hipping from the valley next to us. Coyotes. The sounds of their celebration continued for a short time, ending as abruptly as it began.

The incident made me acutely aware of sharing the desert and appreciating the music of the desert.