The Spell of the Desert

Lord God of Hosts! so shall Thy Kingdom come In glory of intelligence and might. With nature's forces subjugate to man, With earth and sea and air a chartered span, Lord! in beatitude be with us yet, Till empires and dominions and domains Reclaim their wastelands into Eden bloom. Till battlements and armaments shall cease And Brotherhood engird the Seven Seas! Thus shall a nation rear its Paradise And grace the earth for the Millennium.

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD ROADS AND DEVOTED TO THE STORY OF OUR LAND OF ROOM ENOUGH AND TIME ENOUGH. ALL COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO ARIZONA HIGHWAYS. PHOENIX, ARIZONA. SUBSCRIPTION RATE TWO DOLLARS PER YEAR. SINGLE COPY TWENTY-FIVE CENTS. ENTERED AS SECOND GLASS MATTER AT THE POST OFFICE, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, UNDER THE ACT OF MA MARCH 3, 1879, VOL. XX, DEC., 1944, No. 12, BERT CAMPBELL, EDITOR ARIZONA HIGHWAYS COPYRIGHTED NINETEEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, "Civilization Follows the Improved Highway."

For sheer beauty the desert of Arizona possesses a loveliness all its own. The fantastic forms of cacti and other beautiful plants form a picture of weird design, and at sunrise and sunset they reflect added mystery and charm.

To know the desert you must get into the eerie heart of it-allowing your thoughts to wander where they will and your eyes to sweep over the landscape about you, absorbing into yourself the quiet and peace and enchantment to be found there. Under the spell of the desert one may think deeply; there are no disturbing elements and one feels a closeness to nature rarely experienced elsewhere.

The continuous sunshine in the Arizona desert is far more enchanting than can be told in mere words each sunrise and sunset differs so completely from the last and each is so gloriously beautiful. The vivid colors, the way they blend, the way they change, the way they affect the mountains and the land are in themselves miraculous.

The deep colors of desert sunrises and sunsets remind one of colored autumn leaves nature's beauty in colder climes; a riot of color that is dazzling and indescribable. But unlike autumn leaves the colors of the desert sky affect the whole land the endless desert floor, mountains, and even the giant saguaro; the yucca and the rare and unusual Joshua trees. The mountains become purple, the sand glimmers yellow and orange, and the brush and trees take on garish color as they are silhouetted against the orange and red and yellow glow of the sky.

When the early morning sun rises higher and colors give way before the brightness of a new day, the sand becomes white and glistening, and the brush is of such a pale green that it is almost the color of the sand. Then the mountains loom brown and near and sharp in outline. But as the day wanes once more in the purple glow of sunset, they seem far away, misty and mysterious.

Always there is a great sense of peace on the deserta sense of enchantment and tingling expectancy, beauty and unlimited peace; a peace different from any other-huge and endless. All desires and troubles are momentarily forgotten hidden in the subconscious mind; pushed back by the spell of the desert.

THE Arizona desert in midwinter has an attraction that cannot be equalled. Warmed by a friendly sun, the desert invites contemplation and offers you rest and surcease from care. The desert air, clear and aromatic, is light and zestful and seems to lend you wings. The vivid colorings change from hour to hour, day to day, season to season. Always there is a bright sun blazing, forming intense color patterns.

In the spring and summer flowers of every conceivable type and color carpet the desert floor, and with plentiful spring rains, this beauty becomes a living, vibrant thing. Blossoms, vivid and fragrant, will suddenly lie revealed in the brilliant sunshine, and on the sturdy, thorn-covered cactus plants huge bouquets raise their loveliness towards the heavens. They are never ornate nor gaudy. Their beauty lies in their delicacy and exquisite detail and color combinations.

The Arizona desert, in reality, is a desert in name only. There is too much beauty there of plant life, mountains and foothills, birdlife and scenic grandeur.