SPRING ON THE HORIZON

It was spring in Arizona. A can-yon wren, from an unseen perch an-nounced the fact in a tumbling cascade of liquid sound; long, flame-tipped branches of Ocotillos wore sheaths of tiny, apple-green leaves over their horny skin; Saguaros showed a nimbus of new growth; and every other plant, with, or without leaves, was flushed with varying tints of the season's urg-ing.

Far off on one horizon was a mountain range in profile-drawn simply as an uninhibited child might have done it-dark, jagged, two-dimensional, with more peaks sticking up behind, repeating each notched saddle and point, like a carbon copy slipped up from the original. On the opposite rim of our wide panorama, more ranges duplicated the first with subtle variations.

From the low pass to which an early morning drive had brought us in Southern Arizona, a great alluvial slope spread for miles, laid out with a soft, yellow ground car-pet. Individually the flowers were ridiculously small. Massed, they gleamed golden in the morning sun. Splashed here and there was the red of Beavertail Cactus and any little breeze set the crimson spangles of the Ocotillo wav-ing, as if to make sure they would be noticed.

Yet this green-and-pastel-color world was well within the limits of Webster's "Deserted or forsaken region . . . a barren tract almost destitute of moisture and vegetation . . . not only relatively uninhabited but commonly unin-habitable through barrenness."

True, within the range of our immediate vision, there were no signs, save the road, of man, but I had only to press the right button of memory to bring before the mind's eye an adjacent valley, or others farther away, where irrigated fields of emerald spread, or dense groves of date palms whispered to citrus trees between their regular rows. We could whisk off in a matter of a few UPPER-"SPRINGTIME IN THE AJO MOUNTAINS" 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.22 at 1/5th sec.; 5" Schneider Xenar lens; April; sunny day. This photograph was taken in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona. Seen in the foreground is the Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia englemanii) in bloom. The National Monument encompasses some of Arizona's most beautiful and impressive desert areas.

LOWER-"DESERT TORCHES" 4x5 Linhof camera; Ekta-chrome; f.28 at 1/25th sec.; 5" Schneider Xenar lens; April; sunny day. Photograph taken along the Apache Trail in central Arizona, with massive Superstition Mountains in background. Ocotillos (Fuqueria splendens) are blooming in the foreground. The other cactus plants shown are the chollas.

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UPPER-"SPRING DESIGN IN MARBLE CANYON" 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.24 at 1/10th sec.; 5" Schneider Xenar lens; May; sunny day with clouds. The Echo Cliffs, outer walls set back from the cleft of the inner Gorge of the Colorado River in Northern Arizona, spread their colored wings above the desert floor, backdrop for the pattern spring shapes of coapwood blossoms, the lovely little yuccas with their lily stalks. The Sopa-weed is the Indian name for this narrow-leafed yucca because the root makes an excellent shampoo soap when pounded and used in cold water.

LOWER-"SPRING ARRAY-SOUTHERN ARIZONA" 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.22 at 1/10th sec.; 5" Schneider Xenar lens; April; sunny day. This photograph shows a variety of spring flowers including yuccas in the background, a red hedgehog cactus, purple Lupine, yellow Sego Lily and a tiny yellow ground cover.

For miles to equally large expanses of low, cool ranch-style houses, their gray pebble roofs like silver settings for a nearby sky-blue jewel of swimming pool, set among Saguaros.

For Spring in the Desert laughs at definitions (even Webster's) and lays out horizons that defy painter, photographer or writer, while inviting, as perhaps no other kinds of landscape can.

Words have a way of getting outside of their established meaning and taking on new ones. Don't we need a fresh label for this empire of surprises, and a special evocative term to point up the uniqueness of that masterpiece of form and color-The Desert in Spring? I wonder if we could not find it in either Spanish or Indian tongues, where poetry is often effectively harnessed with the practical. If, for example, "Desierto Pintado" (The Painted Desert) were not already pinned to the many-tinted area of the Petrified Forest National Park, it might almost serve.

In the meantime, while we grope for the perfect name, we visitors must go on trying to describe what we see and what takes us back, time and again, to experience the annual renewal of life and flowers in the Desert. I say visitors, because it seems that those who live there continuously are apt to accept as commonplace those very features and sights which open fresh horizons of the mind to one whose days are spent outside its magic land.

No two people, naturally, ever see these vast landscapes or their details in quite the same way. I have a whole album of personal views tucked away in a corner of my memory that I can take out and look at, no matter what the season or place. You, no doubt, have a completely different set.

One of mine is at the foot of the Dragoon Mountains, down in Cochise County. Numerous Yuccas and Prickly Pears arrange themselves on a rolling plain that may, this very Spring, be paved with gold. We have seen the Poppies when, in their hurry to bloom, couldn't wait for the customary cut-leaf and slender stalk to grow, set buds just above the ground in a carpet that reached toward the purplish peaks of the mountains, long before Cactus or Yucca had organized themselves for flowering.

Can't you almost hear their neighbors saying: "These youngsters: No sense of the fitness of things. Imagine blooming without any proper plants at all. Now when we were young . . . ?"

All over the Desert, where countless unnoticed little dry washes stand ready for summer-rain run-offs, Spring flows in casual rivers of color-Lupines or Poppies seem to favor them particularly-with an occasional shift of emphasis when white-petaled Evening Primroses nudge their yellow neighbors.

Nowhere does the season change the landscape so much or offer more splendid horizons than on the arboreal desert of the Organ Pipe National Monument. In this border-land-mountains like the Ajos, the Sierra de Sonoyta, the Growlers, disregarding political boundaries, poke up above rollings hills and great swooping valleys that are peopled by Saguaros, Organ Pipes and an astounding array of flowering plants. Floral visitors from Mexico and other regions are here in almost lush green "pastures." Sunrises and sunsets or the late afternoon hours bring out all of the region's richness of tone.

Another area, replete with the season's vivid fresh-now is at the Superstition Mountains along the Apache Trail. The mountains themselves, wrapped in legends of gold mines guarded by ghosts of prospectors of Spanish, Dutch and assorted nationalities, have a special attraction. At their feet and along the scenic routes that delves into canyons and follows borders of lakes of the Salt River, are manifested ranks of Ocatillos, whim bannered Yuccas, all the annuals you might name, as well as the full roster of barrel, cholla, prickly pear and hedgehog cacti. And how bright the Mariposa lily is here!

I never forget a spring “painting” at Fortification Mountain, derro Kingman Wash, before the shores of Lake Mead. are reached. The walls of the mountain, through most of the year, a diluted gray-black, now show a glimmer of green above piles of colored foothills-like tailings from an iron mine, mellowed to old rose. The foreground is covered with the yellow of Bristleboth and Dandelions and Tidy-tips. On the roadside, coming down, armful of the bold Panamint Daisy are opening and best and there, rosettes of the young plants, catch the eye with their entrancing blue-green.

Somewhat similar scenes can be found in many pages of Arizona. The “paint pots” will be other shades and the blossoms may be of different varieties, The intervening green of Creosote bush cas have changed to Mesquite, but each scene is bushed with the same, almost palpable, clear air and there is a feeling of spaciousness and peace, of abounding life on the Spring horizon.

Down along the Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon, we once came upon a fine stand of Beavertail, Cactus, massed with blooms and peeking over the dizzy edge to look down at the Colorado River below. Reddish rocks, against which some of the spiny branches leaned, took on a complementary tone, part way between the purplish pads and the rose of the flowers and the very stream a mauve pinkish line-along with steeply sloping banks that draped toward the shoreline. This was the high moment for the Beavertail and the rest of the landscape was making Every effort to blend whh is beraty.

For as different deui't lends as can be knagined, Mon-ument Valley, set, almost si pails high on the Colorade P tean, specudines in the grand visse, the zimest overwh ing arranganoar of rock fours, as a baskdrop for Spring.

Nowhere cim in the world will you find Boo-foor wone coltemas, and when the Cliffrent adds a wreath f frpport white foware, or precher of purpis sagt, pea-mickes of low-growing Yeora or masies champs of motaxi eseus bloom, here is fierad drama indood. The generous green leaves of the Wild Rinbar's decorses for red seam set with multiple flower-cerer so deeply tasted as here, is though they took added coloring from the sends in watch they flourish.

These pictures are, allover views-beond sploher of sommetry Eke king-aised murala, with an impact on vision that is the special facts of The Desert Treveling the rinds that that open Actions Viet a great plotsos-book, the visitor may find here, bu e tanasure the Den opaувеней на other state offeri, mesmeribio landscapes that, dscopes Conic, is their very maiquenen nås him our of hitwolf, refreshing the soul and delighting an of his smes. Nounces of Agie zad sdsdow, the innanbky of roses which pasing clouds spray soon a world of momentin Sorun and angmai plause tha, pact opon the very nerves, smoothing away theheal wi khan, toning the pasion of war two-chave wisemion to the mechanics of και meshed, advilized living.

But this is not all the desert has to offer. Some of us mat Menys prah beyond to further bertigas and sak Why? So well as What and Whol Like Car's Gael, The Desert can be divided ico Hvar parts. So says the geographe. Portions of theus of fewn the wichin Aetsane's borders in rise stuchent part of the state Cand sounding inco Baja California and Nordura Serora), is the Boonman Deant. The Mojar Calendo Desere includes Nushwestern Azione Ariosis (as we as pastions of Southern Catformés and Southern Nevada), whale Northeastern Arizona (and some of Nevada un Utah), ie in the Grest Resin Desert. Each of then disisipua, which is based on a cυστρίας peteen of sicration and clinic factors, bounts plans whick. Elke it particularly well. The Sagauros and t Oogno Pipas, profer the Sonorari arany the Joskus. T the Mojave-Colorado, sad the swan Sigebrush fevus highise karls fa the Great Bi Often, we went to se zove of seeing the Arlanาย wow Hower, work in a fussy crown of waxy-cram bloskopp stop great was of the Bigoros-you. hava its рамиковце богов addren in Soutηκη Adora. Spring moonlight will be the time to wines the strange parebership of Yoopa metir and bloote on the Joshua Tree in the state's ashwest, and what a peuple hose covere the low growth in thr nochest section, you may feel sure that it is the original "Purple Sage" and ane another of tim morous plus cureless suge pomingos for diet. Power. If Arizons's Derext, hughs up is shores et definitions, frelying tarrain where sons yooo different kinch of floce Hee, it makes a farther jest of being called "commonly nalutmblebit." People he lived here for hundredperhepe shouvinds of yours harvesting crops from iss akendence. The Desert is cantined with food and drink...... bat zo open the waphoned you hast Бе On one of our very rare visits to The Desert, we had a long look frown & mobactin aynie where, we were told, You can sor theon worin shuned. Since shen, I have maltand that you can, te well

glimpse horizons a thousand years back. For all of this floral beauty, which springs full-blown into lavish flowering at the dicettes of seasonal and limited rainfall, devel oped slowly. Some botanists say that the Cactus Fasily, for example, with all its strangeness of shape and texture, is one of the oldest clans of the plant world. It has adapted hself with many senall ruiracles to its environment. Many of these mutadons can be traced through relatives still growing in moister clluvates.

Every once in a while, some archeologist stambless up on a trace of early Mau's occupation of the land. Perhaps someday we will have uncovered the whole story. Because the Southwest has been largely emptied of the countless tribes who lived here long ago, it is not geserally realized how many they were-how populous The Desert was in past centuries.

In salute to these “lost telbes,” I like to call it “Indiani Spring,” when the washes flood with color, Owl's Clover and Indian Paintbrush-the Desertlily and the Son Ver bena make their appearance, Long before Columbus ever set sail, Arizona was the home of Man. We find skillfully shaped implements of stone, arrowheads, hammer, spear-point, awls, needles and knives of his making. Painted or pecked foto the desert varnish of rocks, are symbols of their thinking, outfines of aniruals they hunted, tracings of human hands and feer, In cliffs are ruins of their houses and in valleys, a few remnants of irrigation ditches, Because they had not yet found written language necessary, these tantalizing scraps of evidence are all the archeologist has for guides. A long-buried fire pit may yield corn cobs, with bones from an extinct species of game that the hunter roasted, some chips of pottery, a Haked tool.

From the Papagos and Pimas, the Havasupais and Pixotes, Apachos and Navajos still living there, we gather a few more hints of ancient usage, handed down by word of mouth. Across the border, where the Indian popula tion has survived in greater numbers, we get more..

With the coming of the Spanish explorers, soldier, priest and scribe, the picture takes on more definite outlines. Southern Arizona then, may well have looked as parts of Sonora still does today. Padres laboring slowly northward with horse and native guide, driving a few head of cattle for food, and carrying in addition to his precious sacred vessels for celebrating mass-some seeds from Spain to be placed in the New World, record seeing many people. Indian children materialized from every bush to stare in wonder at those first white-skinned visitants from another sphere, as they still do in Sonora as tourists go by.

In journals kept by by these tireless missionaries, we hear of varied uses for desert plants. The priests themselve extracted aromatic gum from stems of the Britlebush or Incense Bush, when their supply of incense had run out.

Spring, that brought flowers in the Organ Pipe and Saguaro, promised fruit-the delicious pitahaya, that is still considered a delicacy. If the birds don't get there. first, the red-lined Saguaro fruit, knocked from its high perch by a long stick, may be eaten fresh, or made into preserves. In Mexican Markets you can see the roasted “tuna” of the Prickly Pear, offered piping hot from tiny stoves. There was, as well, the sugar-rich and juicy fro of the Strawberry Hedgehog and everywhere-the Elderberry.

Fruit Staple foods in those days were a host of seeds and nats that could be ground into flour or meal or roasted whole; catclaw seeds, the acorn from desert and mesa oak trees, Palo Verde, Buffalogourd, Mesquite Beans, Jojoba mats, Chia (Sage), and the Ironwood Tree seeds that taste like peanuts.

Today a Navajo mother will pick the young bud of a Yucca and hand it to her small child, to be eaten like candy.

When the Desertlily, encouraged by generous winter rains, pushes up a flower stalk, it gives away the secret of where to dig in rocky soil-perhaps 18 inches down, to the bulb which has a delicate onion flavor, after cook ing.

From the medicine chest of The Desert, the Indians took a whole pharmacopoeia-from the Creosote Bush, which also yields gum used in pottery-making and for fixing arrow-points, the strange Cancer Root for treating ulcers, Mormon Tea used in treating stomach disorders, not to mention the Prickly Poppy seeds, said to yield a narcotic more potent than the opium of the Oriental Poppy.

From the agave comes a juice-farmented into the Merican national drink-called, in its various stages of preparation: mescal, pulque and requila.

And, of course, fibres for cosse cloth, for sandals and mats, foe baskets-were all derived from the inex-baustible supply house of plums around every house and village.

One of Arizona's loveliest spring-flowering shrubs is the Cliffrose. The golden-centered, white hite flower, look-ing Alke Ake a rose but smelling of orange blossoms, almost completely covers the shaggy, untidy plant. Along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where deer find it a sxisfying browse, it frames vistus, a fingraut corsage pinned to the shoulder of cliffs overhanging the inmicas unably profound gorge. The Hopi Indisos, on their mea in Northern Arizona, valee it for making an emerke and in the days of the bow and arrow-the plant provided not only wood for shafts of arrows but a bealing wash for the wounds they made.

In Monument Valley the Cliffrose is a whole Spring horizon in itself, the very acme of floral decoration, Here it has a special title and use. Ask a Navajo for the name of this shrub and he will tell you that it is Baby Beush and tear off a bit of the shaggy bark, cramble it in his fingers and invite you to rub it on your cheek. It has the softness of flannel and inakes the most comfortable of "nests" for a papoose in the cradleboard. Long before cloth could be bought in tradlog posts, and no doubt still, when the sap-ply rues short-it is probably the first of disposable diapers!

There is hardly a plant, or even a flower, that locked a use or special place in the life of the early peoples of the Southwestern Deserts.

When next you head your car into the Arizona Desert-searching for new horizons on an incomparable Spring landscape, perhaps the blooms you see will repeople the land for you.

We, who find a resort quality in its clear, healt-giving air and delight in the color, the sparkle of its prodigal blooming, are merely the latest in a long procession of human beings who found it not only a good place to Eve, but a beautiful one as well.