Another (former) desert rat here. I also remember rambling among the Saguaros and checking my hiking boots for scorpions in the morning as part of living on the

Another (former) desert rat here. I also remember rambling among the Saguaros and checking my hiking boots for scorpions in the morning as part of living on the outskirts of Phoenix in the 60s. I well remember Desert and Arizona Highways as magazines that I cadged from a neighbor when he was done with them. Kudos to your Mom, AH was a wonderful publication. I agree the unique barren beauty of the desert Southwest is quite a lot harder to find nowadays. Unfortunate.