The Desert
By cyrus123
@cyrus123 (6363)
United States
July 14, 2009 2:37am CST
Youall might think this is strange, but I like the desert. I'm talking about the desert like the one in the American Southwest. Most people think of it as just going for miles and miles without seeing anything. I guess that's the way it is, in a way. Whenever I see the desert, I think of what it must have been like in the days of the old west, before cars and roads were invented. I wonder what it would have been like to ride a horse, a stagecoach, or a covered wagon across all of that. I've always thought that I might like to ride a horse out there. I imagine it would get very hot, though. One of my favorite states, other than Alabama, which is where I live, is Arizona. I have been out there and it doesn't get humid like it does here. I also like the big rocks and boulders that are out in the desert. You might also think this is strange, but I like cactus, too. I especially like the tall saguaro cactuses you see out in Arizona and I also like them if they have blooms on them. Sometimes a prickly pear cactus will have white, yellow, red, orange, purple, or pink blossoms on it. On the downside, I hear there are a lot of wild animals out there such as snakes, coyotes, lizards, etc. So what do you think? Do you like the desert? Or do you think it's just a vast nothingness? Kathy.
5 people like this
11 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
15 Jul 09
I see nothing wrong w/u liking the dessert. I think i would to but have never been in Arizona or around any dessert. I would the blooming cactus. I see them in stores but since i don't do well w/plants i don't buy them. I think the christmas cactus they have in stores are very pretty.
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
15 Jul 09
Cactus plants are pretty hard to kill, since they don't really need much care. About the only way you could kill them would be to OVER WATER THEM.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
16 Jul 09
thanks fin, but u just don't know me & plants. They wilt if i even look at them, lol.
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
16 Jul 09
I don't blame you. I'm not good with plants, either. I think a cactus is pretty easy to take care of, though. I had one one time and it lasted a long time. I just had to water it once a week. 
As far as the desert is concerned, I think there's great beauty in it if you know how to look. Kathy.
As far as the desert is concerned, I think there's great beauty in it if you know how to look. Kathy.2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
14 Jul 09
I love the desert.
Even living in Las Vegas you only have to go a few miles out of town to be in that vast openiness called teh desert. We dont have the huge cactus like Az.
Mostly the Josuha trees that is realy a cactus.
I have seen very little wild life when I travel thses roads.
Just once seen the Big Horned sheep in Az going towards Phoenix from Las Vegas.
ANd yup the paddle cactus do bloom like the other ones do mostly in the sprinf.
I do wan tto go to the Saguaro cactus park when they are in bloom hbut have to get there in the spring time to see all the beauty.
When tyraveling since I was a kid I would think about how the Indians had to fight to try to keep there land I would pick out the hiding places they would use .
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Jul 09
Hi Lakota12! From what I've seen of Las Vegas on television, it doesn't look like you have to go very far to be in the desert. I think there's great beauty in the desert if you know how to look. As I told some of the other mylotters, there was a time in my childhood when I thought I would like to live somewhere out west and have a biiiiiiig horse ranch! That's how much I like horses, lol
! It would be hard for me to leave Alabama, though. That's home. Yes, the cactuses are very pretty, aren't they? I think I've heard of the Joshua Tree. Kathy.
! It would be hard for me to leave Alabama, though. That's home. Yes, the cactuses are very pretty, aren't they? I think I've heard of the Joshua Tree. Kathy.1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
15 Jul 09
no one way I go out of town it toward Utah and its about 10 miles to get out of the city.
an other way to go into AZ. across the Hoover DAm its 30 miles a little desert in ther butthey are building so fast amd much they are taking alot of the desert up. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
THere is a big Josuha forest in Az thru parts of Calif. But still remeber these are cactus!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169449)
• United States
15 Jul 09
I have driven through the desert, in Arizona. It is interesting, and there is lots of space. I like it well enough, but I prefer someplace a little more wooded. Something with fields of corn eight feet tall. I love visiting all over, though.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
15 Jul 09
It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there...
Actually, I lived in Colorado and it's pretty barren there too. I do think it's got some great features. Last summer my husband and I drove from Las Vegas to Salt Lake through Nevada. We were on hundreds of miles of desert road and I took a zillion pictures! It was pretty cool, but I don't know that I want to do it all the time.
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
16 Jul 09
Hi reinydawn! Thank you for your response. I think there's great beauty in the desert if people know how to look. It sounds like you had a very nice trip. I bet your pictures were beautiful. My parents, two older sisters and I went to Las Vegas one time but I was too young to remember anything about it. I way only four years old and we were on our way to visit relatives in California. I've been to Colorado, too, and it's a beautiful state. There was a time when I was a child when I thought I wanted to live somewhere out west and have a biiiiiig horse ranch, lol! That's how much I love horses! Kathy.
It sounds like you had a very nice trip. I bet your pictures were beautiful. My parents, two older sisters and I went to Las Vegas one time but I was too young to remember anything about it. I way only four years old and we were on our way to visit relatives in California. I've been to Colorado, too, and it's a beautiful state. There was a time when I was a child when I thought I wanted to live somewhere out west and have a biiiiiig horse ranch, lol! That's how much I love horses! Kathy.2 people like this
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
15 Jul 09
Hi Kathy. Very interesting. I have not been to any desert lands yet. I have seen pictures of deserts, Arizona, Sahara, Saudi Arabia, and more places. They are definitely, geographically, very unique and amazing in their ways. Living in icefields, visiting deserts would be refreshing in some ways. I can sense you have a lot of experience travelling to different States.
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
15 Jul 09
This is a comment to Cyrus123 response. Out of all the states that you mentioned not to have been to, I can honestly say that I have been to all of them, and except for Alaska, my wife and I have been there together. We enjoy traveling, in case you haven't guessed.
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Jul 09
Yes, I have been to just about all of the states in the union except Ohio, Michigan, Alaska, New Hampshire, Vermont, and as far as I know, I never have been to Massachusetts. Maybe one of these days since you are always traveling, you will get to see the desert.I don't know if I would like the icefields or not. We went to Glacier National Park when we went to Canada. Have you ever been there, btw? None of us liked it too much.
It was way too cold for us.
Kathy.
I don't know if I would like the icefields or not. We went to Glacier National Park when we went to Canada. Have you ever been there, btw? None of us liked it too much. It was way too cold for us. Kathy.1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
14 Jul 09
I do not think that I could live permanently in a desert country or state. I know that it is teeming with life but I am so used to the lush green and plenty of water in the tropics. I do havew blooming cactus plants in my garden and we also have lizards - but no snakes on th Island. At least - a few grass snakes that are small - nothing big and poisonous. NO, it is green plants, colourful plants and lots of water for me.
2 people like this
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
15 Jul 09
Horses touch my soul. I would ride a bike a total of 16 miles to ride a horse for one hour as a child.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Jul 09
Your place sounds very beautiful! I have been to the Bahamas and I've been told that Jamaica is somewhat similar. I like lush greenery and water, too. 
I could go anywhere, myself. I remember there was a time when I was a child when I thought I would like to live somewhere out west and have a biiiiiiig horse ranch!
That's how much I like horses! Kathy.
I have been to the Bahamas and I've been told that Jamaica is somewhat similar. I like lush greenery and water, too. I could go anywhere, myself. I remember there was a time when I was a child when I thought I would like to live somewhere out west and have a biiiiiiig horse ranch! That's how much I like horses! Kathy.1 person likes this
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
15 Jul 09
I have been through the desert area of the Southwest and Oregon, and I think they are both beautiful. I kind of doubt that I would enjoy living in, or near, one. I kind of like tall trees, mountains, water and winter. I guess winter could be possible in some desert areas. It is far from nothingness to me.
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Jul 09
I'm glad you feel that it is far from nothingness. I also like trees, mountains, grass, and water, myself. I don't like winter, though. It gets too cold for me. I think snow is pretty to look at but I can't stand to be out in it too long. One reason why I don't like winter is because I can't get out and go horseback riding
. Horses can be very frisky when it's below 50 degrees
. thank you for your response. Kathy.
. Horses can be very frisky when it's below 50 degrees. thank you for your response. Kathy.1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
19 Jul 09
I love the desert - well, not the heat, but the geography. I read a thin book once that described the desert as seeing the "bones" of the land, not covered with plants and lots of soil. I thought that was great, I like seeing the bones of the land.
I once drove with my mother from Pasco Washington to just south of Salt Lake City, and while a bit of it was in the mountains and we skirted the Great Salt Lake, much of it was through the Great Plains. I remember commenting to her at the time that we did in about 15 minutes what it took the covered wagons to do all day, about 15 miles. After all, they had to break camp, harness up the animals, and travel and still make camp at the end of the day. AND they had to cook food! No fast food for those poor folks.
And BORING? Lordy, it was one rolling hill after another, with nothing to see at the top but the rolling hill behind them and the one before them - that must've been a TERRIBLE trip!
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
19 Jul 09
Hi ElicBxn! Thank you for your response. I'm not sure if I would like the heat but I like the bones of the desert, too, as well as the cactus plants, yucca plants, granite spires, tumbleweeds, etc. As I mentioned in my discussion, one of my favorite states besides Alabama, which is where I live, is Arizona. I've always heard that Arizona is a good place to go if you have allergies or arthritis. You would have to be out there for two or three months or longer to tell any difference, though. Yes, I imagine it was a hard trip for the pioneers and like you said, what took you and your mother fifteen minutes took them all day. It takes a lot longer to go by horseback, covered wagon, stagecoach, etc. than it does by car. Right, there was no such thing as fast food in those days, lol! I have a book called the "Cowgirls" and it tells how those women managed without menfolks, rode across the plains, had farms, rode in the rodeos, etc. The book says they took it all in stride pretty much compared to the women who weren't cowgirls. I mean, instead of complaining they worked pretty hard. Kathy.
! I have a book called the "Cowgirls" and it tells how those women managed without menfolks, rode across the plains, had farms, rode in the rodeos, etc. The book says they took it all in stride pretty much compared to the women who weren't cowgirls. I mean, instead of complaining they worked pretty hard. Kathy.1 person likes this
@nzalheart (2338)
• India
25 Jul 09
Hello Kathy, How are you? I hope you are doing fine....
I won't say that your desire is very strange. I would also like to see each and every type of areas in this earth. Not only desert, I would also like to be in the middle of the ocean and see water everywhere haha...But I wont like to stay there for long time, I just want to take same nice view and satisfy my heart over those places. There is no point in doing that in real life haha. But its always interesting to imagine myself in those things...
happy mylotting...
1 person likes this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
25 Jul 09
I am doing great! It's good to see you back. Yes, there is a lot to see in this great big world. Maybe someday you'll get to see the desert.
When you say you would like to be in the middle of the ocean and see water everywhere, I hope you mean on an island somewhere.
That would be interesting. I wouldn't want to be out there in the middle of a storm, though. I read some where that Nepal is near the Himalayas. Do you ever get to see the mountains much? I bet it's beautiful there. Mountains never cease to amaze me how big they are!
Kathy.
When you say you would like to be in the middle of the ocean and see water everywhere, I hope you mean on an island somewhere. That would be interesting. I wouldn't want to be out there in the middle of a storm, though. I read some where that Nepal is near the Himalayas. Do you ever get to see the mountains much? I bet it's beautiful there. Mountains never cease to amaze me how big they are! Kathy. @anniefannie (1737)
• United States
14 Jul 09
the catuses are very pretty but i don't think i want to have anything to do with the desert it is to hot and dry for me i wouldn't mind just driving across it
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
15 Jul 09
Hi anniefannie! I was told a long time ago that if you have allergies or arthritis, Arizona is a good place to go. It would be hard for me to leave Alabama, though. That's home. You would have to be out there for at least two or three months or longer to tell any difference. When I was a child, there was a time when I thought I would like to live somewhere out west and have a biiiiiiig horse ranch, lol! That's how much I like horses! Kathy.
! That's how much I like horses! Kathy.1 person likes this
@jheLaichie (4438)
• Philippines
26 Jul 09
nice post you got here my friend kathy. i havent been to all those places you have just mentioned my friend because our place is way too different from yours. but i love to explore and travel... see the wonders of the world and im an adventurer. thats why i also love the desert, mountains, forest, sea, anything that nature provides us. i even went on caving, boating, swimming, snorkeling, diving... i love seing the wonders of our environment.
jhelai
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
28 Jul 09
I'm glad you like this post. I hope someday you will get the chance to come to this country and see the desert. I think there's great beauty in the desert if you know how to look. I'm an adventurer, myself.
I would like to go caving, myself. I mean, I have been inside a cave but I never have been spelunkling, if you know what I mean. I think this would be very interesting.
I love to swim. I can't dive, though. I have tried to learn but I have a hard time going in head first. I don't know if it would be good for my sinuses, anyway. I went snorkeling down in the Bahamas one time. I really enjoyed that. That was in 1990 and I went on a cruise. Kathy.
