Yin And Yang

Up in Washington, our trees grow all the way to the ground. The iconic Douglas fir is a perfect example. Though its uppermost boughs stretch to the heavens, the trunk is adorned in heavy, lush, and fragrant branches all the way down to the forest floor. The full effect is a pleasing mass of evergreen beauty, solid and stalwart against the gentle elements of the Pacific Northwest. 

And that's why I am surprised and delighted all over again every time I wander down to the high Southwest deserts of Arizona. Here, the uniquitous palms, though also towering, are decorated only with a touch of delicate greenery at the tippy top of their supple, swaying trunks. Those fragile fronds are perfectly suited to catch the blazing desert sun and set themselves aglow in their own unique show of finery. 

And this mysterious yin and yang between these two wildly different corners of our dear planet Earth is exactly why I love to visit Tucson.