It was a dusty, dusty day.
The weather forecast was for thunderstorms, but as we headed out for a jeep tour and Mary Ann’s photos, it was a clear day. She mapped out a path from the little newspaper she got from the park station. I hated the first section. It was a well-traveled path next to the red rock cliffs, and there were dozens of Pink Jeeps (jeep tour company) coming and going along the same route. The roadway was fine powder from all the traffic and we were soon coated in the stuff. And that means Mary Ann’s camera gear too.
I had brought my laptop to work in a short story, but after the first attempt, I left it zipped up in its protective cover. With nothing to work on, and worries about what the dust was doing to the lenses, I wasn’t enjoying myself.
However, the flowers were definiately in bloom. On previous trips to Sedona, it had been just another desert place, one with nice rock formations and a flakey tourist industry. I still think the New Age’ish tourism of the place is a little sad, but with the wet weather, the place was covered with flowers.
By the time we took a few less-traveled jeep trails, where we were only likely to see one or two Pink Jeeps, and seeing the fields of purple flowers and fields of lush green grass, I was beginning to enjoy the place a little more. But next time, we’ll need to pack the gear in dust-proof bags.