If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 36 years in the southwest, it’s how different the weather can be from one year to the next; and how quickly we forget, only focusing on the present state of things. Often, we have to be patient, for seasons to change, and for rain to come.

Wildflower seeds can remain dormant in the soil for years, enduring hot, dry conditions; but if we have a wet autumn, the seeds awaken, sprout, and blanket the desert floor with glorious color. Where fire has burned, where soil has been disrupted, they thrive almost miraculously.

In the spring of 2023, all the conditions had lined up for a tremendous blooming season.

All up and down the Bush highways near the Salt River there were fields of orange, purple and pink. People parked their cars and waded through the grasses to take family photos, twirl in the colors, and watch the wild horses eat their fill of colorful blooms.

If this happened every year, perhaps we would take it for granted. It’s a special occasion, worth the wait.

A long day’s drive from Phoenix, near the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, is a very special place.

Open fields, rugged mountains, crashing streams, and (in the early summer) wildflowers.

Legend has it that an albino moose roams this area; at least that’s what we tell gullible friends upon their arrival to this special cabin in the woods.

For several summers now I’ve had the privilege to retreat here with a circle of friends. We hike, river raft, stay up late, and play cards. And yes, we always have our eye out for that elusive albino moose. One evening last summer, as the sun was setting and the girls were cooking dinner, I wandered across the street into the grassy field. As I ran my fingers along the waist-high green grasses, I spied a grouping of white lupine. The purple variety is delightful, but the white variety is quite special. And they were glowing.

I hollered back towards the cabin, “Hey girls, the white moose!” They didn’t hear me. And that’s OK. I had a moment alone in the grassy field, with the light just so, and gratitude in my heart.

X Diamond Ranch Wyoming By Dyana Hesson