As Green as Ireland

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From 1993-2016, winter was the only season that Uno and I saw the Arivaca area, because that was the only time when we both could fit a long road trip into our work schedules.  The blue skies and warm sun were such a wonderful contrast with the grey cold of Seattle, it didn’t matter one bit that the trees were mostly bare and the grasses brown.  In the early years of our visits though, the trails along Arivaca creek and through the Cienega were lush and green even in March, and we quickly fell in love with this little slice of paradise.   

 

Arivaca cienega in February 2017

As the years passed by, the Cienega and creek gradually grew drier during the winter months, but our appreciation for this place continued to grow strong.  When we first began living in our “winter getaway” home here in 2016, our new Arivaca friends began encouraging us to stick around for the summer monsoon season, when the heavy rains would turn all the hills and valleys “as green as Ireland”.   We listened with wonder, but to tell the truth, we assumed there was exaggeration involved.  I mean, how could the desert ever become that green all over?

 

 

 

Arivaca cienega in March 2019

From 2017-2019, we made the trip up to our home in Seattle to stay there from May-October, so we continued missing summer monsoon season.  Seeing its fall aftermath was nice, but by that time of the year, the grass-covered hills and valleys were well on their way to being brown and dormant again.  2020 was our first summer here, and its monsoon season wasn’t much to see.  Then even the winter and spring of 2021 were extra dry.  We wondered, would we ever have the chance to see “Ireland” ourselves?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arivaca- Sasabe Road scene, August 2021

This summer I spent 10 weeks in the Pacific Northwest, but Uno has gotten to witness the entire monsoon season.  He sent me plenty of photos and videos of our garden and the surrounding hills, which was really nice.   But on August 19th when I drove the last leg of my journey back to Arivaca, I saw that mere photos just can’t capture the intensity of this incredible “2nd summer” season: with plant growth absolutely surging out of the warm soil, the smell of rain-soaked rocks and washes filling the air, wildflowers springing open everywhere, and the fresh, fresh air filled with colorful dragonflies.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hills west of Arivaca with Baboquivari

I couldn’t bear to drive more than 35 mph down Arivaca Road though, because that gave the scores of beautiful butterflies the chance to get out of harm’s way, and also gave me a safer way to drink in the incredible view of the green, green, green carpet spread over all the hills and valleys as far as the eye can see.  As green as Ireland!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credits:

Mid-1990's Arivaca Creek scene in March: Emily Bishton

Arivaca cienega scene, February 2017: Emily Bishton 

Arivaca cienega scene March 2019: Emily Bishton

Arivaca-Sasabe Road scene, August 2021: Emily Bishton 

Hills west of Arivaca with Baboquiviri, August 2021: Emily Bishton



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