This plant stands barren and ugly until rain brings out leaves and blossoms transforming it into a beautiful good witch. Rising above all this, Giant Saguaro cacti stand tall as if ready to march to a signal that never comes. Close to the ground smaller cacti and brush offer protection for the creatures of the desert. Washes meander here and there. Summer monsoons can fill them with dangerous speed, otherwise they wait in quiet thirst.
Lizards scatter or bask.
Small bands of javelinas survive this parched climate, so squat and ugly they seem to be creatures from science fiction. They feed on the prickly pear cacti oblivious to the long sharp spines. A scream in the night indicates that a coyote has decreased the over abundant rabbit population by one. Nature has no pity as it brings balance to the desert world. The trees are filled with birds so diverse that I won't begin to try to name them.