I’ve written about the desert before and so instead of treading over old ground I’m going to bring in a guest writer to annotate my photos. We visited Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in November and these photos are from that visit. Quotes are provided by Edward Abbey, author of Desert Solitaire and other books.
“No, wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“Yes sir, yes madam, I entreat you, get out of those motorized wheelchairs, get off your foam rubber backsides, stand up straight like men! like women! like human beings! and walk – walk – WALK upon our sweet and blessed land!” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” ― Edward Abbey
“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” ― Edward Abbey, The Journey Home: Some Words in Defense of the American West
“The mornings therefore….are all the sweeter in the knowledge of what the afternoon is likely to bring.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“the love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need—if only we had the eyes to see.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“… we are learning finally that the forests and mountains and desert canyons are holier than our churches. Therefore let us behave accordingly.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” ― Edward Abbey
“We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to go there.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
“One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast….a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here”.
