There are saguaros, and then there are SAGUAROS.
One morning this past January I got up very early, drove two hours from Phoenix to Tucson, and walked up a paved path named Tumamoc Hill. I came hoping to photograph sunrise over downtown Tucson, as we needed something of the sort for Arizona: A Photographic Journey.
I got the shot I was looking for and then some. And then not an hour ago, I found particular photo from that morning sitting on my hard drive, untouched, waiting to be discovered. Well, welcome to Hollywood, friendly saguaros.
And I was serious when I wrote the hook at the top. The saguaros up on Tumamoc were something else. Beasts of specimens, healthy, growing in incredible numbers, a truly dense population.
I caught these ones with the sun at their backs. I imagine them with the cactus version of earbuds popped in their invisible succulent ears, listening to John Denver sing “Sunshine on My Shoulders Makes Me Happy”.
Bob Ross never painted saguaros on PBS, but if he did, he might’ve painted some like this, catching a little sun. Can’t you hear him saying, gently, “Happy Little Cacti,” while cutting some sap green saguaro trunks with his painting knife? Apparently, I’m in dream land right now, ha. I hope you are too.
Much love,
-Jake
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