I’ve become a  shade seeker in the past month, contorting my body in the shape required to escape the direct rays of the sun.  There aren’t too many trees out here, so shade is hard to come by, but the shadow of a shrub or Saguaro will do in a pinch.  Never would I have thought that I could experience an excess of summer… specifically the relentless 100+ degree heat produced by that desert sun.  Despite the aforementioned, (and somewhat overstated) heat, I have relished the opportunity to begin learning a new suite of plants, and catch glimpses of elusive desert critters.  A recent encounter with a desert tortoise made me feel very blessed and grateful to be exactly where I am at this moment in my life.