Respid at Organ Pipe Cactus National Park

I'm so lucky I get to spend three nights and almost 4 days at this beautiful park.

I've completely lost my voice but I'm also pleasantly surprised as every single person who has walked past my truck and or me has been extremely positive about all the messages painted there. This has never been my entire experience when camping but for some reason, everyone here these past three days have expresse at least support and often deep appreciation.

Most people are white but there are brown people here also, young and old. One couple is from Canada but everyone else is local or from a neighboring state.

I try to talk - in my lost, squeaky voice - about the things I saw at the border. Some didn't see the 'wall' until I pointed the ugly thing out. Others nodded furiously, knowing it was there.

Some people share the work they are doing - volunteering at a refugee shelter, sending money, signing petitions. We talk about other actions people can take, especially those that live so locally.

I'm going to try to do some desert searches with the local humanitarian and samaritan groups. So every day, I've tried to hike for at least 3 or 4 miles in the desert.

The first day was the hardest because, like a non-desert fool, I took off around 1pm, the hottest time getting hotter. But I make it. After that I either walk early at 6a.m. - it's light at 6.... - or after 6pm although it gets too dark until the moon comes up in all her full moon glory!

The internet service here is pitiful but tomorrow I will go to the visitor's center before I leaf and hope I'll be able to post pictures.

The desert is in glorious bloom - I tried to take lots of pictures of every flower I saw but you know that some are so small, plus I'm trying to increase my stamina incase I go on a walk through the desert looking for human beings in trouble.