Beauty in Rugged Terrain – New Mexico

The above photo was from our California train trip last October through the majestic landscape of New Mexico.  I find this type of topography absolutely breathtaking; and yet, I can’t quite put my finger on why this is so.

It’s rugged, jagged appearance might not be one’s ‘cup of tea’, as it were.  Sometimes we think of smooth, repeated patterns as perhaps more in keeping with what we define as ‘nature’s beauty’.  And yet, there is something so incredibly outstanding in my mind when I see this desert landscape.  What is it? Why do I think this way?  I really don’t know, to be honest.  I think of the Pacific Ocean and its endless clear water and white-capped waves crashing on the shore.  That is such a gorgeous view; Maui, for example, with mountains looming in the distance on one side, while the ocean breezes blow gently on the other.

The New Mexico terrain is a far-cry from that aquatic scene, to be sure.  And yet, I find them both amazingly appealing on the same level.  What do you think? Why is the dry terrain so welcoming at the same time empty and raw.  I would really love to know what you think about this!