This article by Barb Owens was selected by judges as the winner of the 2016 Summer Fun Write Stuff Contest, Tall Story Category.
Rosa of the Desert
By Barb Owens
There once was a man named Nevin Flowers who lived in the Midwest. He loved all plant life and his hobby was talking about, drawing pictures of, and learning the names of all growing things in his environment. He was like the proverbial bull we all read about when we were children. You know, sitting in the field admiring all of nature’s offerings.
Nevin had two daughters. Lily was the oldest, named after the graceful white flower that grew in gardens and fields that Nevin frequented. Violet was the second daughter, named after the colorful flower of the same name. He had hopes that they would share his love of all plant life but they did not. Not only were they not interested in his hobby, they wished their names could be changed to Tiffany and Sherri(with an i).
Years passed and Nevin decided to move to Arizona. Unfortunately, he would not be able to pursue his hobby as he had done in the Midwest – he would no longer be able to sit among the prickley vegetation of the desert.
Imagine Nevin’s joy when he had a third daughter whom he named Chuparosa Flowers, after the desert bush he so admired – the one with heart-shaped leaves, red flowers, and commonly known as the Hummingbird Bush.
Scenic Drive Plant Exhibit Sign .
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree when it came to Chuparosa’s personality. She shared the same interests as her father. She loved to learn about and talk about things that grew in the desert. She even liked her name!
Over the years she and her father took trips into the desert to scout out vegetation they had read about. She yearned to share her passion with others. Then a wonderous thing happened to Chuparosa.
This is what it was.
It was 1963 and as she drove along Scottsdale Road, a road she traveled daily, she saw a group of men and women walking around the desert with gloves on, shovels in their hands and what looked like paper in their hands. They were pointing to areas in the desert and began to dig. Chuparosa stopped the car and walked over to them. The introduced themselves as FRIENDS OF THE DESERT (though they had indiviudual names). They said they were interested in preserving an beautifying a section of the desert. They planned to use native vegetation and, hopefully, construct a sign identifying the area as THE DESERT FOOTHILLS SCENIC DRIVE. Perhaps it could be enjoyed by all travelers on the road south of Carefree for a number of miles.
Barb Owens is a long-time resident of Cave Creek and a frequent contributor to The Peak. She is a past winner of the Summer Fun Write Stuff Contest.
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Write Stuff Contest Winners
Robert G. Rogers Wins 2016 Summer Fun Write Stuff Contest Grand Prize – Published November 2016 issue of The Peak
First “Snowbirds” in the Foothills by Kraig Nelson – Published November Update 2016 issue of The Peak
Rosa of the Desert by Barb Owens – Published December 2016 issue of The Peak
Vanishing Breed by Stephanie Bradley – Published December Update 2016 issue of The Peak
Contest Information
Annual Summer Fun Photo & Write Stuff Contests End Friday, Oct. 21st – Published October 2016 issue of The Peak
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