But the next time you find yourself out and about, don't forget to reward yourself by looking for the little things that the Sedona landscape has to offer. After you are finished looking up (I can hear the camera shutters clicking now) don't forget to look down!  If you don't, you will miss out on the beauty of Sedona that lies beneath.
 
At this time of year as summer fades in to autumn, the weather in Sedona is nothing short of spectacular. The bright sun warms the rocks and browns your back as you wander through the day. The gentle breezes cool your shoulder as they set the tempo for the desert's dance.

Clouds billow across the azure sky, streaking the land below with nonsensical patterns while battalions of shadow ships sail across the sea of your vision.

If you walk a Sedona trail at dusk, you might find that the moon lights your way, transforming your steps in to a surreal otherworldly experience.

Under the cover of early evening the desert metamorphizes in to a wholly new panorama of experience. Shapes and sounds are born in the heart of the darkness which do not live under the glare of the day time sun.

The monsoon season has just passed and in its wake the desertscape is now festooned with new life.

Johnson Grass, Kochia and Beargrass conspire to stage an impromptu ballet in time with the symphonic winds. You may find yourself mesmerized by this promenade of waving and bending reeds as, unknown to your linear sensibilities, time passes without a care.

The leaves on the Cottonwoods and Chokecherry trees wink to you of a shared knowledge, and the stately Cypress bows in polite greeting as you pass. Bark speaks to you in whorls of cryptic cipher. If you spend a few solitary moments contemplating the encoded messages, you may find secrets revealed in their convoluted spirals.
 
Pungent, yet aromatic Sagebrush, Creosote and Mesquite thoughtfully perfume the air with a distinctive tinge, drawing you forward along your path with their invisible yet intoxicating myriad of scents.

You will also find God's paint brush drawn across the otherwise barren hills, this season favoring a yellow pallet featuring Camphorweed and Broom Snakeweed.

In the washes you can see the warning white of the bell shaped Jimson Weed (Datura) flower, as dangerous to ingest as it is beautiful to behold. 

Cactus spines warn you away from their succulent interiors, directing your gaze away from their watery cache and towards diverting visions of desert life.
 
The majority of Sedona wildlife is only available for those possessing a sharp eye.  A whole animal world lies unseen, hidden among the bushes.  Diminutive bunnies and the larger elder jack rabbits sporting black tipped ears bound heedlessly across your route, as scatter brained quails weave drunkenly in your wake warbling their discordant theme.

Usually first perceived by smell, followed by sight, you may run across the path of a prickly javelina. Dusty coyotes wait upon the advent of dusk to venture out and seek the night's prey.

A procession of industrious, communally minded ants, carry out their queen's directive just there below the soles of your shoes.

The gentle tarantula patiently waits at the mouth of her webbed den for you to pass by. She is far more afraid of your titanic stature than you could ever be of her bizarre countenance.
 
And so you see, a wealth of rare gifts await those who take the time to turn their gaze from the bigger picture presented here. The towering and majestic rock formations are only a part of nature's overwhelming abundance in this desert scene. Therefore, be sure not to miss out on the minutia of Sedona.  The smaller world reclining just below eye level is as endless rewarding as the red rocks that hover under the big sky above.

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