The monsoon season is already in full swing, and this is the very first year I can remember nourishing myself with so little saguaro fruit. I didn’t preserve any this season. The saguaros bloomed unusually early, and the monsoon rains arrived sooner than expected. The fruit was already sparse, and much of it never had the chance to fully ripen before the rains came. Nature has her own rhythms. Perhaps this is simply a year of rest. A quieter cycle for desert foraging.
But something else ripened this time – I created a little booklet – Saguaro Love – a photographic love letter to the magnificent saguaros of the Sonoran Desert. It weaves together my photographs, stories, reflections, and years of fascination with these remarkable beings that have become some of my greatest teachers. I feel like this is just a seed for my bigger book, including my art, more photographs and expanded reflections through writing.
So here is your chance to prepare for the abundance returning in the years to come!
You can download a digital version here: https://astraeir.gumroad.com/l/saguarolove
You can buy a soft cover photo book version here” https://www.etsy.com/…/saguaro-love-a-journey-with-the…
Alongside it, I have also created a complimentary ebook: The Saguaro Fruit Companion Guide: https://astraeir.gumroad.com/l/saguaro – a collection of recipes, ideas for enjoying one of the desert’s sweetest gifts, and additional photographs. The companion guide is available as a free download (or name your price if you’d like to support the project).
My hope is that these little seeds inspire greater respect, appreciation for the saguaros, deeper connection with the Sonoran Desert, and a renewed sense of wonder for the mysteries that surround us.
