

View from the North Rim
Ribbons of color: terra cotta, sienna, amber, and a red I never knew existed in nature, stretch before us like the layers of a cake that has baked unevenly. “See the vein of pink granite?” my mother asks as she points toward the opposite wall of the Grand Canyon. ”The layer below it is 1.4 billion years older.” The setting sun reflects a dazzling light from the rainbow of rock. I squint, trying to follow her finger. My eyes are more accustomed to the greens of marsh grass and