About the Book The speaker of these poems is a keen observer of the flora and fauna, including humans, in this rugged country of arroyos and high sierras. Book Synopsis Step into the pages of this captivating book and accompany the poet as she embarks on walks through the vast expanse of the Great Chihuahuan Desert, accompanied by her loyal shepherd dog. In this collection of poems, the speaker emerges as a perceptive observer of the diverse flora and fauna that call this rugged landscape home. Amidst the ever-shifting cycles of flood and drought, the reader is invited to explore the tapestry of life within this arid terrain, where beauty and danger coexist. The poems illuminate the interconnectedness of all living beings, revealing how the deserts inhabitants navigate their existence amidst the harsh conditions of arroyos and towering sierras. Each poem paints a vivid portrait, capturing the essence of the creatures, plants, and people who dwell in this unforgiving yet awe-inspiring environment. Through vivid observations, scientific insights, and a deep reverence for the natural world, it celebrates the resilience and interconnectedness of all life forms in this captivating desert landscape. Review Quotes The poems in Ridge of High Pressure pulse with passion and perception of natures ways in the El Paso desert landscape. Robin Scofield and her dog, Winston, halt in the heat on a hike as the churlish coyote... steps toward us, curling her lip. We hear about red-winged blackbirds, how [t]hey stay in the cottonwoods, willows/ and Tornillo Oaks here by the Rio Grande./ They dont flee like the ducks and coyotes/ when the river goes dry in winter. Then, [o]n the road, we hear the music/ of the mockingbird and observe Sacred Datura by the path. How in the late summer drought you would think/it might shrivel up, / but its new blooms are/ about to explode/with white light. Scofields attention turns to the birds in her yard in Grackle Tragedy , as she watches them grieve as parents when their nestling dies. The poet reveals she has the summer blues. I hate this time of year: /walking before I get any bearings, /before the rascal sun screams over/the sierras. Yet early fall brings a season of jeweled dragonflies and even in this time when the dark comes earlier and stays/ later; Scofield plants in her poem, Garden of Hope , crops of garlic/and cilantro, red kale and rainbow chard. These poems with stay with you long as you journey with Robin Scofield into the desert life she seeds and savors. Susan Squellati Florence , author of Leftover Prayers What does it mean to be here in this world / of physical properties? asks Scofield. Throughout this book, the lives of humans, coyotes, hummingbirds, and acacia play out grounded in the elements of her uncompromising desert borderlands. Scofields musical language and scientific understanding draw us through seasons of life and death, drought and electric rains, where Beauty, the terror, is full perception. Her sure and synesthetic poems make this a sunshimmer gift, to be savored. Lisken Van Pelt Dus , author of What Were Made Of and Letters to My Dead