A crushing silence can fall over the desert. It can be terrifying and suffocating, and yet also tremendously calming and beautiful. The wind whistles in the tall grass and through clumps of sage, insects click from unseen hiding spots, and birds squawk in the distance. Listen long enough, though, and even those faint sounds fade away. It can feel like the earth is grinding to a halt on its axis, like every atom in the universe suddenly pauses, as if nothing else even exists. For one brief second, a viewer can feel completely alone in their thoughts, their skin and their spiritual being.
