Tucson's rivers (usually dry beds except during the monsoon or after mountain snow melts) were surrounded by stands of massive cottonwoods when this picture was taken in the early '70s. I often took my dogs (Windigo and Tara) for walks along the Rillito. Too large a population and too much pumping from the water table killed off these giants. I always thought this one should have it's own dryad. She never spoke to me, though. Perhaps because I'm one of the people who moved here and stole her water. I've planted quite a few trees since. So far, none of them have spoken to me either.