It is possible that the roots of this minimalist style of speech extend all the way back to Arizona's original inhabitants. The Chiricahua Apache, who claim the Chiricahuan Mountains as their ancestral land, referred to Chiricahua National Monument in eastern Arizona-an awe-inspiring collection of precariously balanced stone monoliths, deep canyons, sky-high spires, and colossal columns-as the"Land of Standing-Up Rock." The Europeans who first came here added their special brand of flair by calling it "Wonderland of Rocks." These names hardly do justice to the diversity of topography, wildlife, and foliage in the area, but maybe that's as it should be. Even the most vivid and evocative words fall short of being able to describe this spiritual place of geologic wonder.