Christmas mid-morning as Dick and Rhea Richards sat on their living room floor unwrapping gifts, they heard a loud thud that confirmed what they had been sadly anticipating as their front yard giant saguaro cactus collapsed.

Heavy rain and windstorms over the past few weeks had caused the saguaro to lean precariously until it fell Christmas morning, ending its majestic presence.

The 48-foot-tall, long-lived saguaro had stood at Sleepy Hollow Trail since the earliest days of Gold Canyon.

Workers who prepared it for removal estimated its weight at between three and four tons. Its height was unmatched in the residential community at the foot of the Superstitions and it was an impressive attraction to local residents and desert-hikers who admired its towering presence.

Rhea Richards confirmed she has received calls from folks lamenting the loss of the majestic saguaro giant that dominated its residential surroundings.

Editor’s note: Roberto Reveles is a resident of Gold Canyon.