deserts

[Image description: a sculpture made of a black VW bug with mandibles, held ~15 feet in the air by long spider legs. A palm tree and various cactai are planted around the spider bug, and on the building in the background is a sign “Hole in the Wall”]

[Image description: a tall, many branched ocotillo in a sandy area. The branches spread from the base of the plant and have spines and small leaves along their length. At the tips of the branches are bright red flowers.]

Just awful to think of all those Joshua trees burning. Like so many desert plants, they are incredibly slow growing and need just the right conditions to spread. With climate change, I doubt many of these areas will ever return to the same ecosystems.

I sadly never got to see the original shoe tree, but the tradition has been carried on, and I wrote a note on an old pair of Vans and tossed my contribution up. Though beware, after tossing I looked down at the pile of old shoes and saw a snake starting to move under one layer directly beneath my feet!...

[Image description: a sunset with deep orange clouds and a light blue sky, in the foreground is a leaning joshua tree next to a dirt road, in the background are scattered houses in front of a low hill.]

[Image description: an oval hole through a reddish tan sandstone hill, large enough for several people to sit within. Through the hole, greenery and buildings of Phoenix are visible, as well as a distant mountain range.]

Seen where PCT crosses the San Felipe Valley...

[Image description: an old square timber structure in a desert valley. The structure has an angled interior, and four slots with metal doors on levers, to dispense ore back when it was in use. The wood is dark with moisture from overnight rains.]

[Image description: a desert landscape, with shrubs and numerous cholla cactai, which are bulbous and fuzzy with tiny barbed spines. The sky is filled with fuffy cumulous clouds, and scattered rain bursts are visible in the distance.]

[Image description: a rusted truck, stood upright half buried in the ground, graffitied with black and white portraits and a colorful cartoon owl. Other similarly positioned and painted cars are seen in the background.]

[Image description: a twisted tree in a canyon with cliff walls. The dense feathery branches of the tree are tan near the main trunks and grade to a green-grey at the edges. The tree is backlit, making it almost appear to glow.]

I always try to find a shady parking space whenever I need to park for awhile. I have a steering wheel cover, which is a lifesaver. Sometimes I think about getting one of those boards you put on the windshield, or even a full reflective car cover, but I’m not sure if that would be worth it....

[Image description: a small stream channel leading into the Salton Sea. The shore edge is just salty grey soil with no plant life, and mountains are visible on the other side of the sea.]

The fault brings spring water to the surface, which supports this little oasis....