Day 16

Today's post is simple photo from today's 9+ mile hike through the boulders and canyon washes of Joshua Tree National Park.  There were tons of these red barrel cacti scattered about the granite and quartz faces of the rocks. Not in sand. Not in rich soil. Growing out of a rock. Solid rock. Is that survival or thriving.....? Such intricate beauty rises out of what our human eye sees as nothing. This little one could fit in the palm of my hand with room to spare. My walks in the wilder lands of this desert I call home show me many examples of living things inching out an existence among seemingly lifeless terrain. Oh, not so.... This hardy landscape is teeming with thriving flora and fauna, skilled at adapting to our ever changing drought conditions. You can learn a lot about the health of our environment and how the natural world cooperates so that 'everyone' gets what 'they' need. All you need to do is get down on your hands and knees, quiet your busy mind, and take a closer look....

In this case, the rock is supporting this tiny little plant...coexistence, personified.

(Copyright Diana Shay Diehl 2012)

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