Day 30

Water? In the desert? Of course!  We desert dwellers get totally psyched whenever clouds form. And, when it finally rains - in torrents, drizzles, or softly falling for a few minutes or hours at a time - we are out in it. Many of us, exploring for waterfalls, unexpected pools that may give birth to desert pupfish, rocks that weep, and creeks that may run for days - sometimes weeks if the rains are long and hard enough.  I love hiking in the washes after it settles down to see what changes have taken place. New boulder barricades. Cultural relics unearthed. Mysteries under the sand are revealed.

The next cool thing that happens is how things spring to life - immediately.  In fact, when the air is heavy with moisture, threatening to open the heavens and flood the washes with a deluge, you can almost see the cacti and succulents stand a bit taller - swelling upwards in anticipation of a much needed drink. It could have been months and months and months since their last sip. Within hours, buds appear and fresh color dots the landscape. Rich patinas on the rocks show sagey greens, deep rusts, chartreuse, golds as the rainwater paints their rugged surfaces.

The life out here has adapted to the unpredictability in amazing ways - unlike us humans...

And speaking of humans, there is much talk lately of an LA based company preparing to "mine" our desert groundwater tables for purposes that have nothing to do with the lives up here. The short side of this story is that this particular company will "mine groundwater faster than nature has time to refill it.......and sell it to urban areas........".

You can read the details by clicking this link: Cadiz, Inc plans to mine California desert's groundwater

Makes me wonder, if this is successful, what will we do for water seeing how WE live HERE. Even worse, what will happen to the fragile life that exists here now? Questions to ponder long before it's too late......

(Copyright Diana Shay Diehl. Rattlesnake Canyon/JTNP)

Comments

Unknown said…
There will come a day when water, not oil, will be what starts wars.
January 31, 2012
Diana said…
Thanks for reading Karine. Yes, I've certainly heard that before...
February 02, 2012
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seeking Shelter (aka Querencia 2)

Image
I am having trouble picking up my camera lately. The spark of creativity is buried underneath a pallor of human unkindnesses. Can't watch the news or read the internet or walk through the staffroom without feeling personally assaulted in some way. The world outside is coming alive with wonderful spring light and peeps of color. The air is warm and alive with happy chirps and the whir of wings as life gets busy making more life. But I stare at it from inside. Unable to move. Tears spill over without warning. There's a sharpness to my speech. Breathing is shallow as it burns in my chest. I feel like a thousand elephants sit on top of me. The only solace is my walking buddy, Toby, who insists on his daily walk - which we do. Most of the time. And I always feel, a little, better. I turn off the tv. I limit the internet to communicating with friends and family on "good things",  researching fun lessons, or playing a mindless game (or 2) of (dare I say it), CandyCrush. Bu
Read more

Promise yourself...

Image
What to you think about as you meander around the great outdoors? Do you meander in the great outdoors? If not, you absolutely should. Dr. Shay's orders. It's good for what ails you and reinforces all that doesn't.  I stumbled upon this poem somewhere on the 'net.  Something to turn over in your mind as you wander instead of the usual things that can strip us of peace and joy..... My favorite light at the end of the day - just before sunset..... 2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl / JTNP Promise Yourself... To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and pr
Read more

19 March 2012

Image
Here is another shot from this past weekend in my beloved park....more for the benefit of my distant readers (and maybe those of you close by who haven't taken the opportunity to explore this beautiful area...). Considered the cornerstone of Joshua Tree National Park, this particular photo is of the Oasis of Mara which is a short and pleasant nature walk down a paved path from the national park headquarters / visitor center. When my daughter worked as an interpretative ranger there before sailing off into the Navy, she had the most interesting stories of what was witnessed just outside the large picture windows from inside the visitor center. One story that stuck in my mind, both kind of funny and sort of 'gross' if you aren't used to the ways of nature, centered around some European tourists experiencing desert life in all its glory one hot summer day. Both visitors and rangers were watching in awe and amusement the antics of a roadrunner in the garden area just off
Read more