Succulents and More™

I just got back from another awesome after-Christmas desert road trip with a couple of thousand photos—memories that will sustain me until next Christmas when I'll do it all over again. OK, in the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that a few plants and rocks came home with me, too. And another metal mariachi musician, a younger brother to the two that have taken up residence in our front yard. I'll have many posts in the weeks and months to come. For now, here's a random jumble of snapshots that capture the highlights of my trip. Consider it an appetizer. Highway 247, western San Bernardino County, California; my trusty steed on the right

Regardless of whether this is the last year of the old decade or the first year of the new one, here's wishing all of you a Happy New Year! There's no better way to kick off the new year than with a photo that celebrates the beauty of nature. I took this panorama just this afternoon (January 1, 2020) at Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua trees ( Yucca brevifolia ) in the snow 2020 has quite a ring to it. May it deliver on the promise it holds!

Day 2 of our trip was spent exploring Joshua Tree National Park . Like all desert parks in the West, it is enormous—more than 1200 square miles, an area about the size of Rhode Island—although only a small part is accessible by vehicle. While the northern section of the park, with elevations up to 5000 feet, is located in the Mojave Desert, the southern section, below 3000 feet, is located in the Colorado Desert. The vegetation changes dramatically as you drive south. While the northern part is dominated by Joshua trees ( Yucca brevifolia ) and Mojave yuccas ( Yucca schidigera ), the vegetation in the southern part is characterized by jumping cholla ( Cylindropuntia bigelovii ) and ocotillo ( Fouquieria splendens ). Our day began with a stop at the Oasis Visitor Center a couple of miles southeast of the town of Twentynine Palms. This visitor center has a beautiful cactus garden as well a well-stocked bookstore. Behind the visitor center is the Oasis of Mara , easily spotted by the st...