Nature walk in the not so brown desert

When most folks think of the desert – they typically imagine a sea of sand dunes or a brown patch of dust. There can’t be that much to a place that hardly rains, right?

I love dispelling this conception – the desert can actually be full of color, beauty and diverse plants and animals. There is so much inspiration and calmness that you can find just a short walk from civilization.

Nature is ready to heal us – it only takes a few minutes to joyfully abandon human existence and find some nourishment in the silence and life. There is nothing for you to buy, there is nothing to get or take (aside from pictures).

I met up with a friend and took a hike at a nearby trail. It was about 20 minutes from my place (very much in civilization) and yet the hum and honks of town quickly fell away.

Come along for a walk with me…

This almost reminds me of a forest with the slumped branch. There are cactus around but there are so many other plants.

You find a lot of black trees and cactus, often a lone black slump. I’m not so sure if its lightening, aliens, or people that are burning these plants (and how come nothing else burns?).

Thankfully, it was cool enough to keep the water droplets from quickly evaporating (60°F). The chunky clouds coated the sky and blocked the sun. Usually, it would be much too warm to hike this late in the morning (around 10am) but we were able to thanks to the cloudy day. I’m just fascinated by the way the drops plump and hold onto the leaves.

I’m not sure if those are Joshua Trees but it reminds me of fuzzy coral. I love the different shades of green that you find in these pictures.

There were a few cactus carcasses along the way.

Thankfully, the only wildlife we saw were jackrabbits and horses (participating in a race).

I’m often in awe of the way that nature knows how to choose and blend the most beautiful assortment of color combinations. She makes it look effortless and enjoyable!