Trashy Shots

Did you know it's not just high temps, low rainfall and low humidity that make a desert? It's also high winds. Deserts get more than their fair share of wind. High winds literally scour the soil surface, and there isn't much vegetation to hold things in place. It blows away all the small particles of dirt, leaving behind... you guessed it... sand and rock. The wind can also cause other issues, like blowing trash all over the place.

In the first photo (taken on a very windy day near Desert Hot Springs) plastic trash has nearly completely covered a creosote bush. The white plastic was flapping in the wind and was a very weird sight (and sound). I couldn't resist stopping the car to take a couple pics. And who in the heck would want to move that fence??

It's common to see trash caught up in cactus spines and it's difficult if not downright impossible to remove. Plastic will probably remain on that creosote bush until the plastic decomposes, which could be a very long time. I'm glad they've outlawed single use trash bags in California. It's a step in the right direction. I'm sad that people aren't more careful about their trash and aren't better stewards of their environment. I've recently learned Joshua Tree National Park may be closed to visitors because of the federal government shutdown, and because a few knuckleheads have trashed the area during the last couple weeks when the Park has been unsupervised. Such a shame for people who have come long distances to visit one of our great National Parks, only to find it closed.

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