For today's blog I'm posting in "real time", meaning I just took these photos within the last couple days. Usually I post about a hike from weeks or even months ago, and I'm always trying to get caught up on my backlog of hikes. But not today.
Desert monsoons are big news. During most summers, they are a significant source of what little rain the desert sees. For the past couple weeks, we've been getting monsoon skies (lots of big dramatic clouds) but no rain. People were starting to get on edge. It's like the skies were teasing us, and it's been a very long time since the last rainfall. Finally, this week, there's rain to go with the clouds. In some areas, too much rain (the Mojave Preserve north of Joshua Tree is closed due to flooding and road washouts). That's kind of the way the desert is: All or nothing.
The big dramatic clouds really compliment the desert landscape. With skies like these, my camera finger gets itchy! After visiting the Quail Springs pump house (which I will be posting about soon), I climbed a small hill to get most of these photos.There's an old dead Joshua tree at the very top of the hill that attracted my attention, and one of the reasons I wanted to hike to the top. Did someone haul it up here, and prop it up with rocks? That would be a lot of work, but I don't think it grew here naturally.
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| One of my favorites... rain with just a hint of a rainbow on the horizon! |
Starting the hike back to the car...
Pretty clouds, but not much color in the sunset.
Last photo of the day, at about 7:25PM (about sunset). It's been a great hike. I jump in my car and start the drive back to the house.
A couple miles from my house now (7:50PM), I look over my right shoulder and see this sky. WOW!! The photo doesn't do it justice... totally glowing in bright reds and blues. Boy was I wrong about the sky not not having any color, and I can't help wondering what it looks like in the Park right now.
My fingers are crossed... hoping this weather pattern continues, with more monsoon skies and more rain!
Amazing photos, especially the one with the rain and the rainbow!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen a post by you with such dark clouds. Wonderful photos.
ReplyDelete...these are some handsome skies!
ReplyDeleteThat is some stunning sky at the end. We could do with some monsoon rain here, it's getting towards being a drought with no rain for so long
ReplyDeleteWOW! is right! Amazing pictures!
ReplyDeleteThese skies are mesmerizing! Did not realize monsoons could be in desert areas :) Emille (Jesh)
ReplyDeleteThe anticipation of storms just makes things uneasy. And the mugginess. Eeek. I hope the deserts do get some more rain. The clouds are so gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAmazing skies , Great photography
ReplyDeletegorgeous, specially rain+rainbow
ReplyDeleteThe rainbow rain looks intresting but the last one does it for me. I like how you placed the road on the left side in da pic. And the skies; beyond words beauty.
ReplyDeleteMost delightful monsoon skies. You even got a bit of rainbow. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteIt was frustrating here to be in drought and to see overcast skies and clouds but no rain. The rain finally came, but it's not enough. At least there's no flooding here, though there is terrible flooding just north of us in Kentucky. I can't imagine the feast or famine the desert rains give you.
ReplyDeleteYour skies are gorgeous. I love how you caught the rainbow's end the sunset.
Amazing skies! It's the same in TN the last few weeks. Heat wave after heat wave with temps in the high 90s. When it rains, it comes with thunderstorms, heavy rains and strong winds. We have heat wave in Boston now. Driving further north for cooler temps :-)!
ReplyDeleteVery dramatic skies over your shoulder! Also, what a sweet hint of a rainbow in the earlier photo. Such a great shot!
ReplyDeleteStunning cloud and sky photos. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteJust gorgeous photos!!
ReplyDeleteDesert monsoon sounds like a title for a very good novel.
ReplyDeleteVisting from Skywatch Friday!
Worth a Thousand Words
Dearest Peter,
ReplyDeleteWhat magical photos with such a dramatic sky!
Pieter's Dad used to say: 'Money and water, there is enough of it but for both there often is a very poor distribution...'.
So true, also with no rain versus flash flooding and so on.
Be safe out there whenever you hike out!
Hugs,
Mariette
Delightful captures!
ReplyDeleteWonderful sky pictures
ReplyDeleteGorgeous sky photos. Wow to the one with the rain and rainbow and the last photo. I thought there will be rain but till now no sign of rain even though it looks like going to rain.
ReplyDeleteWow! Such dynamic sky shots ~ hope the rain continues ~ (we need some here in MA too.)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and photos ~ Xo
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Great scenery, glorious sky views.
ReplyDeleteAnd the vastness of the landscape, so impressive
Beautiful sky indeed! Funny how the sun will sometimes fool us and wait until the last minute to paint the sky! Glad some rain finally came along with the clouds.
ReplyDeletetrès beau, on ne s'en lasse pas
ReplyDeleteDelightful surprise at 7:50 P.M. I have had that happen to me. LOL! Wondering ?????
ReplyDeleteThose clouds look particularly magnificent above the desert landscapes. Mind you, with the weather we've been having it may soon look like desert around here!
ReplyDeleteLofty elevation drama indeed! On and around all of your recent posts. Arches and turtle parts galore. We are so dry here too. Sigh.
ReplyDeletePerfect timing for this beautiful hike.
ReplyDeleteThe monsoon clouds really added a dramatic views in your photo, including that blood red sky! We had severe monsoon warnings for a couple days but they missed my area and hot more north and east of us, flooding streets and roads and bringing hail. My tomatoes are almost all ripe so I am hoping there will be no hail in our area until then!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful skies and desert landscapes. The rock in your header is profoundly interesting. I agree that the camera fails to capture many of the most subtle tints in a sunset. Some gradations are transient. I often see green which the camera seems to miss.
ReplyDeleteThe colorful sky when you were almost home was the crowning touch to this great hike. Kind of like the sun wanted to put on a show before quitting for the day. The monsoon season brings such interesting skies -- I hope it brings some interesting (needed) rain soon! What did you decide about that one dead tree up there? Was it just propped up?
ReplyDelete