The Times They are a Changin'

Saturday was about as good as it gets. The weather seemed to mirror the big changes going on in our country. On Thursday the high was 94, and we were coming off 3 months of record-breaking heat and mostly cloudless days. By Saturday, we had a new president, we barely made it to 60 degrees, and we had our first rain in a very long time. Oh, and USC won their first game of the season. Like I said, as good as it gets!

The Times They Are A Changin'

The storm clouds were beautiful and I couldn't resist heading out to take some photos. I wasn't in the desert, so things probably look a little different than my usual posts.

Clouds, clouds, lovely clouds!!

Pretty fall colors, and a large bush full of these reddish leaves that really stood out. As I removed a leaf, rubbed it between my fingers and then placed it to my nose to smell the scent... wait, no, just kidding! Leaves of three, let it be. I thought this might be poison ivy, so I kept my distance.

Downtown Los Angeles... about 25 miles as the crow flies.

Rain cells visible looking toward the ocean.

I was rained on just slightly. The sun was going in and out behind the clouds, with some blue sky clearly visible. Beautiful!

Not a desert shot, but prickly pear cactus is common in the area.

Following the trail back to the car. Yup, definitely not the desert!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and stay healthy!

Sunrise Hike (Part II)

I'm continuing on with my Sunrise Hike in East Joshua Tree post. By now the sun had been up at least an hour and I was starting to feel human again. This absolutely huge rock formation, when viewed from the side, looks like a profile of a human face. Specifically, an old man with a big nose. Do you see it? It looks like he's talking to that little rock... may be giving him some sage advice?

What did Papa rock say to baby rock??

 

Because the sun was still low on the horizon, I was able to capture this nice sunburst through a rocky arch I came across. I used an F-stop of f22 to accentuate the sunburst. I don't fully understand the physics behind it, but a stopped-down aperture (small opening) seems to enhance a sunburst.

The interesting circular patterns in the rock are called tafoni or honeycomb weathering.

 

Are those teeth?? It's like being inside the mouth of a giant!

 

Chicken head??

 

So interesting how the rocks erode into weird shapes in this part of Joshua Tree. Look closely and you can see the moon.

 

I found a heart! 💖

 

This rock sticking out looked impossibly fragile and delicate. As if it would totally crumble with the slightest touch. I didn't test my theory.

 

Cool opening in the rocks. It actually looks just big enough to crawl through, but I decide not today. I can see the headlines now: "His body was found years later, just his bleached bones wedged in an opening among giant boulders in a remote wilderness area of Joshua Tree National Park!"
 

I wonder how many thousands or millions of years that huge bus-sized boulder has been wedged up there??

 
Below are some additional rocky openings/arches I came across on today's hike.

 

My last discovery of the day was this interesting little rock shelter. It provided deep shade and a nice flat rock at the entrance to put my pack and water bottle on. I wonder how many before me relaxed in this same shelter? A smoothed-out area on top of the rock makes me think that Native Americans might have used it as a grinding stone.

 

View from inside the shelter, looking out!

 

Thanks for joining me on another desert adventure!

Stay safe and stay healthy (and stay patient!).

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Sunrise Hike in East Joshua Tree

I don't recall what possessed me to go on a sunrise hike. I'm not a morning person, and I don't understand people who wake up all chipper. I think I'm totally missing that neurotransmitter. I woke up in the dark, bumped my toe on the bed frame, grumbled and cursed a few times, stumbled to the coffee maker and made coffee, grabbed a breakfast bar and my gear, and off I went. It's about a 45 minute drive out to east Joshua Tree where I like to hike: No trails, no people, just wilderness.

The camera makes things look lighter than they really were. When I started my hike (5:41AM), it was still dark enough to require a headlamp, but things lightened up pretty quickly.

No sun yet, but the moon sure was pretty!!

Good morning, sun!! 6:04 AM

    

The slanted morning light is highlighting the tops of plants (6:12 AM).

 

Interesting pictographs on this rocky overhang (circle). One looks like an E. There's no doubt in my mind these markings had meaning to Native Americans, but unfortunately their meaning is lost today. There's another area that looks like it might be a faded picto (arrow).
 

Carrot nose!

 
There's a lot more to share with you from this hike, but it will have to wait until my next post. I'm heading out to the desert for another adventure on Thursday and Friday, with very limited access to a computer. Until next time...

Stay healthy & stay safe!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Diagonal Sky

 "There is nothing wrong with your computer screen. Do not attempt to adjust it. We are controlling transmission. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical. Sit quietly and we will control all that you see. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery of... desert skies!"

                A heavily modified opening narration from "The Outer Limits", 1960

Does anyone else remember the "Control Voice" from The Outer Limits? I know I'm totally dating myself, but that's OK. When I was a kid watching this show, I thought it was pretty cool and a little spooky. I was having that same feeling wandering around the desert in the late afternoon not too long ago. I hadn't really seen diagonal clouds like this before, and it was a little disorienting!

  

I walked past howling coyote rock. Mr. Coyote appeared to be howling at the diagonal sky, which added to the ambience!

 

Looking behind me (opposite direction of the diagonal sky), the sky was still interesting, but not as dramatic.

 

Even in monotone, these V-shaped clouds look so dramatic! They are some of my favorite photos from this particular hike in Joshua Tree National Park.
 

Hiking past my old friend, "Rip Curl" rock.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, and hoping you enjoyed these desert skies!

Until next time: Stay safe & stay healthy.

Linking with Skywatch Friday.