Monday, March 10, 2008

Joshua Tree National Forest



This weekend a friend came to town for a visit. After exploring our options we decided to head to Joshua Tree National Forest for a tour and a hike. We packed some snacks and water and hit the road. It had been years since I'd been, so I had very little recollection of the landscape. It was gorgeous. It is amazing how many Joshua trees there are. I know, that's why it's called a forest, and the plethora of these bad boys is why it's even a national park--but really, there are so many. When you're in a regular forest it hardly seems like "man, there are so many trees here." Because a forest has lots of trees, right?! But in the desert where flora is often limited, an abundance of anything is impressive.



Also impressive were the wildflowers. Part of why we went was I had heard they were in bloom. As you drive through the desert you see the landscape change and note a little purple or white or yellow here and there. But you actually have to stop and get of the car to see it for all it's splendor. First off because most of the flowers themselves are tiny. The pictures are close ups, so you don't really get the idea, but really, most of the flower heads ranged in size from the size of a dime to the size of a quarter--nothing bigger than that. And yet to intricate and beautitul. It's incredible. Definitely a reminder of this passage.



While it's the desert, the diversity of plants is still incredible. These fuzzy headed guys make me smile!










If you're unfamiliar, this is a Joshua Tree bloom.

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