Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Big Rain and Desert Pictures



A soggy day in Northwestern Arizona thanks to a front moving in from California. We are told to expect 5 inches of rain today and tomorrow. That`s a lot of water!  I know there will be lots of flash flooding and deep waters on the roads. We live on a dirt road so we`ll have lots of fun driving on wet sticky clay. It`s not a freezing rain and happy we won`t have snow. I noticed last week the Joshua trees once brown and dry are brighter and greener thanks to rain a month ago. The persistent drought caused a large die off of trees. Ours is one of the largest Joshua forests in the world.


 Removal of the trees from residential lots in our area is discouraged and permits are needed to remove them from the desert. It`s amazing how much shade Joshua`s provide. In the summer they are covered with pungent flowers that produce seed. Cactus Wrens fill the branches with nests, ravens perch there watching my dogs to see if there will be leftover food, owls communicate nightly from the tree tops. I like hearing the comforting hoot of owls. The desert at night is beautiful. We are covered by a star filled canopy. Many of my neighbors have telescopes and there is an enforced night sky ordinance forbidding the use of certain types of outdoor lights so as not to obscure the view.

Time for hot chocolate. Take care and Merry Christmas.
Cathy

10 comments:

  1. Send some of that rain this way, please! MERRY CHRISTMAS Catherine!

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  2. I miss Joshua trees so much and I love when you write about them. I feel like I'm hearing news from an old friend, or a bunch of old friends. With wrens.

    I wonder if they can be grown in pots?

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  3. Hi, Catherine....the rain is here with us and has been for about 4 days..lots of flooding...I haven't heard of any slides yet....its a huge storm...with more next week....
    I love the Joshua trees too....like Maria says..they are like old friends..somehow comforting...hope you have a wonderful Christmas and new year....

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  4. Hi Sue,
    I`ll send the rain soon as I can! It is moving s-l-o-w-l-y.

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  5. Hello Maria,

    I have started Joshua`s in pots and directly in the soil. Planting was more successful right in the ground and I still lost half the plants.

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  6. Dani I`ve been watching the weather reports. It`s dreadful. California always seems to get the worst of it. The storm is supposed to finish up here on Wednesday and then we`ll have sun and warmer temps.

    Merry Christmas and I hope your rain stops soon.

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  7. Hi Catherine, I hope you are enjoying your Christmas Day as I type this. Ours was yesterday! Your photos are spectacular; we've been hearing on the media about the Big Freeze in Europe and the USA, and I don't envy you! I hate the cold. You didn't say anything about those dear little kitties - are they yours?

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  8. Hi Gina!

    I had a great Christmas. The weather was warm and there was lots of sun. Meanwhile my son and daughter in law were ice fishing in Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. BRR!

    The kittens picture is from Glitter Graphics.

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  9. I've always been fascinated by Joshua trees and the few times my husband and I drove from our relatives homes in Phoenix to Los Vegas we often stopped to take photos of them.

    I hope the rain will not turn into snow for you and that this storm does not continue east like the last one did and inundate us with snow! :)

    Happy healthy 2011!

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  10. Thank you Pat! I hope New York thaws soon.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Vintage Sewing Machines

 I start this post with a picture of a lion that daily crosses through my son`s property. Beautiful ! This is near Prescott.