Desert and Coast

In this past week we have been in the arid desert, the lush coast of California, and are now heading back to the desert into Death Valley.

Joshua Tree National Park is replete with rock sculptures – rocks upon rocks. There is a stillness among the rocks and Joshua trees I haven’t experienced before for they stand without movement. The landscape is barren but for some scrub vegetation and the ever present Joshua trees, Dr. Seuss like statues with trunks and twisted branches holding up mini fronds of spiky green blades. The stone is rough weathered granite, shades of red, tan, and brown, with the texture and look of very coarse sandpaper. There are cracks between the boulders, like a long line of teeth, where molten rock has seeped in and cooled. Small creatures move over the desert sand and rocks, birds fly and twitter, but the earth lays undisturbed to the naked eye. We watched orange and yellow sunsets and pink and blue sunrises. On our hikes we spotted black tailed jack rabbits, ocotillo in bloom, desert flowers including purple lupine, red barrel and teddy bear cactus, and rocks in precarious positions. Driving out we stopped at the overlook to see the San Andreas Fault, the mountain range that includes San Jacinto, Palm Springs, and unfortunately the smog.

From Joshua Tree, with its limited range of diversity, we drove over a mountain pass headed to the Pacific coast that was overflowing with desert plants, trees dripping with greenery, abundant kaleidoscopic flowers, rolling hills, and serene meadows. We arrived at our campsite, atop a bluff in South Carlsbad, just in time to watch the sunset over the sea. We fell asleep with the waves singing in our ears.

The next morning we explored Torrey Pines Preserve. We walked along the cliffs among low sage, heathers, and a myriad of flowers which made it difficult for me not to stop and photograph each one. Like birds, I want to find and name them all. Once down on the beach I had the same issue with the teeming tide-pools and varied rocks. Childlike curiosity overwhelmed me and memories of visits to the Maine coastline flooded my veins. I observed sea anemones and felt their tentacles gripping my finger as I gently poked at them. Crabs darted away sideways, snails gripped the slimy rocks, and fish sprinted undercover. I turned over rocks and memorized their patterns for I know I should leave them where they lie – though I can’t help myself sometimes. I picked up a few pieces of smooth sea glass and some tiny shells and made friends with a wading sand piper – a Whimbrel I presume. But, the greatest thrill was watching an Anna’s hummingbird so close to us that we witnessed its head feathers opening and closing flashing green and then magenta pink as if it were flipping a switch to turn on and off its full glory. Absolutely spectacular – Jorden, I wish you had been there with me!

Our evening was spent at the campsite, sitting fireside, watching porpoises, pelicans and seagulls dining on their evening meal as the sun was setting. The pelicans gracefully skim the waves in small groups or nose dive from above plucking a fish out of the water. These brown pelicans would swoon right before us showing the red in their encumbered beak – how they forage and fly so effortlessly with that weight is a marvel.

If this area, just north of San Diego, wasn’t so populated I could easily call it home. You have a comforting mix of desert plants, low humidity for a coastal area, and beauty abounds. But with the six lane freeways and a plethora of homes we were itching to get back to some solitude. Before leaving the coast, we stopped at Lake Hodges for a bike ride and some birding. So glad we did, because we saw the Western Grebes in their finest hour. During spring mating season they carry out this maneuver called rushing where they stand up on their legs and sprint across the water in small groups! With their long necks erect and their wings folded back this courtship is a sight to behold. Jorden, once again – where were you?