Ghost Rocks

I just happened to catch this ghost rock unawares. If you look carefully at the space in the middle you can see the ghost just disappearing through the crack between the three large boulders. They are very difficult to photograph and you probably have never seen one before and it is unlikely that you will ever see a picture of one again. The rock on the right side of the picture is smiling at my attempt to capture the elusive ghost rock on film. You can just see its left eye staring at me as I take the picture.

What do you see?

The photograph is a window to the reality of an instant. When you look at a photograph of a window, you can wonder about the reality of view. This window is hopelessly impossible, like a Magritte painting, it is a study in surrealism. If I fail to explain the context, you cannot imagine how this window came to be. But this is a real window in a real place showing that life is always more surreal than imagination can ever be.

Lithops

Lithops are also called living rocks because they blend in so completely with the rocks and soil of their native Africa. They are not cactus, but are considered to be succulents and live in very arid regions. There are dozens of species and varieties and everyone loves them because they are so "cute." These little, almost invisible plants are one of the bonuses of going to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

North Grove Loop, General Grant Grove, Sequoia National Park, California USA in California

The General Grant Grove is located near the border of Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park. The Grove contains the General Grant Tree, one of the largest in the Park. The North Grove Loop Trail winds through a beautiful rocky setting for some grand sequoias. The rounded granite boulders are a contrast to the huge trunks of the giant trees. At the time of this panorama, the forest was exceptionally dry but even though there had been little rain, the small streams were still running from springs in the area. The panorama shows the variety of trees that grow, all of which are overshadowed by the giant sequoias. This is truly one of nature’s most spectacular areas and certainly worth the visit. The big trees grow only in certain areas and are separated by large stretches of heavy forest. The scarcity of the trees is not all natural since in the early years of California history, they were heavily logged.

Joshua Trees

Joshua Trees in Central Arizona, North of Wikenburg, Arizona USA in Arizona

The prominent large plants with many thick branches are Joshua trees or Yucca brevifolia. The plant is found in Arizona, California, Nevada and the extreme southwest corner of Utah in the vast Mojave Desert region. Depending on local conditions the plants can live for hundreds and even a thousand years. It is difficult to imagine that so many desert plants are so long-lived. The plants were named by the early Mormon settlers who reportedly likened the plant to the Prophet Joshua reaching his hands up to the sky in prayer.

The other prominent plants in the panorama consist mainly of creosote bushes and cholla cactus. This section of the Mojave Desert is location in northwest central Arizona just north of the town of Wickenburg. All plants are sensitive to elevation and thereby temperature changes and so as you drive through the desert and drive over the ridges the plant species change dramatically from one elevation to another.

Hoover Dam

Located just a short drive from Las Vegas, Nevada, Hoover Dam is one of the busiest attractions in the Southwest. Completed between 1931 and 1938, this concrete gravity-arch dam was one of the largest in the world at the time. It is 726.4 ft (221.4 m) high and 1,244 ft (379 m) in length. The roadways, parking structures and visitors' center give the whole area an unreal aspect. If I didn't know better, I might think this was a computer generated set for a movie. The Dam is famous for its part in the one of the latest Transformers movies. This panorama was taken looking upstream from the parking structure on the Nevada side. One interesting feature is that the state line between Arizona and Nevada runs down the approximate middle of the Dam, making a one hour time difference during Daylight Savings Time.

Bloom where you are planted

For almost all of my life we have had a plaque in our kitchen that says, "Bloom Where You Are Planted." I was reminded of that plaque when I saw these two plants. Both appear to be thriving in what is obviously a less than desirable environment. I have no idea where they get water or what they are growing on, but they are doing quite well, thank you. When you think of all the people in the world that believe that happiness comes from having something besides what they already have, you can guess how influential this motto has become in my life. Whatever happens, good or bad, I will continue to thrive, just like these unbelievable plants.