He Knows Where

 Returning from today's walk I had some moments of indecision about which way to go. As I looked around I spotted a foot print and then another. I said to myself, "There's a guy who looks like he knows where he is going." I followed the steps and found them to be my own form a few days earlier.

Along the way there is always something delightful to see. Sorry my camera work is so far from delightful.

Overcast Day

This overcast day was good for walking, but not an easy day for my SX40HS. Pleasant hours in the Park, JTNP that is. 

Camera Walks

This is the kind of country I've been walking in. I the Summer it is better in the mourning like this before the sun heats the rocks. They get too hot to touch with ones bare hands.

I walk slowly enjoying the country around me and the sky above. Most of what I see interests me, but lately scat has often attracting my attention. I was surprised to see burro droppings today near the boundary of the Park. There have been now 'wild' burro in the area for many decades. I know of no one who keeps burros around here, but I am sure someone must. Burros are almost never ridden now but are sometimes used as pack animals. Maybe that is the case here.

Bouquet

Is this a happy face? Can a bouquet like this put a smile on a face of stone?

Toloache

This is an exotic to JTNP, but well across much of North America. It blooms all across the High Desert. Early colonist got high on this weed. Some knew it as Jimsonweed. It is the James Town weed. In much of Mexico it is called Toloache.  Be careful. It won't just make you loco. If you don't know the way, it might kill you.

 I'd like to see the insect that digs these holes.

Camera Walk

 Morning rocks and clouds are pictured.

I find it pleasing that I can name much of that which I see. There are knowing people who would say that I name much of it incorrectly.

I haven't seen much animal life yet, but have see abundant sign. I some areas the earth is so dug up by both rodents and lizards that I stand amazed. I need a better camera to amaze you. Because I tend to avoid trails one of my feet sink into a burrow or tunnel each few steps. Animal tracks are not as evident as one might expect because much of the surface is hard or stony. Tracks of heavier animals such as coyote and fox do tend to show up more than do those of smaller denizens.

There seems to be more fox droppings now than I ever remember seeing.

Pictured is my little Suzuki waiting for my return. In the foreground are Joshua trees.

By walking in the morning I find it fairly easy to handle the desert sun of summer. So far I have been limiting my walks to about two or three hours. Because I walk in a different area each day, the walks have interested me greatly.

Camera Walk One

Pictured in the foreground is a joshua tree; in the background is part of the village of Joshua Tree.

I am taking walks in Joshua Tree National Park. Here I may refer to the Park as JTNP, or the Park, the Monument. It was 'The Monument' for most of my youth and some old timers still refer to it that way.   

There are lots of large rocks and lots of ups and downs in the hills of the Park. Walking down a steep place sometimes hurts a 75 year old knee enough to ring a 'damn' from my lips.Still I am enjoying myself and am grateful to be walking My feet are in better shape than than they have been for decades.

Seventh Camera Walk

These are leaves of a jojoba plant. I do nor know whether it is  a male plant or a female plant. If jojoba beans were present I'd know it for a female plant. The jojoba bean gained some fame in the the early 1980s. About that time, those willing to become jojoba bean growers were paid some of your tax dollars to do so.
From the jojoba bean can be extracted a rather nice oil. That oil seemed particularly attractive to some, about the time of the first 'oil crisis.'
Jojoba plantations were created here on the desert, but as more careful calculations were made it was seen that the harvesting of the bean was going to prove too expensive for 'the market.' I think that I can still find a couple of abandoned plantations near here. Not all plantations have been abandoned and some jojoba oil is being produced for the cosmetic market, experimentation, etc.
Some beans were taken to other parts of the world where harvesting and extraction costs would be less and some preparations were made to be ready for an improved demand.

I've just returned from my walk in the desert sun. I feel ready for a cup of coffee, a shower, and a brief nap.

Sixth Camera Walk

 I was going to include a more typical, postcard like photo, of JTNP but, this close up of what I call a pencil cholla took my eye. Big spines for a pencil thin cholla. The little fuzzy looking thing at the far right of the photo is what I think of as the fruit of the plant. A lot of cactus plant fruit is eaten, but I have never hear of anyone eating this pencil cholla fruit.

Eating in My Patio

I seldom eat in my patio. But recently, desert iguanas have been coming into the patio regularly to eat my verbena. If I had a camera with a good telephoto lens I could take pictures of the lizards to show you how handsome they are. The verbena will hold still and allow me to get close enough to take a  good shot with the little camera I do have. Of course, at the moment the verbena are not very abundant.

Camera Walk Five

 When walking in the rocks this old man can always find a chair in the shade near the trail.

Third "Camera" walk

 I see lots on these walks that I would like to show to you. For example, I was able to watch this tortoise in action today. It looked great stretching its legs and neck and looking around like it owned the land.

However, I am not able to get the shots I want with this nice little canon A1200. It would be good for taking picture of my friends in front of the 7-11.

Even at full zoom it makes things look much smaller or much farther away than the look to my old eyes.

By the time I got close enough to this guy to take a picture, he was inside patiently waiting for me to leave.

Sill, I am pleased. It is the first desert tortoise I've seen in the wild for years.