The Mojave Desert- one
of the most forbidding places on the planet.
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| Joshua Tree- Symbol of the Mojave |
In fact, the hottest
temperature ever recorded on earth was 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.6 Celsius) at
Death Valley (now a National Park), and summertime temperatures routinely pass
the 120 mark. (Yes, it’s one of my favorite places to visit, but that will be the
subject of a future post.)
The greater Las Vegas
area boasts a population of around 2,000,000 people who somehow subsist on an
average rainfall of 3.5 inches a year.
But here is the amazing
thing: despite the harsh conditions, life flourishes here. In fact, if you
sprinkle a little water on this sterile soil, plants will literally, as Isaiah
35:1 says “blossom as the rose”.
It’s a tribute to
Jehovah’s mighty works that so many wonders of creation can be found in such an
intimidating environment. There is ample wildlife- coyotes, desert bighorn
sheep, desert tortoise, rabbits, and any number of birds and reptiles.
But is it suitable for
humans?
Shirley and I have lived
her for more than 20 years, and it will be sad to leave. We generally enjoy a
climate with single-digit humidity and mild temperatures for 9 months out of
the year. So while much of the USA is getting slammed with unpleasantries like blizzards, tornadoes hurricanes, and floods, floods, we in the desert enjoy a winter,
spring, and fall with temperatures averaging from 50-80 degrees.
Then comes the 3 to 4
month blast of heat, as if some giant oven was turned up to “high” and we’re
the main dish. Fortunately, that’s why air conditioning was invented.
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| Cactus in my front yard with magnificent bloom |
far as field service
goes, it’s important to note that the high temps come in the afternoon. So yes,
while it might be near 100 at 10am, the 4 per cent humidity makes it feel more
like, say 90. And while you may sweat, it evaporates immediately. Newcomers
quickly discover that you carry a bottle of water in your book bag and in your
car, in fact, everywhere you go. Pioneers get most of their service time in
during the cooler months and take it a little slower in the summer. Early
morning witnessing starting at 5 am is popular, visiting bus stops, convenience
stores, and parking lots.
Here in the Mojave, we
are in a perpetual drought situation, so “lawns” in the conventional sense are
not permitted (unless they were installed in the distant past). The nurseries
stock drought-resistant trees and shrubs, and we water them with drip
irrigation.
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| Nearly 10' tall giant Yucca bloom |
For example, in my yard,
I run my drip system for 30 minutes two days a week. This consumes very little
water, and unlike a sprinkler which would just waste water the drip irrigation
delivers water directly to each individual plant.
I took the photos of
plants in my own yard for these photos so you can see for yourself the “desert
blossom as the rose.”
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| Bloom of the Desert Willow tree |
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| "Teddy Bear" Cactus in full bloom |
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Baja Fairy Duster
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Yellow Mexican Bird of Paradise
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| Red Bird of Paradise |
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| Literal Roses in the Desert |
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| Beautiful Tiny Flowers on a Cactus |
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| Who would guess that this beauty of creation would exist on a prickly cactus in a forbidding desert landscape? |
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