THE JOSHUA TREE HAS AN AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF 150 TO 200 YEARS AND IS ONLY FOUND IN THE MOJAVE DESERT
When Mormon settlers first saw the plant they dubbed the “Joshua tree,” it reminded them of the bushy-bearded biblical leader. When Territorial Governor John C. Frémont saw it during an 1844 trek through the Mohave Desert and they are plentiful along U.S. Route 93 from Wikieup to Wickenburg. The drive, which is familiar to us having many a trip from Tucson to Las Vegas.
Old man sat by the Lake St. Clair. He saw an auburn beauty walking the the biking path. Her eyes of sea-water blue and her soft smile lost in kind memory made him remember her.
She was a beauty. Her eyes filled with mischief and bluer than the free and wild Pacific. He remembered her. He remembered when she turned to him and she asked. “Dear Johnnie, dear poet. You must join the dance, you must create the song of love and hope. Waiting for perfect Goddess or muse will leave you alone and filled with regret.”
He smiled at her and he cherish the view. She took his breathe away and she was tall, she had long tan legs and vibrant heart. He told her. I have become cold dear Anna. You don’t want a man who hold regret over love. You can’t heal the scars…
. . . Recognizing that she was not always old, so here are two when she was in her late teens. A thanks to Joanna for asking if I had any pictures of Mother when she was young.
Desert Spiny (Sceloporus magister) Lizard — Image by kenne
These are medium to large lizards with snout-vent lengths ranging from 2¼ to 5¼ inches (63 to 138 mm). These robust lizards have keeled, pointed scales. Background color is usually subdued gray, tan, or blue with a striking wide, purple stripe down the back and single yellow scales scattered on the sides (S. magister), or scattered turquoise scales mixed with tan and brown on the back and sides (S. clarkii). Both species have a dark collar under or around the neck; males have vivid blue throats and under-bellies. Females develop orange to red heads during the breeding season. — Source: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum