Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Sunday afternoon I drove out to Joshua Tree National Park and spent several days enjoying the peace and quiet. Woke up to this beautiful sunrise just opposite my campsite and jumped out in my PJ's to take pictures!
My campsite in Hidden Valley Campground was perfect; not too crowded and hundreds of places within walking distance to explore. I spent the morning and evenings wandering through the desert, delighting in the plants, rocks, trees and unusual rock formations.
That would be me after I set up my camera and ran back to get in the shot!
The first morning was clear, very cold and beautiful. Around 11am the wind picked up and gusted something fierce, making it nearly impossible to endure.
It got so cold and windy that I drove into a little coffee shop in town to hide. On my way back into the park, the wind settled down and I snapped this shot of the mountains, clouds and sun setting.
The rocks have all kinds of weird shapes. This one seems to look like a face grinning!
Joshua Trees grow throughout the park; quirky, strange trees that have spiky leaves, fragrant blossoms in the spring and are shaped by the weather, damage and new growth.
This one stands alone, reflecting his character through the shadow on the rock.
The lighting this morning was outstanding; lots of clouds but occasional bursts of sunshine that illuminated the rocks. All was quiet and peaceful as I surveyed my surroundings and drank hot tea.
While exploring out in the desert, I came upon this dead tree. Death in the desert is just as gorgeous as life.
My humble campsite; met some great folks...Andy the rock climber who had already been out on the road climbing for 3 months. We spent the morning sharing about our travels and places we love...Julie the nurse, who nearly blew away with her tent in the windstorm. We talked all evening in front of the fire, swapping stories and laughing.
Two crows; the blessing of friendship....two are better than one!

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