Such Fleeting Beauty

Living in the city we are not starved for the sight of flowers. Actually, due to the mild climate (in Winter) and diligent watering (during the remainder of the year) one sees blooming plants and flowers the year around.

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The story in regions with less water is completely different. In the desert, on the hills and at the foot of the mountains the wildflowers bloom only once a year, in Spring; but then otherwise brown and barren looking landscapes are transformed into areas covered with an abundance of flowers, ranging from the quietly pleasant to the spectacular. In fact, the deeper one drives into the desert, the more flamboyant the display becomes.

Not in the desert, but in the San Gabriel Mountains the view is this:

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… for about three weeks.

4 thoughts on “Such Fleeting Beauty”

  1. We just got back last night from “the high desert”, the area around Prescott, in the Bradshaw Mts. The quantity and variety of flowers was astonishing. I could identify most as they are similar or the same as W. Texas. I have LOTS of pictures to download when we return (tomorrow night). I hope they are all good. Even here is the lowland desert, at this time of year it’s like an Eden. And the climate has been perfect, particularly in the mountains. I’ve also tried to take photos of cats everywhere I’ve found them, which has not been often.

  2. That sounds as if you had a perfect holiday; and yes, I can hardly wait to see the photos when you put them up.

    We did not go into the desert this Spring, just poked around in the areas nearer to home. Too much to do, too little time, the old story. Even though it’s only a short trip to the places in the desert where the wildflowers bloom, with only Sundays off for me from work sometimes I can not muster the strength. Well, there will always be next year.

  3. Only Sundays? That’s some sort of crime. I have to get out before we leave & get a photo of a jacaranda tree. What an amazing thing that is. And the palo verdes trees, a cloud of yellow. I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t see a single smoke tree. I love those big puffs. I’ve seen them in AZ before, so I guess it’s not bloom season for them now.

  4. Well, it is not that bad, working six days a week. For starters, I do not have to go somewhere for work, which is a big advantage and quite frankly, I am glad to be that much in demand in my line of work. Freelance work can be wobbly, as you might know. Sometimes one does long for a longer break, though, that’s true; occasionally I even get one – a two-day weekend is sheer bliss. But generally, no, I do not mind too much.

    Jacaranda trees – how I love them. We have them here, too; in some areas whole streets, long avenues are planted with them, quite an amazing sight, as you can imagine. Palo verdes trees I have never seen or rather, if I have, I would not have known them. As to the smoke trees, that was funny – I looked them up and thought for a moment they were teddy-bear chollas. However I realized quickly that they are not at all related, which is a good thing – those chollas are vicious little things. Pretty, though.

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