Dry Rain

DAY ONE HUNDRED

All day at work yesterday, people were telling me it was going to rain. That's the forecast, they said. Those people don't live in the desert. I KNEW it was not going to rain. Most days when the forecast calls for a less than 99% chance of rain, it is not going to rain. It's the desert. Hello?

Today I went for a little hike behind The Quarry Golf Club. I'd been eyeing the canyons back there for a while wondering what might be back there. Could there be an oasis? A water tank? Indian artifacts of some type?

I find a trail that leads across the hills to the south of The Quarry. There are trails all over this desert. I sometimes wonder if it would even be possible to hike them all in a lifetime.

I then walk past a huge house that looks like a mission, except I think it's bigger than a mission. I bet the owners probably spend about three months a year here.

I get a shot of this hummingbird getting some nectar from a Palo Verde.

There are some ominous clouds building up over the mountains and I wonder, Is it going to rain? Uh, no. I tell people who come in not to worry about rain in the desert. It's not as bad as rain elsewhere because it's a dry rain.

I walk up a long wash until the canyon narrows. I am surprised to see quite a few footprints along the way. I guess I'm not the only crazy person out here walking uphill in the sand.

I am relieved as the canyon narrows and gets rocky. I much prefer climbing these dry falls to walking in the sand. If I wanted to walk in sand, I'd go to the beach.

I get to a point where I am close to the end but I have to turn back. Work awaits and it's been crazy busy due to spring break. I can't wait for it to end. It's wearing me out.

I look back and I've got a long way to go. Good thing it's all downhill.

I stop from my downhill run to take a picture of a fairly common desert varmint. People often think these are chipmunks but this is an Antelope Ground Squirrel. Some species of this critter can live their entire life without drinking water. They get all the moisture they need from what they eat. No need to wait for rain for these little guy.

I didn't find a whole lot to interest me back here except the million dollar views. I may come back to see what I may have missed but I'll have to plan to do it on a day it's not raining.