Desert Green

As promised in my last post, here are some photos from Memorial Day weekend.

I took this picture in Washington State along Hwy 97 in late May. I've never seen the sagebrush so green this late in May. Even the grass was green although it looks rather brown here.

Along Hwy 97 is a stand of now-dead trees that grew along a meandering creek.

In the high-desert you don't find wild trees this large without a nearby water source.

These trees survived for many years before being ravaged by fire several years ago. Every year since the fire, the trees bleach whiter and whiter, but you can still see the charred tops and trucks.

I wonder if the fire was a result of a careless smoker or a result of a lightning strike.

Even in death, the trees are full of life. Insects are now boring into the tree trucks and branches to feed. And birds are attracted to the trees to feed - the birds will dig holes into the trucks in their quest for succulent insects. Other birds will eventually nest in the holes left by others. And in time, the tree will become one with the earth and will provide much needed soil nutrients for new seedlings struggling to thrive in the harsh desert conditions.

Mother Nature always renews herself when left alone to do so.

Desert Green

I just returned from visiting relatives in Eastern Washington.
The high deserts of Oregon & Washington are so very green this year!
What a contrast to the barren landscapes baked brown by the hot sun of summers of years past!

Everywhere I looked I saw many shades of green.
It contrasted nicely with the deep umber of columnar basalt rock and the white fluffy clouds bouncing across the blue sky.

Green sagebrush; green grass, moss and lichens.
It's amazing what a good rainstorm will do for the desert.
The cows and horses on the range are having a field day with so much green grass.

I guess it's not too surprising that the native plants are green and flowers are still blooming in Eastern Washington.
We've had so much rain in the Pacific Northwest. We've been doused - or should I say, mostly drowned in rain showers?

Much of the rain that has doused the western side of the Cascade mountain range made it over the mountains and into the desert.
Even so, I was surprised to see so much green everywhere.

I really had no idea that sagebrush is such an interesting shade of green.
I'll post some photos so you can see it too!

Spring in Pacific Northwest

I think it’s official...it’s Spring!!!

Of course, with the trees and flowers blooming in February, some would say Spring has been here for quite a while.

I don't want to get into the great global-warming debate, but our winters are changing. In the mid-70's, I remember winters with some snow and lots of rain. Late 70's and early 80's brought ice storms to theWillamette Valley, covering everything in thick sheets of ice and crippling our ability to go to work and school. Once the ice melted, the days and nights were wet and rainy well into June.

But in recent years we’ve had several weeks of warm weather in February allowing us Oregonians to run around with coats unbuttoned. It’s almost as if Mother Nature gives us a slight reprieve from all the grey skies and winter storms. Then Spring hits with more storms and seemingly endless rain.

But the rain is good for the grasses, shrubs, trees and flowers. (As long as they don't drown!)

And we’ve had flowers this year! Lots and lots of flowers...in February! In the Pacific Northwest!!!

In February the daffodils began to bloom...much earlier than I’ve ever seen. I missed the crocus blooms. Seems like the ground was cold and wet, then we had daffodils. And by late February the non-native trees, such as the ornamental cherry trees, erupted in beautiful pale pink blossoms and tiny leaf buds gave way to reddish leaves. It was wild! It was beautiful and March followed with tulips and and more trees budding and blooming with Spring color. Even the rhododendrons in the woods behind my home bloomed early...

More later!