entry127
What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.
~Bob Dylan (1941 – )
I know I was born and I know that I’ll die
The in between is mine
I am mine
~Pearl Jam
Sunday is not arriving quickly enough. The call of the desert beckons me. The naked, rocky land where mountains jut forth from seemingly nowhere and between lie vast, empty sea beds which now are a jackrabbits delight! There are three perennial spring between the Highland Range and the South McCullough range about 30 minutes south of here. One of these springs, Ora Hannah spring lies on the Highland Range side. I have taken several trips out there looking for it but have not found it yet, but I am determined to find it. Since it is likely a cold spring, it may have dried up this summer. It is not supposed to though, since it is considered a major spring in that area. Since that area is rarely visited by humans wildlife abounds! Now I have a detailed topographical map of that area. That should help in locating the spring. See, out here in the hardcore desert of Southern Nevada a source of water means life, period. Since there is extremely limited rainfall a permanent source of water is important for survival of many species in this area. In other deserts, such as the Sonoran in Southern Arizona and California there is a greater abundance of water sources. The Sonoran Desert receives three times the amount of rainfall as it does here about Las Vegas. Thus more vernal pools are formed along with temporary and permanent springs and streams.
There can be a counter argument. Nevada has a massive underground aquifer that breaches the surface in several areas providing permanent sources of water. This aquifer extends into Southern Nevada.
Well, that’s not much of a counter argument. Just take a look at the desert of the El Dorado valley behind my house and the desert of the Sonoran. Big difference. There, everything is green, every patch of earth covered. Here, you would be lucky to find a patch of earth covered.
The last time I was there Tara and I sat in the back of my truck counting falling stars. During that time a large, dark bird silently glided right over us, like five feet above. That made my heart freeze. Throughout the rest of out time there we heard that owl make eerie screeching noises. I don’t like birds. They scare me.
Often when working at night I see a meteor fall through my window. I have seen more meteors in any single month of the past year than in the rest of my entire life. Since moving out to the edge of the desert it makes star gazing easier…at least in one-half of the sky.
What the fuck am I supposed to talk about now? I am eating parsley and drinking watered down wine. I am sick of working on this computer…I need to get away into the desert.
For the past three days I have made a cricket piñata for the Turks. Outside I catch some crickets in a plastic bag then hang it from the ceiling in the garage. NeeChee jumps and swings with flying talons shredding the bag! Cosmo lays quietly snatching the fallen crickets.
Time for some more wine