Tag: California
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JOSHUA TREES AND FAN PALMS
In a good year, the Mojave Desert will get 100 mm of precipitation. So, plants need to fiercely compete for limited resources or develop mechanisms to survive by living on next to nothing in terms of precipitation. The Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) is one of those species which has mastered desert living. Its broad root system can extend up to 11 metres in its search for any moisture. If it can get settled in, a Joshua Tree can live for several hundred years in the higher elevations of the Mojave. Legend…
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OLYMPIC SERENDIPITY
I was on an LA-bound Amtrak train out of Salt Lake City in July 1984 and found the snack bar. I got a beer and sat next to some men who were comparing the Olympic tickets they had: track and field, gymnastics, swimming. They had event calendars spread out on the table and had marked those they bought tickets for. They booked them months ago. ‘What events did you book?’ they asked me. ‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘I’m just going to feel the vibe of an Olympics. Maybe I’ll catch an event…
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California Odyssey
In December of 1979, the road once again called me. It was a time to head west, a time for vagabonding, a time to visit my birthplace and meet with my grandfather and father after 11 years of absence. My travels would take me to the Pacific coast, to Southern California, to the San Jacinto Mountains, to Baja California, and to Mazatlán, Mexico. I would see 11,200 kilometers of the road in 32 days. 7,200 of those kilometers would be by hitchhiking. In the evening of 21 December, I found myself…
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