It is time to take another look at the wild Palo Verde trees - the ones that I am featuring with the Tree Following meme hosted by Lucy at
Loose and Leafy.
Today's post is perhaps as much about the weather as about the trees, which have not changed much since last month's post. Everything is just a bit drier, though we did have a downpour last night and the trees look happy enough. But when I went over this evening, the wind was blustering and the clouds made everything a good deal dimmer than is usual out here. In fact, I hesitated to take my good camera, worrying about the effects of blowing dust. In the end I did use it, but the conditions made it difficult to shoot anyway!
There were a good many pictures of blowing branches...
...and of green branches in their own shadows...
...and in the shadow from the wall behind.
It is easier now to see the shape of the trunk clusters. These are at the centre of the group.
Seedpods are scarce and, like this one, may be open and empty even if still on the tree.
As you can see, the weather is veering toward autumn, despite which the daytime temperatures are still frequently over 100 F (38 C). But the sun is not as intense; and the grasses, which flourished in green patches for a month or two, have browned and dried.
Unlike the Parkinsonia, the nearby Lycium (thank you for helping with the ID, Jane!) is looking ragged and dry though it still has some leaves.
The roadsides are still fairly green from recent rains...
...and the Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa, formerly Chrysothamnus nauseosus) is almost ready to bloom at the front of our lot.
Daylight ended with a glorious but moody sunset.
A quick postscript - an invitation, in fact - to visit my new blog
The Handmaker's World, where I will be sharing my adventures in creating things with my hands, an adventure which has always been a large part of my life. Please feel free to come visit as the intoductory post is now up!
Weather Diary: Partly cloudy, High: 103 F (39 C)/Low: 82 F (28 C)
I just love these photos. Especially the dark ones
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed them! I enjoyed looking over your blog; I recently learned that we're in a former gold mining area here so it was doubly fascinating :)
DeleteYour sunset shot is incredible, Amy! I'm glad you've gotten some rain.
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice to get that rain, Kris - as you know! In fact, it's been great just to have a little honest cloud cover... ;-)
DeleteBeautiful photo of palo verde against wall -- I love compositions like that. Rabbitbrush strikes me as being incredibly tough -- doesn't seem to mind heat and drought at all, at least not around here.
ReplyDeleteRabbitbrush is such a splendid plant for these really tough conditions! It loses leaves here with too much drought but that just puts it in a holding pattern, still ready to bloom come fall... what more could you ask in the desert? I'm happy because we've had a lot of it sprout in a long swathe along one edge of our property; hopefully it will be in full bloom soon :)
DeleteThe sunset and cloud shots are beautiful! But what is most amazing are the bright green trunks of the Palo Verde. It looks as though it could be in a rainforest, not the desert!
ReplyDeleteThat green does give such a reassuring sense of "green and growing" - and shady - even when the trees only have a few leaves!
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