Last Days in the Desert

Here is the (largely pictorial) summation of my last wanderings in the desert; please forgive my extreme procrastination.   Mexican Campion, Silene laciniata.  You can see a closely related N.C. species (Silene virginica) in my July 2011 post about the Southern Appalachians. Forefront: Century Plant, Agave havardiana In mid-October Ben, Alex and I headed up … Continue reading Last Days in the Desert

Rattlesnakes and Jewel Bugs

Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucantham) The Silver Creek area of Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge So, what makes a desert? Lack of water, right? But why exactly do deserts lack water? There are a few possible explanations. Firstly, the simple fact of being far from the ocean, which is where most of the world’s atmospheric moisture originates, … Continue reading Rattlesnakes and Jewel Bugs