The desert comes alive after it rains and the topography changes drastically. Once subtle sand dunes take on different appearances and reform to look like rivers or streams. The flow of the land changes and pools of water form in rocks, washes, and imbed in cactus plants for storage to save them in arid days. Being out in the middle of the desert in a rainstorm can be scary and life threatening if it becomes a flash flood. A little sprinkle here and there while out hiking is, however, quite enjoyable and a nice break from the heat. My family and I love heading outside after a great rain to see the new canvas being presented for our eyes. Another sense we love to explore is our sense of smell. The freshness of the air and the aroma of certain plants come alive after it rains. My husband always says, “all weather is good weather,” and I wholeheartedly agree. I did write in a previous post about how hurricanes, blizzards, etc. are leather and dangerous…so all weather, even the scariest of them, can be beneficial to the environment. Not necessarily to humans in all cases. So I will stick with the rain for now.
Seeing the dewdrops and raindrops on flowers blooming from various plants is invigorating. Watching bees and pollinators getting their jobs done and enjoying the fresh nectar is amazing! Finding webs created by burrowing spiders is a real treat because they look like stardust from the milky way after a good rain. All the animals come out and find water sources and if we sit long enough, we can spy some rare finds. One of these being the tarantula hunting for their mate. Burros and Bighorn are also prominent after it rains. These are the most fun for us to spot off in the distance. It almost feels like the book “Where’s Waldo,” from when we were kids finding Waldo while sitting in the dentist’s waiting room. Where is the Burro? Also, if they have a baby it is even more exciting, if that were even possible to be more excited. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some time outside! Thank you for reading.
-Karen Hilliard