Finally getting our lives back into normal mode. More about that later.
Southern California received an inordinate amount of rain the first three months of this year, which we desperately needed. Instead of being able to use my telescope every night at home, as in the past, I only had about 12 good nights for telescope use in the first quarter of 2023.
As many had hoped, some of our deserts experienced a wildflower super bloom. As the bloom reached its peak, the Coachella Music Festival opened. Along with the reported 250,000 fans that attended the festival, hordes of social media people descended upon our desert to take selfies and trample flowers.
Being rational people, Joyce and I left for the eastern Mojave Desert for a couple weeks of camping solitude.
The Mojave Desert Bloom
At lower elevations, where the Mojave and Lower Colorado Deserts meet, the bloom had past its peak. Mid elevations of the Mojave were in full color-glory, and the highest elevations were just starting to bloom — probably peaking in a couple of weeks after we left. But there was enough eye candy flowers to please our visual palates.
To view all the pictures, click on the gallery below
Activities
We did a lot of hiking. I also brought one of my telescopes.
The Milky Way is now starting to rise in the wee morning hours. Better to catch it in late summer when it is visually much longer, higher in the sky, and become visible in the sky soon after dark — assuming one is viewing from a dark site without light pollution.
Here is what the Milky Way looked like in September 2020 from the same location:
I accumulated 30 hours of images of Markarian’s Chain that resides in the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies.
All Good Things Have to Come to an End
We would have liked to stay longer, but we have doctor and dentists appointments, plus next week I am scheduled for jury duty.
Jury Duty
I have never served on a jury, although I have been summoned several times. Along with the fact it is a civil duty, I would like to serve at least once. Perhaps this time, even though being in my ’70s I can be excused without a doctor’s note, I opted to respond to the summons and show up.
Doctors and Dentists, Oh My!
Advancing age is a pain in the ass. Neither of us have any serious conditions to deal with, but normal doctor visits, some dental work for both of us, and follow up visits for my cataract surgery has certainly screwed up our time bank of leisure time.
One Last Stop
About 13 miles north of our house, we stopped so Joyce could take some pictures of our desert’s wildflowers with her iPhone.
s north of us and Mt. San Jacinto 10,834′ (2nd picture) is to the west. Images were taken at about 1,700 feet elevation.
Planning for the rest of the year
Next camping trip is planned after Jury Duty. With several other trips during the summer. At the end of September we’ll be heading for Colorado to attend my college class 50th reunion (I might be getting old). We’ll round out the rest of the year with more camping and I’ll be inserting some backpacking trips into the planner too.
Life is good!