This little plant was growing out of solid rock in the Mosaic Canyon region of Death Valley where we were hiking a few years ago. This hike was especially fun because our hiking book had advised us that we would feel as if we'd come to the end of the trail, but also encouraged us to climb up a little farther to find a continuation of the trail. We did that, sometimes needing to be pretty creative to get to the next level, and we ended up making a really long and interesting hike. I recall this image in particular because there was a National Parks photography contest going on throughout the year, and one of the categories was "Against All Odds." With that in mind, I was keeping my eye out for just this kind of image. I didn't end up entering the photography contest, however, because I'd given up on them by the time the deadline came around.
Just because I want you to see where the desert holly (scroll to the bottom of this link) is growing, here's the shot I took in 20 Mule Team Canyon showing it growing in a wash. How it survives under such terrible conditions, I can't even begin to imagine; and why it doesn't just wash away with the flash floods that are notorious in Death Valley is a mystery to me.
I'll be curious to see what you came up with for this topic. Use your imagination. There are lots of ways to interpret this theme.
And for next week's theme, I thought I'd remember that wonderful medium that gave us such "nice bright colors":
Kodachrome
which is now, sadly, a thing of the past. I was never much into film photography, but I still am sorry to see its demise.
Now here's Mr. Linky.
4 comments:
It's amazing the diversity of life you can find in the dessert and semi-dessert regions in the US. We've never been to Death Valley, but it may need to become a planned destination. I've enjoyed your travel journal, thanks for sharing!
I also went digging in past pictures and posts and this is what I came up with, an older post.
What's the odds that this squirrel
would let me get this close for a photo? OK, now the squirrel's odds of finding an apple slice to eat on his corn feader that day...slim....bet he never thought he'd have his picture taken eating an apple.
I can't even get close enough to the squirrels that are eating the corn this year to get a picture ...period. I guess I had tamer ones visiting my yard that year.
Thanks for hosting....and when you have time could you tell me how to get that Foto button over on my blog?
I have tried going to add a gadget and putting what I copied and pasted from the box beneath it and it comes up on blogger and tells me I have used illegal...letters or something similar.
I have gone wih a similar heme to you but thought it would be very interesting. I tried to include a direct link to the White Island Info in my blog but it didn't quite work although if you are interested in reading more it should be easy enough to find.
If we come to the States again I think Death Valley will definitely be on the agenda.
OOPS!! Sorry, I added myself to this Mr. Linky, but meant to do it for the current one. I did do a post for this one, but it never posted and I need to see what's wrong with it.
I love your picture though. It's really "against all odds"!!
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