tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post7394640091958625748..comments2024-02-06T10:31:24.491-07:00Comments on Watching the World Wake Up: Sonoran Twin B Getaway Part 1: Water and Hidden OrderWatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-86257404035898879462010-01-27T21:52:03.719-07:002010-01-27T21:52:03.719-07:00Shelley- Thanks for the trail suggestions. With AS...Shelley- Thanks for the trail suggestions. With AS living down there I get down Phoenix-way fairly often, so I expect I’ll get to check them out. And yes, I knew of the South American range (and possible origins) of Larrea (posted about it in the last tangent of <a href="http://watchingtheworldwakeup.blogspot.com/2008/11/advantage-of-being-pioneer.html" rel="nofollow">this post</a>, and blogged about the polyploid races of Creosote across Southwest deserts in <a href="http://watchingtheworldwakeup.blogspot.com/2008/05/creosote-way-wicked-cooler-than-you.html" rel="nofollow">this post</a>.) So glad someone else thinks Creosote is as fantastic as I do! (And that smell- still fresh in my mind!)<br /><br />Speaking of polyploidy in the Sonoran, here’s a cool teaser for Part 2 (which won’t be tomorrow- ran out of time): most of the Teddy Bear Cholla you see are asexual triploids.<br /><br />Enel- When we returned to Phoenix, we stopped by AS’s house for dinner before heading for the airport and heard the tragic news about the 6 yo boy. Ugh. Having just finished a great weekend with our own young kids, it really hit home.<br /><br /><i>Your</i> location is fantastic, both for the local topography and flora, as well as for the fantastic variety of environments within a 2 hour drive. Someday I’m going to finagle a day stop-over on one of my road-trips (last time was in ’95) and talk you into taking me out for a ride.<br /><br />I’m a huge Craig Childs fan and loved <i>Secret Knowledge</i>. This Fall I read his latest book, <i>House Of Rain</i>, in my opinion his best yet.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-21420065681775616212010-01-27T21:04:53.774-07:002010-01-27T21:04:53.774-07:00I have started and failed to finish the Silmarilli...I have started and failed to finish the Silmarillion twice, and I have been known to get through long, boring books, just can't do it.<br /><br />Glad you got to visit. Glad you weren't "washed" away like a local 6 yo.<br /><br />I think Palo Verdes are beautiful.<br /><br />The snowline thing with Junipers is interesting. In our town, an elevation change of only 500 feet markedly changes the amount of rain/snow seen, and the flora is subsequently markedly different.<br /><br />I am sure you have read it, but "The Secret Knowledge of Water" is a fabulous book about water and lack of it in the desert.Enelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00967981896718833776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-85076109812904312442010-01-27T19:37:34.976-07:002010-01-27T19:37:34.976-07:00It was good fun to read your post--the Superstitio...It was good fun to read your post--the Superstitions are one of my favorite places in the Upland Sonoran. When my husband and I were there last March, it was so wet that during a three-day backpack, we were literally never out of the sight of water (warning: results not typical!). You'll have to return to the Supes in the early spring for a wildflower display that will knock your socks off. See especially the Lost Dutchman's Trail and the Barkley Basin.<br /><br />I agree that Creosote is a cool plant. Did you know that <i>Larrea</i> occurs as far south as Bolivia? Research has shown that <i>L. tridendata</i> evolved different ploidy levels as it expanded its range into drier Southwestern deserts, like the Mojave and Chihuahua. This, in turn, has helped to demonstate that polyploidy in general is an effective adaptation to harsh environments. Polyploids exhibit self-fertilization, asexual reproduction, and drought-tolerance. It's no wonder that <i>Larrea</i> is the longest lived genus on earth.<br /><br />~ShelleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-54952412725321477252010-01-27T13:56:26.063-07:002010-01-27T13:56:26.063-07:00Kris- I love it when something random and confusin...Kris- I love it when something random and confusing starts to make sense. I think that's why I get off on the big picture/pattern stuff.<br /><br />SBJ/Kris- I suspect there's a certain class of books that are really, really great, but only if you read them before you're 25 or 30 or so. I fear Silmarillion may be one of them. (<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_art_of_motorcycle_maintenance" rel="nofollow">ZMM</a> may be another.)Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-91016219118666589682010-01-27T11:19:12.574-07:002010-01-27T11:19:12.574-07:00SBJ - I heard similar reactions to Silmarillion, a...SBJ - I heard similar reactions to Silmarillion, and while I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I just couldn't muster the endurance to try Silmarillion. Your comment is another nail in that coffin. Sorry Watcher.KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-3381287759088973372010-01-27T10:48:33.387-07:002010-01-27T10:48:33.387-07:00I'm amazed you could make it through the Silma...I'm amazed you could make it through the Silmarillion. I tried it on audiobook and felt like a mellowdramatic old man was reading the old testament except with more unbelievably wacky magic going on.Ski Bike Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295969126174565599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-7997054306015584652010-01-27T08:40:26.210-07:002010-01-27T08:40:26.210-07:00What a packed post.
I'm impressed that you no...What a packed post.<br /><br />I'm impressed that you not only dive deep into the details but also see the big picture. I'm trying to develop this sensibility, but most of the time I just see cool looking scenery. I need to wake up.<br /><br />My favorite photo: the 5 desert plants group shot.KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.com