- Woke up at dawn to the sun rising over Joshua Tree. Not a rattlesnake or tarantula to be found.
- After having considered waking up, dragged sleeping bag and Thermarest behind a big rock.
- Commenced to sleep again.
- Sun finally peeks over rock and apprehends my feet in its glare.
- Time to get up!
- Homemade granola for breakfast. Yum.
- Pack it up and head to Lost Horse trail.
- Somewhere in the region of a six mile hike. Don't encounter another soul during the hike, but do encounter sweeping vistas and excellent conversation.
- Return to campsite. Proceed to scurry around the rocks and crevices at our campground, Jumbo Rocks.
- By this point, the flies have made themselves known. I'd swear they were buzzing my head just for S's and Gigs*.
- Jeffrey, flies, and I explore the wash and rocks for an hour or so before coming to this realization: "hey, we've been in the blank sun all day**".
- Nap.
- Back up!
- A ranger approaches!
- Nature walk to Skull Rock at dusk? Is that a come-on? It is? Sounds great!
- Turns out come-on means nature walk, which is just the same, because we learn about some of the more prevalent fauna within Joshua Tree.
- Some of the purposes the Indians of Joshua Tree used the plants we saw for: sorethroats, indigestion, upset stomach, constipation, birth control, diarrhea, headaches, fevers, juggler's despair.
- About this time, undue faith in Western medicine aside, I begin to appreciate the difference between "used for" and "worked for". That, or there must have been some pretty powerful placebo at work in that desert.
- Besides Jeffrey, myself, and the ranger? Germans. Tons of toe-headed, fair skinned Germans. I love Germans. And apparently they love Joshua Tree.
- Return and make dinner. Discover I've neglected to bring a pot along for this wild ride of a summer.
- Laugh at the camping pots and pans I bought at Fred Meyers.
- Zatarans and instant mashed potatoes: the dinner of kings***.
- Our ambitions for another night of Tecate, stars, and conversation are cut short by descending exhaustion, hard and fast.
- No tent, thanks.
- zzzz.
Oh! Almost forgot. The picture for the day:
German children playing under a desert's moon*As part of our partnership with Google and Disney, we agreed to keep WIDWINW G-rated.
**And our lack of visits to the facilities begin to draw question towards our hydration. G-rated, y'all.
***If kings cooked on a propane range while shirtless and delicately operating a sauce pan that has been conscripted into service as a pot. You know, old fashioned king stuff.
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