Moominmama's Adventures

In which Moominmama sees a true desert oasis after visiting ancient ruins that reveal the remarkable skills of the Hohokam... Moominmama has arrived in the Joshua Tree National Park though I'm in the southern end, a transition zone between the Sonoran and Mohave deserts. There are a mix of familiar plants -- lots of yucca, cholla cactus and creosote bushes. But I got my first look at a Joshua tree on a drive further north into the park. And they are fascinating, reminding me of Dr. Seuss with their starbursts of green at the end of each branch. In spring, they get white blossoms, and those are reportedly starting to bloom though I will have to go to another section of the park to see them! Check back next week, and I hope to have photos. The park is busy, and my campground is, shall we say, snug. But I am lucky to have a view out toward the desert since I'm on an outside loop. Unlike the oasis pictured above, with California fan palms and a towering cottonwood tree, the hiking ...

  Wherein Moominmama explores the Chiricahua Mountains and finds herself unexpectedly impressed by the human invention of "lungs" for Biosphere 2... The Chiricahua Mountains are in the southeast corner of Arizona, attracting wildlife and birds from the Sonoran desert, Chihuahuan desert and the unusual elevations, called Sky Islands, near the New Mexico and Mexican borders. The whole area was subject to a major volcanic eruption 27 million years ago that spewed tons of ash across 1,200 square miles, covering this area hundreds of feet deep. Over time, the ash formed rhyolitic rock that eroded in unusual ways.  Chiricahua National Monument is full of these strange hoo-doos, or "standing rocks" per the Chiricahuan Apache who called this area home for thousands of years. Geronimo is among the most famous of this tribe and one of the last to lead his people's fight for freedom before they were forced by the military onto reservations. Unlike the sandstone hoo-doos I...

  In which Moominmama reflects on the start of a new year and what it means to reach Year Five of a life on the road... Starting on my fifth year on the road, Moominmama wonders if it's an adventure anymore, or just a lifestyle. Somehow, "Moominmama's Lifestyle" just doesn't have the same ring! But the truth is that not everything is new and exciting! Having picked up the trailer in New Mexico and driven to Arizona, I'm enjoying a Sonoran Desert that's actually somewhat familiar. I enjoy being back among the grandfather saguaro cactus, unique to this particular desert. The Sonoran Desert, unlike others, is marked by two rainy seasons: the summer monsoons and winter rains. But as I've learned, last year there were no significant monsoon rains in the Phoenix area, deepening an already serious drought. This year, no flowers greeted my March arrival. The plants were dry and dormant, and the local park ranger was taking photos of stressed-out saguaros on my...