The Joshua tree has distinctive dagger-like, hard and pointy leaves. When the leaves dry up, they droop and wrap around the trunk like a piece of fuzzy hair-like clothing, making it look like a giant sloth.
The flowers are light green and the fruits almost the same colour. The fruit looks like 佛掌瓜 (Buddha Palm), just smaller.
The flowers and fruits can actually appear together on the same branch. Strange.
As soon as we arrived on the ranch, we were greeted by a lizard, who performed push-ups for us. It has a metallic skins. They turn out to be quite common around here.
Right outside our cabin is a small tree with purple flowers, exactly like those that my wife C used to draw in her Chinese paintings. Quite surprised to see them here. It also produces a fruit that somewhat resembles a peanut. , When the fruit is dried, the seeds rattle in the shell.
The Joshua Tree thrives in the semi-deserts of south-west Northern America, and apparently no where else. It is said that they can actually die if there is too much rain.
Joshua Tree National Park covers a wild area under snow-capped mountains. There has been a lot of rain this past winter. Hence there is a lot of green all around.
Many of the cacti are flowering.
Including some of the familiar bunny ears.
Some of the small flowers can also be very attractive.
There was once a thriving cattle business around a watering hole. Now it is all quiet and tranquil.
It is quite windy in the area. Not surprising to see big windmills, apparently generating electricity.
The USA is actually not doing as well as many other countries in harnessing renewable energy, such as the sun and the wind. It is at least partly because of its vast reserves of oil. It is a great pity, and rather short-sighted.
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