Summer? Looks like it, doesn't it? It was in the mid 90's when we got down there and the day after, when this picture was taken. We were using the best shade we had available, the blooming creosote bushes. I just love that place, but the best thing for me is the outdoor shower. There is something special about taking a shower with the sun shining on me. It was kind of windy there a couple of days and that made the shower a little chilly as the water was almost blowing sideways, but it was still good.
It rained while we were there and that was the first time I had been down there when it rained. I really liked the way the desert smelled after the showers. The desert plants and animals must have been happy about it too since that is such a rare occasion down there. This sunset picture could have been better if I would have had a wide angle or fisheye lense, but I didn't. Still it was pretty.
The wind was blowing pretty good a couple of times, especially one evening. We had a fire going but it was hard to stay warm. We would have gotten into the hot springs but it was full of people also trying to stay out of the wind and neither one of us wanted to join the crowd. I took this picture on a warmer night, the shorts tell the story. You didn't need the fire for warmth especially, just entertainment. Ah, the primal instinct to watch fire!
I took my UV light with me and we went out a couple of nights and looked for fluorescent minerals. We found some but then I spotted this little critter. In fact, we found many of them this way. I guess that's better than finding them in your shoe. The scorpions were quite numerous but we never found any too close to camp, and let me tell you, we checked! It was a perfect week in many ways, we did lots of hiking and bike riding and had a great time. I met lots of great people and with the exception of some asshole playing his music too loud one night, there were no bad times. You know, I just don't understand why some people think everyone wants to hear their music. Nobody wants to hear your music! Turn it down or wear headphones and shut the fuck up!
