Mad Mutter: joshua tree, after

I'm back from Joshua Tree and even feeling a little bloggy. It was a great trip. Joshua Tree is an absolutely gorgeous, austere, magical place; I can't begin to describe it in a way that does it justice. The geology of the area is laid bare, so you can see the bones of the earth, and the Joshua Trees are the most peculiar plants. They have a whimsical Doctor Seuss quality, some with the most outlandish shapes. Many are really full sized trees, except that they are not trees. They are related to yuccas. I will be horribly self indulgent and bore you with way too many vacation pictures: if you find your eyes glazing over, just skip down to the bottom.

Here are the boys scrambling up some rocks...

Here's the oasis from the trail, in the distance:

And here it is close up:

There were boulders like this perched everywhere:

And J perched on some of the massive rocks:

Joshua Trees:

And now for something completely different, the warehouse space, with crew in action:

Did I post the maquette for the powder room?

I actually had a lot to say about Joshua Tree, but I've worn myself out with these pictures. One tip, though-- if your son suggests you take the hike to the oasis, which is three miles round trip and listed on the brochure as "moderately strenuous", think twice about bringing your four year old along. Really. I mean it. But honestly, the oasis was worth all of it, a miracle in the desert.