A Very Desert Birthday to Me
Woke up and decided I'll just be 21 again, happy birthday to me!
Supercars come out like a pack of lemmings. All lined up, ducks in their rows. Following orders, good little Marines. Zoom zoom zoom as they pass pass pass.
Elevation 4000 ft. Hair pin turns, only enough room for the lane you're in. The shoulder is a boulder.
Turned 21, went out for a piece of cake or an apple pie. Ended up on a 6 hour desert drive.
I’m newly obsessed with Shaun Finn, so I play this track on repeat.
Cried out my little eyes at the natural beauty. Passed through dozens of microclimates, eschewing human vice.
100°F. If you've been to the desert you know what a blessing it is to miss out on even a speck of dust-filled breeze.
It's my life habit to drive without a destination in mind. No gps, just whatever makes my heart say, "yes!"
This isn't even the longest accidental detour of my life. 6 years ago I drove south out of Seattle looking for a touch of sunlight, and ended up in California ever since.
This won't be a permanent relocation. I love the visit, but I'm not built for this type of desert living.
I park someplace random, get out and start walking. There's nobody anywhere, completely deserted. They know better than me, it's high noon near the Salton Sea.
I hadn't anticipated the briny things. Skeletal remains pave the way, one-time baby barnacles. Of all the things I do not expect, is to find a random tiny button mushroom poking out.
I take my shirt off and fill it full of barnacle baby skeletons. Something something creative motivations. I leave the mushroom growing. The heat is extracting everything from me, but my brain knows I'm healthy now and it's nothing to sustain.
On the drive home I pass a couple heading back from the dunes. They're pulled over on the shoulder of the road. 5 miles later, I pass them again. I'm not driving in circles. The universe will play games if you take the time to notice.
I got my birthday cake, red velvet cake. My lifelong favorite. Pairs nicely with the bacon cheeseburgers I have planned and schemed.
Beautiful photos and story ! Happy Birthday !