Ugly truths behind things we consume and use

There’s a data center under construction in Las Vegas, NV, that’s supposed to be up and running in 2027.

If you’re concerned about existing and future data centers near you, such as due to their energy and water consumption, check out DataCenterMap USA. You can query by ZIP code. I did a search and found existing and future locations in Nevada.

Naively, it struck me as strange to think of brick-and-mortar being associated with something that seems so innocuous and abstract like a data cloud. It sounds so innocent. I mean, what can be so harmful about a cloud, right? But the way we experience technology is so sterilized. Continue reading Ugly truths behind things we consume and use

Get ready: Here comes the fierce Mojave sun

A California redbud blooms as American coots feed on the grass at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs last March.

I’m reveling in the last of our cooler days, because come summer, instead of enjoying the sounds of birds while out on a hiking trail or at a park, I’ll likely be listening to the incessant ‘tweets’ of espresso machines and the roar of frothers emanating from behind a coffee counter.

That’s because the time of year is approaching when the Mojave Desert asserts itself in a way that can’t be ignored: — namely, by blasting Southern Nevadans with blazing temps.

Last summer certainly was a scorcher. We shattered records by hitting 120F, exceeding by 3 degrees the previous hottest day of 117F. We also had 112 days of 100F-plus temperatures, topping the record of 100 days during summer 2023. And experts are anticipating more of the same this year.

Cafes are a good place to take haven, with their frigid micro-climates. They pump up the AC enough to seemingly simulate being on a peak in the Spring Mountains, where it’s typically about 10-20 degrees cooler. Continue reading Get ready: Here comes the fierce Mojave sun

All this time, I thought I lived near torrey pines

This is not from a torrey pine tree, despite what’s suggested by the name of the street that runs north-south across the Las Vegas area.

Despite what’s stated on Google Maps and local street signage, the trees encircling my apartment complex are not what I thought they were.

Living at this complex for some years now – a stone’s throw from Torrey Pines Drive – I naively surmised I was in the presence of torrey pine trees.

I was smitten by the local connection!

But that was far from the case. In fact, the closest torrey pine tree is about 327 miles away from me – namely, at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in San Diego, Calif. Torrey pines also are considered critically endangered (a more severe status than endangered) by the National Audubon Society, due to a dwindling population.

Fact-finding mission

Pines can be a pain to distinguish. They all look so similar, so you need to do your homework. So I wandered into my leasing office to inquire (probably a lazy thing to do). I learned only that my complex was built in 1989. Continue reading All this time, I thought I lived near torrey pines

Snow and a rapid stream made this mountain hike an enjoyable challenge

Hikers gingerly traverse the last 1200 feet or so of the Fletcher Canyon Trail, where there was snow and a rapidly-running stream.

No more outdoor activities in low-lying areas unless it’s hella early—meaning, 5 a.m., and then it’s vamoose by like 7 a.m.-ish. Reason being, the hot weather is upon us here in Southern Nevada.

In other words, it’s time to take to higher elevations. So locally, that means the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.

Like today’s excursion to Kyle Canyon, where I tested out my new Garmin InReach Mini 2. Fun stuff! I figured I’d do so in a familiar area before venturing into more remote spots (to avoid those pesky humans).

Along the trail, there’s a stream bed that meanders parallel with the entire route. Normally, it’s as dry as a long-dead tree. But today, water ran robustly due to all the snow-melt in the mountain range (see video below.) The water looked to be around 2 feet deep in some sections, and you had to crisscross it repeatedly in order to complete the trail. Continue reading Snow and a rapid stream made this mountain hike an enjoyable challenge

Homes are horribly out of place along this scenic stretch of Henderson

A cluster of homes and transmission lines are visible at the base of a mountain, visible on the otherwise scenic Wells Trailhead of the Clark County Wetlands Park. This vantage point is from near the Three Kids Weir.

If you care about natural / organic spaces in urban settings, this particular area in Southern Nevada may leave you a bit perturbed and disheartened.

That’s because a massive amount of construction is in progress (and has been for quite some time now) on thousands of new residential units and 1.1 million square feet of commercial space.

The multi-use development, called Cadence, obliterates the scenery as you head down this part of Galleria Drive in Henderson, approaching, for instance, the Wells Trailhead, where I spent a recent Saturday morning. The trail is part of the Clark County Wetlands Park. Oh, and you’ll also need to pass roughly half a dozen roundabouts abuzz with aggressive drivers. Continue reading Homes are horribly out of place along this scenic stretch of Henderson

Notes on hares and coyotes you may not find in most field guides

A black-tailed jackrabbit stops as I try to observe it at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs on 2/24/23. These jacks have near-panoramic vision and ultra-keen hearing.

Just thought I would share some nuggets I read recently regarding the behaviors of black-tailed jackrabbits and also coyotes. I love when field guides have cool and interesting behavior observations. But you don’t often get that, and so I like to spend time rummaging around in the reference section of my local library. Continue reading Notes on hares and coyotes you may not find in most field guides

The morning I met a coyote

A coyote at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs on Feb. 18, 2023.

For a few seconds, it stared into my eyes as if it knew and loved me. Maybe even adoration. Or so I fancied. Its eyes were wide and seemed welcoming. My cat used to look at me like that when she was alive. She’d give me that stare before jumping down from her tree house to greet me.

But this creature was canine, and it could probably do me some damage, if it really wanted to, and if its species wasn’t so skittish of humans.

This particular one was perched atop a mulch pile bordering a thicket of bunchgrass, mesquite and catclaw acacia, near a periphery of scrubland.

Seconds after the encounter, it climbed down from its lookout and trotted away, its bushy tail characteristically between its legs.

Prior to my excursion on Feb. 18, I had never seen or heard a coyote in the wild. Continue reading The morning I met a coyote

That time of year in this part of Nevada

A creosote bush sprouts fruit in Southern Nevada.

We’re seeing the beginnings of spring in Southern Nevada. Green bursts on cottonwood trees. Creosote sprouting its fluffy, white fruit.

On a recent morning, I rose from sleep to a long litany of whoo-HOO-whoooo-whoooo-whoooo’s from a mourning dove. Such a soothing sound, and it reminds me of what an ancient woodwind instrument might have sounded like.

Forecasts of mid-60s by day ( but then plummeting into the upper-30s at night!) Typical desert cadence. Continue reading That time of year in this part of Nevada

Animal bones, a rock wren and visions of mountain lions

A rock wren at the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument on Feb. 4, 2023.

I did a little scrambling over some small hills and rocks yesterday — going off-trail and traversing the opposite side of the outcroppings I perused last week while at the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.

Now and then when it was too tempting to resist, instead of remaining linear, I’d venture over yet more hills and rocks to detour into the farther reaches to see what there was, and of course, there was more scrubland and outcroppings — a scattered labyrinth of the large formations.

These sculpted masses are replete with crevices, holes and indentations, seemingly offering many places for desert wildlife to hide or nest. They are basically compacted sandy terrain and deposit soils, and though they appear solid, they crumble at the touch, making them unfit for larger creatures, I would surmise. Continue reading Animal bones, a rock wren and visions of mountain lions