Category: springtime

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

On the bright side of a rainy Monday

A Gambel’s quail at Clark County Wetlands Park on Jan. 21, 2023.

This morning it is raining in Southern Nevada, making it cold and dreary, though I know it’s necessary. I mean, I love the rain, don’t get me wrong. But are Mondays necessary?

Regardless — precipitation this time of year is particularly important. The soil has more of a chance of absorbing and even retaining the moisture. There’s less evaporation. Also, the rain is more persistent and slower, resulting in far less flash flooding and runoff. Continue reading On the bright side of a rainy Monday