The Unexpected & Beautiful Colors of the Desert
What comes to mind when you think of the desert? Sun? Sand? Cacti? While many deserts do fit that traditional description, the high desert that I live in does not.
We have plenty of sun like a traditional desert, but we also have rain throughout the year and snow in the winter. Being a high desert means we are high up in elevation and our little town sits at 5,000 feet above sea level. Instead of tons of cacti spread over the sand, we have sagebrush as far as the eye can see with the occasional cactus here and there; and instead of an ocean of sand, we have silty soil, which, doesn't make for great gardening (you can read more about that here) but does make great mud!
The desert is truly not as bad as it's made out to be, not the high desert anyway. The desert is beautiful is many ways, and unexpected moments of beauty can be found all around!
The sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking here! Take a look at this picture. Can you tell what that is? This image is of the moon setting. That's right, that's not the sun, that is the moon. I took this picture at 7am as the moon was getting ready to set behind those pink mountains. Just look at the colors in this picture! Cool blues fade into pale butter-yellow with a creamy moon in the middle. The mountains are nearly magenta contrasted by the green-gray sage and the tan roads running parallel and perpendicular to the horizon.
Fun Fact: This area of Nevada is one of the best places in the United States to watch the night sky! Why? With little environmental and light pollution, you can see stars you didn't even know where there! You can read more about stargazing in Nevada here.
The sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking here! Take a look at this picture. Can you tell what that is? This image is of the moon setting. That's right, that's not the sun, that is the moon. I took this picture at 7am as the moon was getting ready to set behind those pink mountains. Just look at the colors in this picture! Cool blues fade into pale butter-yellow with a creamy moon in the middle. The mountains are nearly magenta contrasted by the green-gray sage and the tan roads running parallel and perpendicular to the horizon.
Fun Fact: This area of Nevada is one of the best places in the United States to watch the night sky! Why? With little environmental and light pollution, you can see stars you didn't even know where there! You can read more about stargazing in Nevada here.
The next picture isn't as picturesque as the moonset image above, but it is another picture of the many the colors of the desert. If you objectively look at this picture you will see plenty beauty contained in this simple image. What is this a picture of? Nothing fancy.
This is a picture I snapped while sitting in my car as we were exiting the freeway. That's right, this is a humble scene from the freeway exit ramp.
The setting or circumstance captured in this picture isn't special in anyway, don't let that fool you. Look at the colors throughout this picture...
The coal-black road, the sienna highlights in the shrubbery, the gray sky, and different tones of green, shades of taupe, and hints of yellow make for a moment of beauty found in an unlikely place.
This picture just goes to show that beauty can be found anywhere, as long as you have the eyes to see it.
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