In the desert , January 29, Nevada

Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Two pickups meet on a dusty, gravel road in the desert.

In one, man in cowboy hat raises a hand.

I think, you have to be friendly out here

You never know when you might need each other.

The visitor center is closed

But there is a lively bus load of middle school kids,

Looks like eighth grade,

Eating their lunch under the roof.

They like George.

One girl asks politely if she can pet the dog.

Park worker wonders what kind of a dog is that.

Our standard answer… we don’t know.

On the trail, suddenly I realize why this place is precious.

Water, pure fresh water in a little stream,

Creates a mini ecosystem of grass, small trees,

And haven for life.

I understand “oasis”

And imagine what it would be like to

Come on horseback, or wagon, or on foot,

And see the little green in the distance

And wonder if I was seeing things

And fall upon this pretty place like heaven.

George seems to sense it

Begs and pulls to go in,

I let him briefly

(I don’t think it is allowed)

But I cannot resist.

He is in heaven too.

desert

oasis

water

explanation of the oasis (my word – they just call it Corn Creek)

The Nuwuvi were the original native people

 It was very quiet there.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 at 7:20 pm and is filed under Judy's Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.