In and Around the Desert~That's My World 010510

Our desert has so many various land forms, I decided to head out early one morning during vacation to see them. The first photos show the results of the San Andreas Fault, which runs along the base of the hills in our valley. Yes, those rocks are jutting right out of the ground, right along the fault line. My school is less than 10 miles from the fault, at the lower end of the Coachella Valley. Our daughter and son can see the palms from their houses. The location of palm trees indicates ground water seeping up from beneath the sand. It is interesting to see how the pressure of the earth can actually mold the rocks so that they are no longer straight, but curved! There is a spot near Mecca, which is lower in the valley, called Painted Canyon, where the rocks are standing curved and twisted from the fault. It is a popular hiking spot and sometimes hikers get stranded there in both summer and winter. Always remember to bring extra water with you when you are out in the desert and warm clothes in winter as we are frequently having mornings down into freezing! In the desert, on a clear night, because there are no clouds to retain the day's heat, temperature will plunge overnight during the winter months. And, of course, in summer, daytime temperatures are WELL over 100 degrees! That's My World for Tuesday, January 5, 2010.