Owyhee Flyer: Desert Fragrance II

As we were traveling through the Sage to the Rodear area, I was struck by all the different flowers that were growing on that section of the Desert. There were quite a few growing there that were not growing at the house. The ground at the house is either sandy or gravelly type ground.

Most of the people that do not live in the Desert have a tendency to think that it is an empty place. Wasted land that is too poor to have any life. My mother, who had lived her life in the W.Va. hills, remarked after driving across the Oregon Desert, " I can't believe all that wasted space". Granted the secrets of the desert do not draw undue attention to themselves. You have to look at more than the obvious. Of course it helps if it rains a bit every once and a while.

All of the flowers pictured here were observed on the short drive from Hwy 78 to the reservoir that the branding was to take place. Also observed on that three mile trip across the Sage was a Prairie Falcon making repeated stoops at the numerous Doves that were feeding there, a Desert Rattlesnake, four Mallard Ducks, Killdeer, Horned Larks, Western Kingbirds, Turkey Vulture, Ravens and a Northern Harrier. That was just the obvious stuff.

I am afraid that I do not have the names of most of these flowers that I photographed. Karen has lost her Desert Flower book, but they are still nice to look at. We had a short rain this evening and the Primrose is heavy on the breeze.