Riverside County California

Let’s Get Lost!

January 15, 2024 — 2 Comments

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Joshua Tree National Park

Is it safe to swim in the ocean this week?

Sure, the sharks are all busy filming with Discovery.

Interesting Facts: The flatland between these hills is sparsely forested with Joshua trees. Together with the boulder piles and Skull Rock, the trees make the landscape otherworldly. Temperatures are most comfortable in the spring and fall, with an average high/low of 85 and 50 °F (29 and 10 °C), respectively. Winter brings cooler days, around 60 °F (16 °C), and freezing nights. Snows occur occasionally at higher elevations. Summers are hot, over 100 °F (38 °C) during the day and not cooling much below 75 °F (24 °C) until the early hours of the morning. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park )

There Are Far Better Things Ahead Than The Ones We Leave Behind.

January 14, 2024 — 8 Comments

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Joshua Tree National Park

How are mountains able to see?

They peak!

Interesting Facts: The higher and cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of Yucca brevifolia, the Joshua tree for which the park is named. It occurs in patterns from dense forests to distantly spaced specimens. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western part of the park includes some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California’s deserts. The dominant geologic features of this landscape are hills of bare rock, usually broken up into loose boulders. These hills are popular among rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park )

 

The Weather Below Is Cloudy.

January 13, 2024 — 11 Comments

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Mount San Jacinto State Park ( Desert View Trail )

 What do you call lice on a bald man’s head?
Homeless.

Interesting Fact: The Mount San Jacinto State Park encompasses the weathered granite summit of Mount San Jacinto, which at 10,834 feet (3,302 m) above sea level[2] makes this the second highest peak and mountain range in Southern California. It is accessible by the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and lies on the Pacific Crest Trail. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_San_Jacinto_State_Park )

Hang In There… It’s Friday!

December 22, 2023 — 7 Comments

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Mount San Jacinto State Park

What do you call a professional fisherman?

A master baiter.

Interesting Facts: Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of Los Angeles, near San Bernardino and Palm Springs. The park is named for the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) native to the Mojave Desert. Originally declared a national monument in 1936, Joshua Tree was redesignated as a national park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act.[3] Encompassing a total of 790,636 acres (1,235.4 sq mi; 3,199.6 km2)[1]—an area slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island—the park includes 429,690 acres (671.4 sq mi; 1,738.9 km2) of designated wilderness.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park )

I’m Higher Than I Expected!

February 17, 2021 — 2 Comments

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Mount San Jacinto State Park ( Desert View Trail ) 

What kind of undies do clouds wear?

Thunderwear.

Interesting Fact: The San Jacinto Mountains, like the neighboring San Bernardino Mountains, are a humid island above the surrounding desert and semi-desert. Annual precipitation ranges from about 15 inches at the western base (and only 6 inches on the eastern, desert base) to as much as 32 inches above 5,500 feet (the mountain town of Idyllwild averages 27 inches per year). The coastal (western) side of the range receives more precipitation than the eastern (desert) side. Most of the precipitation falls between November and March, with a secondary maximum associated with thunderstorms during the summer monsoon season between July and September. The precipitation totals are highly variable from year to year. Snow usually falls above 4,000 feet elevation in winter. Above 8,000 feet, snow sometimes persists until June. Near the crest, there are often a few patches of snow that may persist all year in shady spots. ( San Jacinto Mountains – Wikipedia )

Do You Even LIFT BRO?l

January 15, 2021 — 11 Comments

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Mount San Jacinto State Park 

What is a pretzel’s favorite dance?

The twist.

Interesting Facts: The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California, is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. It was opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to near the top of San Jacinto Peak and was constructed in rugged Chino Canyon. Before its construction, the only way to the top of the mountain was to hike hours from Idyllwild. The rotating cars were added in 2000. ( Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – Wikipedia)

Life Is Like A Cactus, Full Of Pricks, But Also Very Beautiful.

February 27, 2020 — 2 Comments

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Loggerhead Shrike

What is a soldiers least favorite month of the year?

March

Interesting Fact: Loggerhead Shrikes impale noxious prey such as monarch butterflies and eastern narrow-mouthed toads—then wait for up to three days to eat them, which allows time for the poisons to break down. These shrikes also eat the heads and abdomens of toxic lubber grasshoppers, while discarding the insect’s poisonous thorax. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike )

 

 

I Used To Think I Was Indecisive, But Now I’m Not Too Sure.

January 12, 2020 — 4 Comments

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Loggerhead Shrike

At a local coffee bar, a young woman was expounding on her idea of the perfect mate to some of her friends. “The man I marry must be a shining light amongst company. He must be musical. Tell jokes. Sing. And stay home at night!” An old granny overheard and spoke up, “Honey, if that’s all you want, get a TV!”

Interesting Fact: The upper cutting edge (tomium) of the Loggerhead Shrike’s hooked bill features a pair of built-in pointy projections, aptly named “tomial teeth.” Like a falcon, the shrike tackles vertebrate prey with a precise attack to the nape, probably using these tomial “teeth” to paralyze the animal with a jab to the spinal cord. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike )

 

 

 

 

I’m On Top Of The World!

December 16, 2019 — 5 Comments

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Mount San Jacinto State Park ( Desert View Trail )

Why did the snowman call his dog Frost?

Because frost bites!

Interesting Fact: Mount San Jacinto State Park is in the San Jacinto Mountains, of the Peninsular Ranges system, in Riverside County, California, United States. A majority of the park is within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.[1] The park is near the Greater Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_San_Jacinto_State_Park )