Joshua Tree National Park.
The desert plants continued to fascinate me. How could anything survive the unwavering heat and arid soil? The unfamiliar desert ecosystem quenched the drought of my inquisitive mind. I was curious about the age of the trees and cacti, the amount of time it takes for them to grow, and the microclimates that allowed specific plants to flourish in hidden oases.
In addition to the plants, there was a surprising amount of wildlife. One morning I heard a thumping rapidly approaching behind me. I whipped around, nearly throwing my book, to see a rabbit bolting down the hill. As I scanned the intermittent shrubbery, there was a silhouette of a cat on the ridge. I grabbed my camera and started walking indirectly toward the intruder. Moments later I was watching a bobcat walk across the opposing hill. I followed in the cat's general direction. Silence and a motionless desert were all I sensed after cresting the second ridge. It vanished with no perceivable clues. I slowly strolled back toward our campsite when the thumping of another rabbit was behind me, accompanied only by the ghostly memory of the bobcat.
I sat back in my chair and continued reading my book on silence and prayer.
