Superbloom
Some of the old prophets talked about flowers blooming in the desert. This year we got them. The major storms that battered parts of the state of California this year were intense, disruptive, and in some cases, tragic. California is a desert, always has been. The only way they live there is by getting water and electricity from other states…until this year. 2023 brought lots of rain to cities and to the deserts outside the big metro areas. The effect of all that continuous water has been that billions of seeds that have been lying dormant for years have the moisture they need to come alive. They have bloomed in such quantity and with such bright colors the weather satellites can see them and capture their images.
The street name for this effect is a “Superbloom.” The LA Times talked to a scientist who pointed out that there is no natural definition of a Superbloom—they are rather a cultural phenomenon when humans decide enough flowers emerge at one time in one place. “The are seven “best” sites in Southern California where visitors can see the blooms, which have already arrived and, in many cases, are projected to continue for about a month.” The state naturalists recommend you download the” iNaturalist” app to learn more about each flower species. The knowledge of what a flower is, who its cousins are, when it emerges, and what species co-exist with it often fosters a closer appreciation and connection to the flower and the land itself, sometimes without the reader even knowing it’s happening.
“You have a great diversity, an abundance of many different wildflower species, all flowering, creating bright patches of color on the landscape where they become the dominant feature.” Additionally, severe droughts can increase the time between these vibrant phenomena and parch the perennial plants that wildflowers rely on. Amid these threats to the blossoms’ splendor, ecologists urge visitors to avoid damaging the flowers. The colorful vistas have attracted swarms of tourists in past years, putting strain on the land and local resources. During the last wildflower super bloom in 2019, selfie-taking visitors flocked to Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore, trampling flowers, backing up roads for hours and parking cars illegally along the freeway. In Antelope Valley, California, one couple even landed a helicopter in the middle of a poppy field. “In 2019, the poppy bloom here in Walker Canyon became a local, state, national and even international phenomenon,” Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson said.
Floral funnies
The wife has just phoned me to tell me that 3 women in her office have received flowers today and they are absolutely gorgeous.
I said, “That’s probably why !!”
If you see a monk going door to door selling flowers in your neighborhood, call the authorities immediately.
Because only YOU can prevent florist friars.
While attending a marriage seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife, Grace, listened to the instructor: “It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.” He addressed the men, “can you describe your wife’s favorite flower?” Tom leaned over, touched his wife’s arm gently and whispered, “It’s Pillsbury, isn’t it?”
Why did the blond cut a hole in her new umbrella?
Because she wanted to be able to tell when it stopped raining.
May 3rd Birthdays
1985 – Gal Gadot, 1975 – Christina Hendricks, 1996 – Zoe DeGrand Maison, 1986 – Lindsay Lohan
1933 – James Brown, 1951 – Christopher Cross, 1936 – Englebert Humperdinck, 1935 – Frankie Valli