Superbloom in the desert
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. Lots of rain came 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.
Blooming Idiots
My wife asked me why I never buy her flowers…
And I was like, you sell flowers?!?
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?”
I accidentally planted the wrong flowers in my garden:
Oopsie daisies.
Where did Robin Hood buy flowers?
Sherwood Florist.
March 26th Birthdays
1997 – Kathryn Bernardo, 1985 – Keira Knightly, 1973 – Leslie Mann, 1944 – Diana Ross
1960 – Marcus Allen, 1933 – Leonard Nimoy, 1973 – Larry Page, 1940 – James Caan