If you look closely, you can see a mustang grazing at upper left. If you look a bit closer, you might be able to see that this old juniper is growing out of a (crack in this) sandstone boulder.
This grandmother tree certainly made sure to send up many fingers through the available space(s).
This is the view from the other, downhill, side … and it’s the view that got me interested in walking up to investigate further. Bit of a grumpy-rock missing an eye, eh? And I looked, but no Excalibur did I find also buried within the stone.
Think of the seasons and years and heat and cold this tree and this stone have witnessed, together. And the stone likely thinks the tree is just a wee, youthful thing.
As a colorful bonus to this post …
This uber-handsome fellow was not in Spring Creek Basin – or even in Disappointment Valley. He was a good bit farther south (still in Colorado) and stopped to catch the rays along a bike trail where I stopped to gasp and puff … err, catch my breath. I couldn’t believe he stayed still long enough for me to fish out my phone and snap his portrait, but he did, and I was happy as I love these beasties at least as much as I love our horned lizards! It won’t be long, and we’ll be seeing our own Disappointment Valley-native collared lizards.
**Update: I saw my first Disappointment Valley-native collared lizard just yesterday – also while riding my bike, as it turned out. It was MUCH too quick for my full admiration, but temps are warming, and soon they’ll be sunning and lazy.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
We share a common interest, not only the mustangs, but old gnarly trees and rocks. The different lizards are starting to show up here as well.
The entire wild, natural world is our interest! 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying that wowza California superbloom! Is it still in full bloom?
Here in my neck of the woods it’s fading fast. I did enjoy pulling into the many turnouts climbing or descending on my drive. I would leave early just so I would have the time to stop and just enjoy the beauty. I wasn’t alone. A few others were doing the same thing. I didn’t take pictures, I just took it all in with my eyes.
Sounds just amazing. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Nature is really amazing! Love the little lizard!
She’ll win eventually, I hope. We have to hope! Aren’t those bright-turquoise critters awesome? I don’t know the environmental advantage of being so brightly colored in drabs and duns – and bright-orange lichen – but I love them, too. 🙂
All of this is beautiful. Thank you!
I’m so happy to share! 🙂
Rocks and trees in close companionship – what stories they could tell! And those iridescent collared lizards are one of my favorites! They’ll be out soon up here. Wonderful photos from the deserts, TJ, reminding us why we love them. 😊
THINK of those stories they could tell! I know – it boggles the mind. I’m definitely greedy for the turquoise … and I love it in living form more than any other. 🙂
This is a wild puzzle to find the horse!
Bit of a tangle of branches and roots, huh! 🙂