Never Promised You Flowers

Bristle Cone Pine with open cone

The drought has sort of killed spring. Greening up of grass and the blooming of wild flowers is WAY behind schedule. But yesterday in the Val Vidal I saw signs of hope. Or a desperate attempt to reproduce before the plant expires to the drought.

Standing Brave

While the flowers were a sign of hope they were also sad because of their reduced numbers and what if there is no rain will be a failed attempt to reproduce. There were flowers but also an alarming absence of bees and butterflies.

Nor were the flower sin lush green meadows but surrounded by dry and brittle grass that crunched when you walked on it. There is a trout pond behind these flowers but the water is so low that when I got down to photograph the flowers the water did not show.

I got this one photo with just a hint of water by going up a hill and then lying in a depression, like my friend Jessica below.

So both photographers and flowers are going to extreme lengths to pretend it is spring. It is not. It is a death knell. And a warning we may be too late in reversing the effects of climate change.