Kim_Johnson
I have five acres of desert property in San Diego California, in between the small towns, Jacumba Hot Springs and Octotillo Wells. It also borders the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. The park runs 25 miles east to west and 50 miles north to south. It is California’s biggest state park encompassing 600,000 miles. To the south of our property is the Mexican Border.
There has been a lot of talk about about a border wall lately. There is already a fence that is not mentioned. We often see the Border Patrol vehicles patrolling.
We go out to enjoy the desert in the spring, winter and fall. It can get up to 115 degrees in the summer. In the winter it can snow. The elevation is at 3000 feet above sea level.
This property was part of 20 acres that my grandfather had and passed it down to my dad, then me. I love it here. I think it is so pretty even though most think it just looks dead and dried out.
It’s all a matter of perception. What do you see when you look at a desert scene? Can you feel the quietness? Can you see the beauty?
The sunrises and sunsets are fabulous.
See what I mean? Meika and Maggie Mae love it here!
This place was an old saloon and watering station for stage coaches back in the day. They used to stop here and fill up with water and take a break before climbing the mountain and down to the coast. My grandfather bought it and used it as a rock and gemstone shop.
Sadly we cannot get water back to the property. It’s been a long fight, we lost. There is a natural spring that used to supply the area with water. The government has cut all the pipes which used to run to the property and it is too expensive to dig a well here. The Anza Borrego Sheep had started using the spring for a watering hole. Since they are in danger of becoming extinct they have claimed the spring. I can’t argue with that.
So now we just use it to camp on.
Here is the spring after the Borrego Sheep guys got done digging it deeper for the wildlife. It is about 20 feet deep.
At night..
And a final sunset. Hope you enjoyed this set.
I’d like to spent one night in the desert!
Come on over Carmen ; )
Great post with amazing photos. Never been to a desert, so nice to see pictures of one. Thanks for sharing!
I cant find my other album for some reason. It has all the macros and closeups of the spring flowers. I am still looking for it though. Not giving up yet. I have waaaay too many photos.
Excellent post
Thanks Olga!
I think it is beautiful! The only problem I might have is the heat since I will have a hard time breathing. I am sure though, different months, different seasons, and different times of date can make a huge impact too.
Have asthma? I do. You can breath out here.Really well. My pipes get really clear. I do not go out in the summertime. The spring and winter are the best times.
I love this post, Kim! I also love the desert. I’ve spent time in the Sahara, Sinai and Negev and got such an all-encompassing feeling of peace. You are lucky to have that spot, even with the loss of water.
Wow, great travels there Norman. I would love to visit the Sahara. You do feel at peace for sure, the clean dry air, the quietness. Oh and this is the only place in the area that is dubbed a dark site. Meaning there is no light pollution. You can see thousands of stars, meteors, and the milky way.
“Dark site” sounds really dark. In a dark way first, before your explanation 😀
lol spooky….
Beautiful land, unfortunately heat andI do not get along!
I don’t like it out there when its hot. It’s just too hot. The reflection of the sun on the sand will even burn you. That’s why we go out before it gets too hot. In Fact the whole Park is closed in the summer for sand dune restoration.
Looks great to me. Interesting to see what a dessert is like. I would like to know more about how you live out there, thanks for this post.
Thanks Pam. We cannot live out there, as we cannot get water, so we camp out there in an RV usually in the springtime.
It looks beautiful. I don’t live anywhere near a desert but I have visited them a few times. I’ve always enjoyed it.
Thank you. I love them. I see the old towns and communities and wonder how they ever managed without air conditioning.
Love all of this Kim. The morning glow is so cool, love your dog, and the reflections in your mirror!
Thank you Carol. Glad you liked them and saw the beauty.
LOVELY 🙂
Thank you! Time stamp is wrong on this..
I love the desert, though I’m not crazy about the heat. That might sound contradictory, but it really isn’t.
Incidentally, if Anza Borrego Desert State Park is 25 miles by 50 miles, it can’t be 600,000 square miles. It would be 1,250 square miles or 800,000 acres (if the park was a perfect rectangle). If it was 600,000 square miles in size, it would be almost 200 times larger than Yellowstone National Park. lol I think you meant acres.
lol i did, darn it. Hey all I meant acres.. thank you!
What a wonderful pictures!
Thank you Gina!