albradenphoto's blog

My recent trip to Big Bend in August was the hottest and driest I can remember. A ranger reported less than an inch of rain at Castelon in over a year. Lechugilla – the marker species of the great Chihuahuan Desert – were dying in vast areas. Creosote bush too – the plant you can’t get rid of. And at the river level – 110 degrees – too hot to touch the ground. That, and a dazed crow at Rio Grande Village in the east, created the first of many songs that I don’t want to write. Songs for the new earth. I hope we stop this march over the tipping point.

Lechugilla and Creosote Dying at Big Bend.

One Ten at the Rio Grande
Al Braden
8-11-11

Black crow hobblin’ cross the lot
Dry tongue hanging loose,
Too hot to fly
Too hot to walk,
Pant now into some shade,
One ten at the Rio Grande

Hot winds run cross the desert
Lechugilla all dried dead
Creosote bush too,
Some prickly pear, some pitayas gone
Where are those living rocks?
One ten at the Rio Grande

Ocotillas leafed up and hoping
Terlingua Creek ran some last night
Never reaching that Santa Elena
Some Prickly Pears fine, Dog Chollas too.
Just one ten at the Rio Grande.

Coyote lookin’ for rabbits
Rattlers lookin’ too
Rabbits looking for anything green
Greens looking for rain
It’s one ten at the Rio Grande

Black crow hoppin’ to shade
Mouth open for air,
Too hot to fly and
Too hot and dry,
It’s one ten at the Rio Grande

Just got here by car
Survived by my AC
Used coal to power my ice cream taco
Where do I go after this?
One ten at the Rio Grande
One ten at the Rio Grande

Black crow in the shade
Looks the other way
Prickly pears are dying
Lechugilla too
Small rains hit an acre
One ten at the Rio Grande
One ten at the Rio Grande

My son Dan put it to music and animation. While the animation guy has a bit of trouble with desert plant names, the essence of the story comes through loud and clear. See http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12393402/one-ten-at-the-rio-grande

I think he tells the story well.

Exquisite and uncommon, I hit the Claret Cup jackpot this spring on a trip to El Paso. I’ve seen many of these cacti in the west Texas desert and down in Big Bend. Occasionally a few blooms, but usually just a couple. This spring seemed to set them off – or maybe I was just there on the right day.

Driving from Austin to El Paso is always interesting – always something happening in the desert or in the sky. But in late March this spring, things were very dry and brown. Not much to look at anywhere. And with I-10 posted at 80, it is a fast drive. Coming into Sonora, I slammed on the breaks.

Something very bright and red caught my eye – a full grown and full bloom Claret Cup cactus – a mound of red and green about three feet across. I climbed up the hill to photograph it from every angle. Between Sonora and Van Horn I saw three for four more – all in full bloom.

Coming back to Austin, I took the southern route to vary the terrain – Highway 90 through Marfa, Alpine, Marathon, Del Rio, then up to Junction and home. Saw another half dozen clarets and photographed each one. Total trip about 1,300 miles. About a dozen Claret Cup plants – each stunning. Nothing else in bloom anywhere. What a great trip!

Here are photos as examples to give you the picture of Claret Cups. Twenty five are now up on my PhotoShelter website in the Cacti and Desert Flora Gallery. Cheers!

Full Bloom - Claret Cup Cactus Photo, Echinocereus occineus, Sutton County, TX.

Growing on a Limestone Outcrop, Claret Cup Cactus Picture, Echinocereus occineus, Sutton County, TX.

Boquet of Claret Cup Cactus, Echinocereus occineus, Terrell County, TX.

Single Claret Cup Cactus Blossom, Echinocereus occineus, Sutton County, TX.