#joshuatrees

“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” –John Boswell Since I gratefully have my two front teeth and a loving family, my Christmas dream list includes peace on earth, health, happiness, and journeys to savor nature’s wonders. Since my November wishes materialized as I prayed for rain, I’m hopeful for my…

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“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” –John Boswell

Since I gratefully have my two front teeth and a loving family, my Christmas dream list includes peace on earth, health, happiness, and journeys to savor nature’s wonders. Since my November wishes materialized as I prayed for rain, I’m hopeful for my December desires.

To explore California’s natural wonders, my family traveled to the Mojave Desert to visit Joshua Trees National Park. It is a marvel of adaptation where Native Americans stewarded the land for thousands of years. The park spans the Mojave Desert in the west and the Colorado Desert in the east, protecting 792,510 acres with over 80 percent (558,000 acres) managed as wilderness.

The jumble of stacked boulders began underground eons ago because of volcanic activity. When the magma rose, it intruded the overlying rock. When the granite cooled and crystalized, it formed huge rock formations with horizontal and vertical cracks, and when it contacted groundwater, the granite continued to uplift. As the soil eroded, scattered across the landscape were huge piles of monzogranite heaps.

In the Mojave Desert, the vegetation includes pinyon, juniper, scrub oak, yucca, prickly pear cactus, and Joshua Trees. The Joshua tree, which can grow to 40 feet or more, is not a tree but a species of yucca. It has waxy, spiny leaves with little surface area exposed, which conserves water. The tree is home to many birds, including Scott’s oriole, red-tailed hawks, ladder-backed woodpeckers, American kestrels, scrub jays, Gambrel quail, and loggerhead shrikes. The chunky songbird, loggerhead shrikes use the Joshua tree’s sharp-pointed leaves to impale their prey! Although we didn’t see any on this adventure, the desert is also home to rattlesnakes, desert tortoises, desert iguanas, and bighorn sheep. We did see plenty of comical roadrunners.

In other areas, we witnessed fluorescent pink blooming periwinkle and the Christmas colors of Pride of Barbados. 

Yet, of all the flora in this vast wonderland, my favorite area was the Cholla Cactus Garden. The cholla, pronounced choy-ya, is a cactus known for its barbed spines that attach themselves to anything that touches it. There are several species of cholla, but the ones we saw were referred to as “teddy bear cactus” because they look so sweet, soft, fuzzy, and fluffy. But don’t be fooled; they are covered with formidable spines. We arrived for a dazzling sunset illuminating the cholla in a sensational spectacle.

Getting more into the holiday spirit, I am admiring Christmas decorations. Growing up on the farm, my parents would light up about two acres of land so that Santa could find our ranch in the darkness. As kids, we always loved the decor and were excited to witness Santa’s reindeer racing across the night sky.

My Fire Chief nephew continues the tradition and never fails to embellish his house with the greatest light display. Since he was a little kid, he has been lighting the way for Santa Claus with his creativity. 

Every year, I look forward to the Christmas tree decorations of family and friends. My friends Linda and Steve, always cut a live tree and adorn it with a different theme annually.

My daughter and her husband would make my parents proud with their animated decorations. They even add music!

At my house, I enjoy harvesting pomegranates not only to eat but to hang as ornaments. Many fruit-bearing trees provide wondrous gifts of nature during December. 

Persimmons, quince, and chestnuts offer exotic flavors for holiday gastronomy. It’s also fun to mix up the colors of your décor. Purple is a favorite festive hue that I employ. Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with your choices.

It's important to think about safety, however, when you are doing your decorating. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2023, 14,900 individuals were treated in hospital emergency rooms due to decorating-related injuries.

To put the magic in your winter wonderland while keeping your family secure and protected, here are a few suggestions.

ü Find the freshest tree to light up your yuletide. Whether you cut it yourself, or buy it from your favorite lot, look for a tree with green needles that are difficult to pull from the branch. The tree’s bottom needs to be sticky with resin and needles should not fall off when the tree is shaken. ü Keep all trees, branches, and flammable decorations away from fireplaces, radiators, and high-traffic areas. ü Hang stockings on chimneys only when there is no fire burning. ü Buy new lights that have been tested by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Make sure that lights for your garden are labeled as outdoor capable. All lights need good wiring, devoid of any broken or cracked sockets, frayed wires, or loose connections. Only use extension cords that are designed for the outdoors and beware of the number of lights sets that may be attached. ü Never add electric lights to metallic ornamentations as you could be exposing yourself to electrocution. ü When climbing ladders, use the buddy system. ü Or contact a trained handyman to hang your lights. Get $150 discount for a service at https://honeyh.me/eXEn

Now you know what I want for Christmas. What’s on your list?

Peace on earth. Goodwill to all. Health, happiness, and celebrate the holly jolly with the magic of Mother Nature. Enjoy the golden moments, sentimental journeys, and the idle hour!

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Holidays!

For more gardening advice for all seasons, check out Growing with the Goddess Gardenerat https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3, which was just honored as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. If you’d like to make a tax-deductable DONATION through PAYPAL GIVING FUND with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES go to: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504 .

Find info for Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast (http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are )and the teen radio show, Express Yourself!™ (https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself ) at https://www.StarStyleRadio.com.

Her newest children’s picture book, Books in the Barnyard: Oh Deer!, from the series Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store. Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. [email protected] https://www.CynthiaBrian.com

Wishing you a holly jolly Christmas, Hannukah, Kwaanza, or whatever you celebrate from my family to yours! Merry, Merry, Merry!! Thanks for reading!