In the Wind of the mind arises the turbulence called I.
It breaks; down shower the barren thoughts.
All life is choked.
This desert is the Abyss wherein is the Universe. The Stars are but thistles in that waste.
Yet this desert is but one spot accursèd in a world of bliss.
Now and again Travellers cross the desert; they come from the Great Sea, and to the Great Sea they go.
As they go they spill water; one day they will irrigate the desert, till it flower.
See! five footprints of a Camel! V. V. V. V. V.
— The Book of Lies, LIBER CCCXXXIII
I took this photo back in 2018 while visiting a friend of a friend at the military base in 29 Palms. We decided to go off-roading through a Bureau of Land Management campground and ended up getting stuck. While the guys worked to free the Subaru from the sand, I took the opportunity to capture some great shots of the desert at night.
My favorite part of camping in the desert is waking up early, just before sunrise, and feeling the sun’s warmth slowly heat the sand—and me along with it. The warmth rises through my body, enveloping me in a comforting glow. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel hot for the rest of the day.