Diane MacDonald
Photography

Musings

 

First, some sculpted fun.  In 2008, Artist Ricardo Breceda was commissioned to create 
sculptures for placement in multiple locations around Borrego Springs.  These creations, 
sizeable in themselves, serve to highlight the astonishing scale of their desert surroundings. 

 

The five section giant serpent has the head of a dragon and the tail of a rattlesnake; the tail 
stretches under and across the well-travelled road.

Little Surprise Canyon is typical of many of the trails in Anza Borrego.  At this time of year, 
hikers are rewarded with glimpses of the desert gradually colouring into bloom.

  

  

Canyons carve the badlands into chasms, sculpting a dramatic and challenging landscape.
The terrain viewed from above:

 

and below.  Hiking "The Slot" requires deft manoeuvring and a degree of bravery!

  

Shadows in the foreground and the distant motorhome offer further clues to the colossal scale 
of the desert landscape.

Golf course oases provide welcome diversion from sand and sandstone.  Many visitors to 
Borrego are drawn by the game and the mostly benign weather - warm days, cool nights.

 

A four mile sandy road leads from the highway to Fonts Point - a viewpoint providing a 
breathtaking 360 degree view of the badlands and surrounding mountains. Sunlight and shadow
play tag throughout the day, spellbinding those lucky enough to witness the magic. At sunset 
the scene is sublime.

 

 

Now it's farewell to the desert as we head towards that magnetic Pacific Ocean.