Everyone always asks me where Brawley is. Well here's a map. If you click on the map you will see it right there in the middle. 2 hours East of San Diego, and hour South of Palm Spring and 20 minutes from Mexicali. Just when you think that you've gone to far into the desert, keep going.
I would never take a picture while I was driving :/
I went down there this last weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday and Mother's Day. Here's a few of the pictures that I got while I was down there. I'm sad that I didn't get that many. I spent most of the time resting my brain.
As soon as I got into town I went to the the school where my mom teaches so that she could show off Emily to everyone. Found out yesterday that they closed the school for two days because of the swine flu. HA, just my luck. I can catch a bug if someone sneezed a mile from me. Luckily, I have had no sign or symptoms of having it, nor has Emily.
Emily and my mom
Feeding the desert tortoises
The day after this there was a tortoise casualty. Male turtles fight by flipping themselves over on their back. People seem to think that this kills the turtle but it's actually like hanging a human upside down for too long, the heart has to pump harder for the blood to get to the right organs, it's harder to breath and eventually you get too tired from trying so hard, this, along with the extreme heat and that's what happens. It's a sad fact of life and survival ...with two cocky males and one female in the pen. It was an inevitable tragedy.
RIP little turtle :(
For those of you who don't know, this a Border check station. There is one between my parents house and Palm Springs...at no point did I cross the border but apparently it's necessary. I lucked out and there were only a few cars in front of me, but for some reason on this day, every one of them got stopped. Making sure that there weren't any pigs in the car? I don't know. I thought for sure that I was going to get stopped. Normally it wouldn't be such a big deal but they are so offical about their business that it makes me nervous and I'm afraid that they will think I'm hiding something and then get pulled over to get my car check. I got up there and the guy just smiled at me and waved me through. I guess a blonde haired, green eyed girl with a blonde haired, blue eyed, very white child in the back seat = not an illegal.
Now that I don't live in the desert I have a new appreciation for it's beauty. In it's own weird way, it really is very beautiful.
I didn't take this one while I was driving either.... I call this one "Brawley in my rear view mirror"
I know it sounds cheesy but it actually has alot of meaning for me every time I look at it. Years ago this picture might have even made me cry. Leaving the Valley was a bitter sweet thing for me. Actually I take that back. I left without looking back, but now I see that even though I thought I was leaving all of my problems and drama behind, running didn't fix it., but leaving did make me a much better person and taught me that life is bigger than what I thought it was. I do however regret that I left behind alot of really good friends and people who meant alot to me. I didn't realize who was really there for me until I left. I LOVE and HATE this place and even though it's not my "home" anymore I know that I still have a home there.
A SECOND KIND OF BEAUTY
I took these pictures on my way home right before I started heading inland to Paso. I love this place. This last picture was taken right next to the first picture, just a different angle. and the second picture IS in color. The first is so bright and cheery and "beachy" and the next is so murky and eery, with the fog rolling in. It's AMAZING to me the beauty of this place. THIS is my home.
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