More desert driving 12-29-10

Yesterday driving across I-40 I was taking pictures on the go, as I usually do.

But one has to plan ahead and see what is coming up between the image I seek and my vehicle when it gets to the correct location. Sometimes one gets a bush, tree, or large truck.

This is what I was trying to photograph, the Barstow-Dagget airport which seems to sit out in the middle of nowhere. It has no commercial traffic, but it is used by military aircraft about half the time - Army, I believe. Nearby is a "solar farm" where power is generated by reflecting sun light into a central tower where it is converted to electricity. I cannot take a picture from the highway and I can't explain the process. Here is a Wikipedia article about the solar farms in the Mojave Desert. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert

The heavy rainfall last week in Southern California also dumped a lot of water in the desert. All along the highway are large, shallow 'lakes' that take a long time to drain away. And, when they do, they leave salt deposits on the top of the soil - looks like snow!

There are some places that always fill with rain water. The water gradually drains or evaporates and leaves dry lake beds.