Friday, February 22, 2013

Transforming Friday

Hello Toads!! It’s me, Hannah with your seventh round of exploring the world’s ecoregions, an opportunity to express poetically the point of view of your choice of creature or wildlife in the Desert Region this time!

Sepia scented words from, ““Classics Edition of the World Atlas-Hammond 1967,” states: “One-fifth of all the land is desert, to dry for farming and populated largely by sheep-herding nomads and those who live in the oases and irrigated valleys.”

So, I had to look this up...I didn’t realize “oases,” was plural for “oasis,” hence: “In geography, an oasis (plural: oases) or is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source.” (from wiki)

Wikipedia says this about the desert region:

“A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants.

Deserts take up about one third (33%) of the Earth's land surface.[2] Hot deserts usually have a large diurnal and seasonal temperature range, with high daytime temperatures, and low nighttime temperatures (due to extremely low humidity). In hot deserts the temperature in the daytime can reach 45 °C/113 °F or higher in the summer, and dip to 0 °C/32 °F or lower at nighttime in the winter.

“Many deserts are formed by rain shadows; mountains blocking the path of precipitation to the desert (on the lee side of the mountain). Deserts are often composed of sand and rocky surfaces. Sand dunes called ergs and stony surfaces called hamada surfaces compose a minority of desert surfaces. Exposures of rocky terrain are typical, and reflect minimal soil development and sparseness of vegetation. The soil is rocky because of the low chemical weathering, and the relative absence of a humus fraction.

(Photo via Wiki under Creative Commons Attribution The ten largest deserts (Antarctic not included)

World largest deserts deserts included: Sahara, Arabian, Syrian, Kalahari, Namib, Gobi, Australian West, North American, Patagonian, Atacama

And now friendly Toads...our creatures!!

I found some fun lil’ videos!

This guy looks like he could be our cousin..shovel snouted lizard.



Okay, don’t hate me...I hope there’s no arachnophobes here..the Dancing White Lady Spider or the Wheel Spider...



Here, I will make up for the last two with these cute fuzzy Fennec Foxes!! 





Oh, that was fun!! I could browse creatures all day! ;)

Desert wildlife list here, (check source for Copyright).

If there’s a plant/tree type you’d like to embody please do!

Thank you in advance for transforming this Friday...be sure to link something new written specifically for this challenge and try not to get too parched as you visit your blogging desert friends!!

Happy writing!!


18 comments:

Unknown said...

You're stepping into my terrain with this one, Hannah. I live in the Sonora Desert, which includes parts of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. My 3+ acres are nestled in a mesquite Bosque, along a wash and about a mile from natural hot springs. Mountains surround my local town. The creatures that live on my plot are amazing. On my little parcel I regularly encounter Gila Monsters, Horned Toads, Collared Snakes, Skinks, Diamondback (and other) Rattlers, Bull Snakes, Red Racers, Black Racers, Green Snakes, Grass Snakes, Cottontails, Jack Rabbits, Javelina, Mule Deer, Coyotes, Pack Rats, Moles, Voles, Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, Tree Squirrels, Bobcats, and the occasional Mountain Lion. Lots going on here!

Hannah said...

Kim!!! Wow! Thank you for this little tour of your backyard and surroundings...it's so neat to think of the huge contrast of where you are compared to so many of us, certainly MUCH different than my backyard!! SO interesting.

BIG smiles to all the toads in the garden today!!

The sun is shining here. :)

hedgewitch said...

As always, Hannah, your Transforming Fridays are one of my favorite challenges--as always--I don't have a thing! However, I will brood over it and see if the desert comes to life--it's a place I love and hope to live in someday. That spider is amazing!

Kerry O'Connor said...

I've journeyed through the Namibian desert twice, and have such mixed emotions about my experiences there. The first poem I wrote in many years was while on my first trip there. It's a place I both hate and love more than any other I have ever travelled through.

Ella said...

Wow, I'm intrigued by the wheel aspects~ Thank you Hannah-for this amazing view :D

Happy Friday everyone!

Mixi said...

I have a very high degree of respect and admiration for those who manage to eke out a living in these inhospitable environments, especially in Africa and Asia, where development is yet to extend its helpful hand.

My submission today is dedicated to the hardy folk of Rajasthan. Since symbolism and metaphors are not my thing, I've composed a simple poem, more a general description of the people and their lives than anything truly "poetic".

Hope you enjoy it anyway :)

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Hannah, I always love your Transforming Fridays and the borrowed landscapes to explore.

Kim, you are SO lucky to live in the desert - I have heard it is so beautiful!

I read about the plight of the Serengeti wildebeests years ago and have always keened for them, programmed to travel routes that have been interrupted by man. Our northern reindeer have similar difficulties.

Helen said...

I'm blessed to live in Central Oregon and The High Desert!

Maude Lynn said...

I had a blast with this, Hannah!

Hannah said...

Hedge...whenever words want to play that's fine by me...no rushing the desert muse. ;) I look forward to your poems!

Kerry-that sounds SO interesting to me...a fly on the wall of that experience I would like to be!!

I'm glad you enjoyed that Ella!!

Thank you, Mixi, Sherry, Helen and Mama Zen, (so glad you had fun)!!

I posted, (finally), wow...this one took me awhile...I think it is because I really don't know much about the desert and I did some research, (probably too much), but any way, I did have fun and that's the whole point of this thing we do!!

xo also, I'll have to make rounds in the morning...I hate to keep toads waiting but you know how 3-D can get in the way sometimes. :)


Ella said...

<3 this challenge! The stars aligned for me ;D

Margaret said...

I will be back to link up late. Possibly even for Open Monday. Have a busy "theatre" weekend Thanks for this challenge.

LLM Calling said...

I've always been obsessed with the atacama desert and the fact that there are seals on its edge, so they took my poetry muse today. it was a lot of fun and now I'm looking forward to reading all the others.

Margaret said...

I've linked an old one (FORGIVE ME) of my daughter's BUT will try and carver out time and submit one of mine a bit late on Open Link Monday.

GoddessChhavi said...

I've never had the chance to visit a desert..But this is what I choose to depict desert in my own way!

Anonymous said...

Hi Hannah - I feel as if I've cheated with this, and I'm late too! But I was mulling some thoughts over so pulled them together more or less. Thanks. I loved the spider vid. k.

Hannah said...

Thank you everyone for joining in!! It has been such an enjoyment to read you all!!!

Susie Clevenger said...

Sorry to be so late..my muse just wouldn't speak to me!