From a thousand shades of green to a thousand shades of brown

It's good to pull the band-aid off fast. In less than a day we went from the verdant greens of Northern Idaho to the brownish tan sage lands of Eastern Oregon and Nevada. For the next six months or so the brown/tan will dominate our landscapes.

Sure there are some other colors in these areas. Arizona has its fair share of red rocks and blooming deserts, but the canvas on which these landscapes is painted is always some variation of brown.

Even in the desert, find a little water and you'll find some green.

The Pillars of Rome are definitely off the beaten track. No tourist amenities for 100 miles. That's OK, we had them all to ourselves.

  

 This was one of the few lakes/reservoirs in Eastern OR and Northern NV we've seen that still had a little water in it. Even so, it's about 95% dried up. It's a nice free boondocking spot that used to be right on the shore of the lake. Now the lake is a mile away. The drought in the West is still serious.