Ending the year in the desert

I'm back in the Mojave Desert, where I spent a month last year. Drove down here with my friend Christine; she's back home after three weeks in the city, and I came down just to be with her on the drive.

We talked and talked. The Central Valley was horribly smoggy, but you rise above it going through the Tehachapi pass, and then you're in the desert, where the sunset was beautiful, and the night is clear and the quarter moon casts a lovely light across the landscape.

Later we'll go to a New Year's party at Perry's house. And tomorrow I'll fly back to San Francisco.

A bow to all who accompanied me so far.