The Sonoran Desert Archives — Elaine A. Powers, Author

Love is in the… Cactus?

Ah, the heart! ❤️ The symbol of romantic love. An appropriate topic for February 14th is Valentine’s Day. It was in the fifteenth century that today’s typical heart symbol was developed. With the establishment of Valentine’s Day, the use of the symbol exploded. Its popularity reached the ultimate pinnacle when the ❤️ became a verb! It’s used in marketing (I ❤️ NY) and even on television show titles (Bob ❤️ Abishola)! What a compliment for a noun to become a verb. Yes, you can find love almost anywhere, in the form of a ❤️. Even in nature…

The Natural Romantic

Many of us delight in finding “hearts” in nature. Stone beaches provide countless opportunities to find objects, such as this heart-shaped stone:

There are rock enthusiasts who spend their time searching for these treasures around the globe. If you search for “heart-shaped rocks” on the internet, a lot of sites come up. We humans are fascinated by oddly shaped rocks. Heart-shaped rocks are particularly desired.

How did the rocks come to have a heart shape? Perhaps a vein of another rock type ran down the middle of it and erosion created the indentation. There must be a lot of veins running through the rocks to produce the enormous number of heart-shaped rocks found around the world; there must be a regular circulatory system running through the ground!

People are encouraged to place heart-shaped stones around their homes to bring love and peace into their domicile.

Desert Love

Walking around my neighborhood, here in the Sonoran Desert, I’ve noticed the prickly pear cacti have joined in heart production.

Many of the clusters have a pad in the shape of a heart.This nicely shaped heart was in my neighbor’s yard.

You can see several heart-shaped pads in this grouping. Perhaps this prickly pear has an abundance of love to share. Or perhaps the pads’ heart shapes are the result of damage early in the growth of the pads. An insect may have enjoyed taking a bite out of each of the pads when they were young and tender. Not all of the cactus pads are perfectly shaped, but we can forgive the insects’ lack of artistic ability.

With the indentation off the side, this one looks more like a mitten or oven glove.

So, along with celebrating the loved ones in your life, be sure to celebrate our earth and the plants we share it with. They’re producing hearts for us and our enjoyment. And give us flowers every year. What more could you want? For more natural valentines, check out this website: https://eos.org/geofizz/heart-shaped-valentines-from-nature-to-you

Hare, There, Everywhere!

Hares! Here, there and everywhere. I seem to be finding hares everywhere. I live in the Sonoran Desert with the very large rabbits known as desert hares. The actual common name is Antelope Jackrabbit with the scientific name of Lepus alleni. I’ve tried many times to get a photo of a jackrabbit with its long, pointed ears, but they are very wary and take off before my cell photo camera can focus. This really large rabbit is found in the deserts of southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. They prefer an area with some grass and mesquite trees. Whenever I’m out in the washes in the surrounding desert, I look for these incredible creatures.

The Hare of the Ocean

But the antelope jackrabbit isn’t the only hare I’ve been hanging with lately. After the flooding of my house in Fort Myers, FL, due to the storm surge of Hurricane Ian, I sought solace on Bunche Beach. I wanted to see life returning to normalcy after the storm’s destruction. I hoped the ocean had repaired its injuries and that I would find creatures crawling in the shore waters. Sadly, the plants along the shore were severely damaged and mostly killed.

I looked for the usual King’s crowns, Melongena corona, but they were missing along with the grass beds that they lived in. What I did find on the sand bars (it was low tide) were little round balls of jelly or what I thought were gelatinous algae.

But when I saw more of them in the puddles, they were elongated and gliding! I had never seen them before but suspected they were some sort of nudibranch. Using my handy iNaturalist app, these creatures were identified as the ragged sea hare or shaggy sea hare, Bursatella leachii. Sea hares are opisthobranchs or marine gastropod mollusks that have a small or missing shell. Nudibranchs are a kind of opisthobranchs. I was close in my guess.

When I stopped and surveyed the beach, I realized there were thousands of these sea hares either sliding over the sand or awaiting the returning waves.

A Hare Beach Party

Why were all these sea hares congregated on the beach? I’ve visited Bunche Beach for years, during different seasons, and never seen them. Believe me, I would have been excited by the presence of such interesting critters.

I guess that the hurricane’s winds and currents pushed them onto the beach. Another possibility is they were mating, but why now, for the first time? No, I suspect their presence is the result of the hurricane.

I didn’t perturb the mollusks. It turns out that they release purple ink when disturbed. If I had known that, I might have disturbed some. of them, just to see the purple ink.

Without the seagrass beds and being forced on the shore, I was worried about my new sea hare friends. What were they eating? Apparently, the sea hares eat cyanobacteria, so the lack of grass wasn’t a problem.

Many authors find the slugs unattractive. But I think they are quite attractive. There were some nice color variations.

However, what fascinated me the most was the way they were gliding across the sand, seemingly effortlessly, like hovercrafts zipping along. This movement will always be the sea slug slide to me.

I like the hares in my life, both on land and in the sea. Perhaps next will be flying hares! Is wishing for a flying hare, hare-e-sy? I am willing to admit to being a hare-a-tic and I definitely like my hares, here today and not gone tomorrow.

If you’d like to learn more about the wildlife on both the land and air, explore more hare-lariously fun and educational downloadable workbooks!

My, What Big Leaves You Have!

When I need an ocean fix, I head to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. But when I need a green fix, I head back to my hometown of Peoria, IL. I call it my writing retreat because I sit on my cousin’s back porch, where my muse refreshes and my writing output increases. Having his two dogs draped on the furniture around me helps with the inspiration. I often take his Goldendoodle for a walk around the tree-filled neighborhood, to get some exercise and increase blood flow to my brain. After living in the Sonoran Desert for over a decade, the trees strike me as so…green! The trees are tall with thick branches and really big leaves! Why such a big difference in the flora? I’m glad you asked.

Small vs. Big Leaves

I’ve become used to the small, thin leaves of the desert trees. Their short stature, their thin branches, and the sight of the landscape through the leafy sparseness are what I now expect. This is a mesquite tree, common in the Sonoran Desert.

The significant differences between the leaves got me thinking about how the tree species have adapted to their environments. Desert tree leaves are small to reduce surface area thereby decreasing water loss. Access to water is limited in desert environments. In the Midwest, water conservation is less of an issue for the trees. They have leaves with lots of surface area. It’s interesting that leaves that grow in the shade (all those leaves produce a great deal of shade) are usually bigger. They need a greater surface area to increase their amount of photosynthesis. The leaves exposed to the sun can be smaller. No need for them to fight over the sunshine.

Some of the more common Midwest trees are the oaks. The average oak leaf can be up to eight inches in length. This is huge compared to the palo verde or mesquite leaves which have leaflets about an inch long. In addition, the oak leaves are present from spring until fall, since they are deciduous, drop off for winter. In comparison, the desert trees’ leaves tend to show up after rainfall.

The leaves are responsible for feeding the trees. Photosynthesis is where sunlight is used to synthesize carbon dioxide and water into food for plants. Oxygen is given off as a byproduct, fortunately for us oxygen breathers.

A Whole New Tree-preciation

I must confess, living in the desert has made me appreciate trees more than I need, as a once native Midwesterner. Sure, I knew they were important and beautiful, but I usually appreciated it when they bloomed in the spring or changed colors in the fall. Now, I more fully realize how critical they are to life in any environment. Animals and other plants really depend on their presence to survive.

If you want to know more about the plants in the Sonoran Desert, I offer a bit of information in How Not to Photograph a Hummingbird.

Jellyfish in the… Desert?

The tram operators of Sabino Canyon in Tucson, AZ are offering nighttime tours this summer. It’s part of an overall upgrade to the beautiful park located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest. Along with upgrading to electric vehicles, the tour narration now comes with personal earbuds. This reduces the noise of the tour and allows the guides to share more detailed facts. I enjoyed this more informative talk. But one fact in particular caught my attention. Jellyfish have been found in Sabino Creek! Jellyfish in the desert? I had to find out more, and I absolutely had to share what I learned.

The Desert-dwelling Jelly

With my love of marine biology, I was excited by the thought of a native freshwater jellyfish being identified in this local creek. How did the jellyfish adapt to the inconsistent nature of desert bodies of water?

Once I returned home, I immediately searched online for the jellyfish of Sabino Canyon. Yes, this jellyfish was identified, but what I read saddened me. This wasn’t a native freshwater, desert-dwelling jellyfish. No, this was an invasive species.

The jellyfish in Sabino Canyon is Craspedacusta sowerbyi. This species was first found in 1908. Since then, it has spread to 43 states. C. sowerbyi, or the peach blossom jellyfish, is a hydrozoan cnidarian. Originally from the Yangtze basin in China, this jellyfish is now an invasive species found throughout the world, except for Antarctica.

More About the Invaders

This jellyfish has about 400 tentacles along the bell margin. The body is translucent with a whitish or greenish tint. The tentacles have nematocysts, which they use to capture prey. This jellyfish prefers calm and slow-moving freshwater bodies. C. sowerbyi is noted for showing up in new places.

C. sowerbyi consumes zooplankton caught with its tentacles. The venom injected by the nematocysts paralyzes the prey, the tentacle coils bringing the meal to its mouth. I am curious what zooplankton in Sabino creek it’s eating.

This jellyfish can reproduce both asexually and sexually. Interestingly, in the US, populations of C. sowerbyi are either all male or all female, suggesting no sexual reproduction is occurring.

During cold weather, the jellyfish polyps can become dormant as podocysts. Scientists believe that the jellyfish are transported as a podocyst in aquatic plants or animals to other locations. If they find the new environment suitable, they develop back into polyps.

I’m saddened that the jellyfish found in Sabino Canyon is an invasive species and doesn’t belong there. I don’t know if they plan to take action to eradicate the jellyfish or what damage it is inflicting upon the native environment. Being vigilant against intrusion by non-native plants and animals is a continual effort to protect our many environments.

My recent release, Guam: Return of the Songs, is all about how one invasive species can damage an entire ecosystem. But also, the hope to repair it. Introducing the brown tree snake to Guam destroyed many native animals in the island ecosystem. This book tells the story of that invasion and the return of Guam’s native birds, in both English and native CHamoru.

Reference: https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/specimenviewer.aspx?SpecimenID=168095

Not Just Another (Wall) Lizard

I like lizards – no surprise there. In fact, the majority of my family is made up of lizards. But my love for lizards doesn’t stop there. Along with my lizard family members, I decorate my world with decorative lizards. Let’s take a little tour of my abode and let me introduce you to all the lizards that line my walls.

Walls Full of Lizards

Although I do have practical wall lizards, such as the wall lamp that lights up my wall (it’s a great reading light), the majority of my walls are adorned with artwork. I need to be surrounded by creativity. Being surrounded by beauty improves any day.

I rise each morning to this handsome creature. It’s a great photo of one of the species I worked on as a citizen scientist for Cyclura “rock” iguanas. This photo is mounted on aluminum, so it’s lightweight enough to hang easily on the wall.

Even though some of my artwork depicts real lizards, some are creatively colored. This multi-colored horned lizard was created by a Tucson area artist. My brother and his wife gave it to me to hang outside, but I liked it so much that I hung it in my kitchen.

I have some very special artwork on my walls. This piece lights up, showing the beautiful minerals used to create this representation of my character Curtis Curly-tail, who was the protagonist of my first children’s book. This art was created by Zee Haag of Tucson. Instead of a rock iguana, he created for me a “rock” curly-tail lizard.

The Lizards Out Back

My backyard is surrounded by a brick wall. This allows me to keep my desert tortoises outside but contained. Since it’s a wall, I, of course, must festoon it with lizard art. This is one of my favorites. I bought it in a store in Tubac, AZ. This store specializes in artwork from Mexico. I was attracted to this lizard because it was so different from the others that I‘d seen. I haven’t seen one like it since. Despite being exposed to the intense Sonoran Desert sun, it has retained its color. I’m impressed.

I also have metal and other lizards on my walls – so much open space for decorating.

However, despite my enjoyment of all this man-made artwork, there are wall decorations that I like more than all the rest combined. Like this guy, Sceloporus magister, known locally as the desert spiny lizard. This native lizard of the Sonoran and the Chihuahuan Deserts is common around homes here in Tucson. They are bold and willing to interact with the humans who have come into their environment.

Several of these lizards have staked out my patio. They each claim a 4-foot section. Every morning, they come out to greet me. My day starts off well. Sometimes, they do their dominance push-ups, but usually, they just scurry out to say hello. These lizards are as colorful as my man-made artwork. They have blue or violet patches on their bellies and throat, while their tails have green or blue spots. These highlights are on the body colors of yellow, orange, brown, or tan.

These desert spiny lizards are all crucial to the functioning of their environments, sometimes as the prey for other animals. They’re eaten by roadrunners (like in my book Don’t Make Me Fly) and even rattlesnakes (in my book Don’t Make Me Rattle!).

My love of lizards should be pretty obvious since they are featured in many of my books: the Curtis Curly-tail series placed in the Bahamas, the Lime Lizards of Cayman Brac, Andros Iguanas (Cyclura cychlura cychlura), and the Sister Isle Rock Iguanas (Cyclura nubila caymanensis). So even if you don’t want to decorate your home with lizards, you can enjoy reading about them!

Having Fun with Shadows!

Do you enjoy shadows as much as I do? As a child, I fondly remember making shadow puppets with my family, creating animals out of our hands. My shadows were always very simple and I admired people who could make more complex animal shadows. Little did I know that shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling. That makes sense, though; as long as you have a surface for a light to be pointed at, you can make shadows. Hopefully, this blog will shed some light on the shadowy business of shadows.

A Shadow by any Other Name

One of my favorite shadows is in that popular poem that I recited repeatedly as a child and, I confess, I still do today. You can’t go wrong with the poems by Robert Louis Stevenson.

My Shadow

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.

He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;

I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Me and My Shadows

I, too, delighted in the diversity of my shadow’s forms, and still do today. I even use shadows to examine my horse’s stride, since I can’t always determine what its feet are doing from my perch on its back. It’s so much easier when I can look at the horse’s shadow for confirmation that we’re moving correctly.

From my home in Tucson, I can see Pusch Ridge in the Santa Catalina Mountains, east of the city. When the sunsets, not only do the mountains change colors, orange to maroon, but shadows darken the indentations. These shadows give the ridge an air of harshness and mystery.

One mountain shadow near Phoenix is quite famous. From the third week of March through the third week of September, a shadow forms that looks like a mountain lion chasing a prey animal. This shadow forms in the Superstition Mountains, east of Mesa. The sun must be at the correct latitude on the western horizon to create this shadow. It’s amazing and spectacular to use one’s imagination on such a large scale. I wonder if the Native Americans enjoyed this phenomenon as much as modern people do.

Photo credit: Paul Fiarkoski for AZ Wonders

Shadows of the Wild

Shadows of trees can create a mysterious setting for a story. Moonlight on the desert’s sparsely leaved trees provides a satisfying effect.

My iguanas are also involved in my shadow observations. Calliope Green Iguana’s shedding skin created an interesting pattern along her back.

However, my rock iguana, Blue, did the best job of creating impressive shadows. The shadows of his claws are good enough for a horror movie!

And even though he is five feet long, his body’s shadow produced a huge reptilian creature! I especially like how his spines came out, too.

What are your favorite shadows? For me, Shadows can be useful tools, something to enjoy, or writing inspiration. I hope you’ll find something new in a shadow the next time you encounter one.

Celebrate Invasive Species Awareness Every Week!

This year, National Invasive Species Awareness Week was from February 28th through March 3rd. It always begins on the last Monday of February. If you’re reading this outside of that particular week, it’s okay. The knowledge and prevention of invasive species are important enough to consider every week. Read on to learn more about why you should care about invasive species despite the day, week, month, or year.

What Is An Invasive Species?

An invasive species is any non-native plant, animal, or microorganism that proliferates in areas outside of its native ecosystem. It can be either on land or in the water. Also known as invasives, these organisms can harm the environment, human health, and the economy.

Get to Know Some Invasives

I’ve talked about animals, such as the green iguanas and spiny-tail iguanas as invasive species, but there are soooo many more. In the US, there are more than 6,500 non-native plants and animals. Some are so common that you might think they are native because they seem to always be around. For this blog, I want to talk about a few particular invasive plants. These plants were introduced to non-native environments for a variety of reasons. Sometimes intentionally, and sometimes they are accidentally released.

The Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) were both introduced because they’re attractive. I admit, I enjoyed the purple flowers of the loosestrife as I kayaked the rivers of Michigan and New Jersey. However, it did strike me as odd that it was spread out so extensively. That’s what invasives do, they out-compete the native plants.

I spend a great deal of time in Florida. Many Floridians would tell me about the gorgeous bushy tree they had in their yards, the Brazilian pepper or Florida holly as it’s called locally. The leaves and red berries are often used in holiday decorations. However, this non-native plant very successfully forced native plants out of the area. I spent two summers working to remove them from the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The roots had to be destroyed because the plant would regrow if any were left alive. In addition, when the berries ripened and fermented, birds would eat them and become drunk. No matter how humorous the birds look hanging upside down and singing, this is very dangerous for them.

(Photo courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr)

The Dangers of Invasive Species

Even though invasive animal species get the most attention, plants can be dangerous, too. Just how dangerous? If you’ve ever seen kudzu, (Pueraria lobata) grow, you know how destructive plants can be. Kudzu is known as the “plant that ate the South.” Originally planted to help with ground erosion control, it spread over trees, vehicles, and even buildings. Kudzu can grow up to a foot a day. Yes, you can really watch this plant grow.

Then there’s the symbol of the desert West, the humble tumbleweed (Kali tragus). Nothing says desolation in a show than a tumbleweed blowing across the dusty ground. But tumbleweed seeds came from Russia. The portion of the plant that is seen rolling along the ground is the seed dispersal unit. Unfortunately, the seemingly harmless balls of rolling branches actually cause significant losses through traffic accidents, invasion of agricultural operations, and property damage!

I was surprised to learn that the multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) is invasive. My neighbors in New Jersey had a glorious hedge of multiflora rose on top of their backyard fence. I enjoyed the aroma and multitude of flowers. Little did I know how well the rose out-competed the native understory plants.

Invasive species and conservation of native plants and animals is a worldwide issue. Learn some ways locals are protecting wildlife in the Cayman Islands or some of the native species found in North America with my fun and interactive workbooks! You can find them all here.

Tomorrow is Earth Day!

What are you doing tomorrow to celebrate Earth Day?

April 22, 2021 is National Earth Day, which, as you probably know, is an annual event to support environmental protection. The goals are to educate people about protecting the world and to learn more about local and global environments. It is a day to realize that we are all part of the earth’s ecosystem and that without maintaining this world, we won’t survive. Earth Day activities aren’t only for adults—children need to be involved, too, because it is their future at stake. Along with outdoor activities, I encourage adults and children to read science-based books together.

The pandemic and resulting shutdowns showed us a lot about the environment. We observed the air clear, and wild animals as they reacted to the release from the constant presence of people. People discovered the value of the ecosystems in their neighborhoods, whether urban, suburban or rural. The plants and animals of nature helped us survive the social isolation. If we couldn’t interact with other humans, we could interact with animals. We could watch plants germinate and grow and we had time to enjoy the wonder of life. I’ve published pictures here of plants in my yard that I enjoyed observing more closely this past year.

If you must stay inside, I’d like to suggest my science-based, educational, and fun, books–and the books by all the authors found at Lyric Power Publishing. I like to think my books about plants and animals are adding to the knowledge about the preciousness of the environments that support all living things. I have written three books about conservation and I also publish iguana conservation materials that help people protect iguana environments from not only human impact, but from invasive species, both animals and plants.

My Conservation books and brochures.

The Don’t Series

My Sonoran Desert plant book.

It’s important to participate in Earth Day. We each need to do what we can to learn how to help protect our world tomorrow–and every day.

#elaineapowers #lyricpowerpublishing #earthday #earthdayactivities

Writing and Riding Fill My Days

With the pandemic, I’ve been dividing my time mostly between two activities: riding and writing. I’m either at the stables with my two horses or at home writing, surrounded by my reptiles. It’s working out well since I’m getting fresh air and exercise with Button and Exuma, which stimulates my health and well-being for the writing. My household full of reptiles provides the inspiration.

Currently, my young gelding, Exuma, pictured above, is having his first lessons carrying a rider, while I take lessons to be able to ride him. You see, my first horse, Button, is a Missouri Fox Trotter, a gaited horse. A gaited horse moves more smoothly than a non-gaited horse. This is due to a unique natural broken gait that allows at least one foot to be on the ground at any given time. Gaited horses are desired for pleasure riding which is what I want to do, trail riding around the Sonoran Desert. Non-gaited horses when trotting move a front foot and the opposite rear foot at the same time. This creates a jarring, bouncing-rider, motion.

Since I came to horseback riding late in life (a few years ago), I’ve only had lessons on a gaited horse. My new boy is a quarter horse, a non-gaited breed. Riding Button is not going to prepare me for riding Exuma. Therefore, I’m taking lessons on an amazing mustang named Napoleon. I’ve learned how to trot, both sitting and posting (which is when the rider rises from the saddle in time with the horse’s gait, which isn’t necessary on a gaited horse). Recently, I rode for my first free canter—which is faster than a trot—but unlike the trot, it is more of a scooping motion, sort of like riding a wave.

To prepare the horse for the signal to canter, I’m supposed to scoop the saddle with my hips. My first attempts were a bit over-enthusiastic. I was apparently envisioning the Geico insurance commercial that features the hip hop group Tag Team, scooping the ice cream. I scooped big! The cantering did not go well.

I was told I needed to scoop less, more like sliding a chair under a table. So while I sit writing, I roll my chair back and forth under my desk. I can improve my riding while writing! Back on Napoleon, when I scooped less, using the easy, chair-rolling motion, the cantering went much better. Every successful lesson takes me one day closer to riding both my horses.

Here is my mare, Button, a Missouri Fox Trotter.

At the top of the page is Exuma, a quarter horse. Quarter horses are so-called because of their sprinting ability. They can beat other horse breeds in distances of a quarter mile or less.

I’m glad I can work on both my activities, writing and riding, at the same time!

Scoop, there it is!

Back to work on all my fun writing activities. You see, I weave science into poetry books and adventures tales, hoping to make learning science fun for the reader. And, I’m also writing murder mysteries, which I tremendously enjoy. If you’re looking for some fun science books about Sonoran Desert wildlife, here you go:

book covers Dont Series — These best sellers are written in rhyme, making learning science fun!

Desert vs. Island Temps by Curtis Curly-tail Lizard

illustration of curtis curly-tail lizard — It’s me, Curtis Curly-tail Lizard! Don’t you just love my perfectly curled tail?

Since I’ve been staying in my den more, I’ve been tuning in to old TV shows. I enjoy the old Westerns set in the US Desert Southwest—maybe because that’s where my good friend and author, Elaine A. Powers, lives! The dry climate there is so different from my humid island weather. Where I live in the Exuma Island chain in The Bahamas, the temperature only varies between 28.0° Celsius (82.4° Fahrenheit) and 20.0° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit).

I mention this because I was watching the show, The High Chaparral, which is set in the Sonoran Desert, outside of Tucson, Arizona. In one episode, the character Manolito complains that the desert is very hot during the day, but so cold at night. Summer temperatures can exceed 40°C (104°F) during the day, but fall to around 20.0° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit) at night!

That’s a huge drop! I wondered how that happens, so I asked Elaine, of course. It’s due to the lack of water. No humidity! The sun warms the ground during the day, which raises the temperature. The lack of water in the ground means all that heat is lost after the sun sets; and the lack of vegetation helps in the loss of heat from the ground, too.

I realized it’s the humidity here in the islands that helps maintain our temperatures, so we don’t heat up too high during the day and lose as much of the sun’s warmth at night. Our temperatures stay within a narrow range, while those in the desert swing wildly.

photo of ocean wave coming in, below an orange sunset — Image courtesy of RUBEN EDUARDO ORTIZ MORALES from Pixabay

I’m glad I live here, in this perfect place, here on Warderick Wells Cay in the Caribbean. It could be the most perfect place in the world. Well—except for one thing. The hurricanes. I’d love it if you picked up a copy of my latest adventure/survival story, Curtis Curly-tail is Blown Away! The kids will learn all about how my friends and I work to survive the hurricanes and how the people of The Bahamas help each other to rebuild. It’s an adventure tale with a happy ending—and environmental and weather science woven into the story. That’s Elaine’s specialty: making science books fun! Check her books out here and click on the amazingly fun workbooks to see the educational supplements associated with her books, published by Lyric Power Publishing, LLC.

children's book cover about Curtis Curly-tail lizard and a hurricane in the Bahamas — In this story, I join Allison Andros Iguana to warn the iguanas of Beach Cay about the impending hurricane. Low lying areas are particularly vulnerable to the storm surges, high rainfall and powerful winds of hurricanes. Small islands or cays here in the Bahamas can be completely washed over. Beach Cay, the setting of Curtis Curly-tail is Blown Away, has entire populations of endemic animals, such as the iguanas like Allison. One powerful hurricane could wipe out her entire species.

If you’d like to learn more about the science of islands, check out the complete Curtis Curly-tail Series. If your children need to learn more about desert science, they should read Elaine’s Don’t Series, as well as the amusing How Not to Photograph a Hummingbird, which shows how dangerous that can be in a desert (in a humorous way) and includes a glossary of flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert.

Really! Check out Elaine’s books! She loves making science fun to read, in the hopes budding scientists will be born. And don’t forget about me! I have my own YouTube channel, where you can learn about Everything Reptiles! Come visit me today at Curtis Curly-tail Speaks. See you next time!

Elaine A. Powers, Author

MAKING SCIENCE BOOKS FUN!

Tag: The Sonoran Desert

Love is in the… Cactus?

The Natural Romantic

Desert Love

Hare, There, Everywhere!

The Hare of the Ocean

A Hare Beach Party

My, What Big Leaves You Have!

Small vs. Big Leaves

A Whole New Tree-preciation

Jellyfish in the… Desert?

The Desert-dwelling Jelly

More About the Invaders

Not Just Another (Wall) Lizard

Walls Full of Lizards

The Lizards Out Back

Having Fun with Shadows!

A Shadow by any Other Name

My Shadow

Me and My Shadows

Shadows of the Wild

Celebrate Invasive Species Awareness Every Week!

What Is An Invasive Species?

Get to Know Some Invasives

The Dangers of Invasive Species

Tomorrow is Earth Day!

Writing and Riding Fill My Days

Desert vs. Island Temps by Curtis Curly-tail Lizard

About

Elaine A. Powers, Author

© 2021 ELAINE A. POWERS, TUCSON, ARIZONA