9th Circuit Blocks CA Law Limiting Gun Purchases To One Per Month

Some good news for California gun owners came from, of all places, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The law limiting gun purchases to one every 30 days has been blocked.

The Desert Sun reported:

A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel has blocked enforcement of a longstanding California law limiting residents to one firearm purchase every 30 days.

In March, a federal district court previously struck down the law as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, but the government sought and obtained a stay on the ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals pending further legal review.

But on Thursday, a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit reversed the stay, barring law enforcement without a court's further order.

To read more, go here. 

Mockel Painting

Above, the Mockel acrylic painting. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few days ago, I was dusting around the house when I came to a small acrylic painting (pictured above) of a desert smoketree from the Gallery of Henry R. Mockel.

I never took a real look at the painting or the backside of it before, even though it has been in the family for decades (at least since the 1960s). That got me curious about the artist.

My grandmother lived in Twentynine Palms for a time until health issues caught up with her. Henry and his wife Beverly published books on desert flora and opened the gallery in Twentynine Palms. I am guessing that my grandmother bought the painting there while she lived in the California desert town. 

According to ArtPlantae Today:

Impressed with what she saw during a visit to California to attend a nursing conference, Beverly Mockel returned to Cooperstown, New York to talk her husband, artist Henry R. Mockel, into moving to the Golden State. When she succeeded at this task, they moved to the town of Calico in the Mojave Desert in 1958. While residents of Calico, the Mockel’s often took trips to Joshua Tree National Park to see the wildflowers. They made frequent stops so Henry could paint flowers along the way. Eventually they decided they should move closer to the flowers, so they moved themselves and their 47-foot house trailer to Twentynine Palms in 1961. After settling into their new home, Henry and Beverly opened the Pioneer Art Gallery in what is now the Historic Plaza. One can only imagine that this new exciting desert lifestyle was quite a change for Henry, a former bookbinder, farmer and cattle rancher.

The painting is signed by Beverly. She may have painted it herself as the Desert Sun described her as an artist along with her husband Henry:

Henry and Beverly were trained artists and philosophers from New York who landed in the remote desert. Here they turned their efforts to creating illustrated books by hand with old presses at their studio.

I now know a little more about those behind the painting, which hangs in my living room next to the bay windows on the west side.

Joshua Tree National Park Passes Sold Online

Above, the south entrance into the park from Interstate 10. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Joshua Tree National Park is the closest national park to Los Angeles. It is situated in the Mojave Desert of California near Palm Springs and Indio.

Now, visitors to the park can now buy passes online.

According to the Desert Sun: 

People who wish to visit Joshua Tree National Park can now purchase access passes online, park officials announced Thursday.

Due to restrictions put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 the national park was initially shutdown in March. But, it was reopened in May and despite ongoing state-imposed shutdown orders in the wake of an ongoing surge of pandemic cases, it remains open. 

National parks, like Joshua Tree, are being allowed to stay open during the ongoing lockdown and activities such as hiking can still take place. Park officials, however, said overnight camping is currently not permitted.

People looking to take a trip during the day to Joshua Tree can purchase specific passes for the park at recreation.gov at no additional cost. 

Purchases may be made via computer or mobile device.

To read more, go here. 

Joshua Tree National Park Reopens

Above, The Beast at the Cottonwood Campground at Joshua Tree National Park in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert of Southern California is open again. It had been closed due to the spreading coronavirus.

According to The Desert Sun:

Joshua Tree National Park is open to the public after shutting down nearly two months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Hannah Schwalbe, a Joshua Tree National Park spokeswoman, confirmed roads and gates reopened Sunday morning. She referred to the park's website for additional details. 

The website indicates entrance stations are staffed, but workers aren't collecting entrance fees. Also open are parking lots, trails, family campsites and most restroom facilities. 

Visitor centers and group campsites are still closed to the public and all programs and permits for special-use activities through May 31 are canceled. Group campsites are larger than family campsites, which typically fit up to six people.

To read more, go here. 

Leaving Not A Trace In Joshua Tree National Park

Above, Joshua Tree National Park near Cottonwood Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When visitors come to Joshua Tree National Parks, it is vital that they only use areas designated for certain times of the day and activities that don't cause damage.

Some are using areas at all hours when they are specifically designated for day-use-only.

The Desert Sun reported:

Scroll through photos tagged in Joshua Tree National Park, and the Milky Way inevitably flashes across the screen. Night sky photography is a popular attraction in this boulder-laden landscape. 

But in addition to the iconic rock formations, some photographers are heading out to capture the stars reflected in various bodies of water throughout the park. What they may not know – or choose to disregard – is that a lot of these places are sensitive and thereby protected as day-use only. 

"They might have access to water for wildlife, and we like to limit humans going there," explains JTNP Social Media Specialist Hannah Schwalbe. "We want the wildlife to have a chance to access that water without a predator being around." 

Night sky photographers heading into day-use-only areas is one example of an issue within the national park that Schwalbe says "is more likely" heightened by social media. The popularity of the shot may create a potential clamor for "retweets" and "likes," and yet the process of capturing it infringes on the limited water sources available to the park's wildlife. As more and more people are getting out to explore the wilderness, public lands across the country are feeling similar environmental tolls. 

To read more, go here. 

Entrance Fees Going Up At Joshua Tree National Park

Above, The Beast at Joshua Tree's Cottonwood Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To cover the cost of a backlog of maintenance and improvements, entrance fees into Joshua Tree National Park are going up.

According to the Desert Sun:

Come June 1, Joshua Tree National Park visitors will pay a little more to get into the park, a move officials say will help cover needed infrastructure and maintenance costs. 

Vehicle entrance fees go up $5 to $30 while riding a motorcycle into the park will cost $25 – a $13 increase. Annual park passes will go up $15 to $55. Admission for an individual walking into the park will rise $3 to $15. 

The increases were announced on Friday. The current rates were established in 2016, officials said. 

“Any extra funds that the park can generate through fees will go directly to covering our backlog maintenance needs,” park Superintendent David Smith said.

To read more, go here. 

Fire Damages Oasis of Mara At Joshua Tree National Park

Above, Joshua Tree National Park's south entrance sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An upsetting report from Joshua Tree National Park is making headlines.

Fox News reported:

LOS ANGELES –  A suspected arson fire at Joshua Tree National Park in California has damaged a historical landmark. 

The fire that broke out late Monday damaged the Oasis of Mara, a site settled by Native Americans who planted the 29 palm trees that inspired the name of the nearby city Twentynine Palms, according to the National Park Service. 

Strong winds stoked the rapid spread of the fire, which was contained at less than a square mile (2.58 square kilometers), Eric Sherwin said, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

I remember first visiting the Oasis of Mara when I was around 5 years old right after my grandmother moved to Twentynine Palms. The Oasis has a nice trail with descriptions of different plant life, archaeological sites and other things of historical interest (including a girl's grave). I have revisited the Oasis about two more times.

I hope the trees are able to recover from the fire and, if is arson, the person responsible is arrested.

To read more, go here.

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UPDATE (3/28/18):

A suspect has been arrested for suspicion of arson, according to the Desert Sun. For details, go here.

Joshua Tree National Park Drew 2.8 Million Visitors In 2017

Above, The Beast at Joshua Tree National Park's Cottonwood Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This should not come as a complete surprise since Joshua Tree National Park is the closest national park to the city of Los Angeles.

But it is noteworthy that Joshua Tree National Park is a big draw as the park saw an increase in visitors in 2017.

The Desert Sun reported:

Joshua Tree National Park is the place to be these days, with 792,510 acres of vast open land, incomparable views of the sky – day and night time – and numerous trails of varying length and difficulty for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. 

The park set a new attendance record in 2017 with more than 2.8 million visitors – an increase of more than 338,000 over 2016 and the fourth consecutive record-setting year, officials said.

To read more, go here. 

Joshua Tree National Park To Be Designated International Dark Sky Park

Above, Cottonwood Spring at Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here is something amateur astronomers and night sky photographers should take notice of.

Joshua Tree National Park is about to receive the designation as an International Dark Sky Park next month.

According to The Desert Sun:

Joshua Tree National Park will join Galloway Forest Park in Scotland, Warrumbungle National Park in Australia, Yeongyang Firefly Eco Park in South Korea and dozens of other parks across the U.S. and the world next month when it is officially designated as an International Dark Sky Park. 

To receive the distinction, a park must possess, “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment,” according to the International Dark-Sky Association. 

Other International Dark Sky Parks in the U.S. include Glacier National Park in Montana, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Capitol Reef National Park in Utah and dozens of other national and state parks and monuments. 

A dedication ceremony will be held Aug. 12 at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree at 5 p.m. 

To read more, go here.

Trouble On Interstate 10

Above, the collapsed bridge. From YouTube video.

The unusually heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Dolores caused a bridge near Desert Center on Interstate 10 to collapse. Until the bridge is rebuilt, Interstate 10 will be a mess.

According to The Desert Sun:

A bridge collapse east of the Coachella Valley late Sunday afternoon forced the closure of Interstate 10 – the main roadway between Southern California and Phoenix – injuring one person and stranding hundreds of motorists backed up for miles. 

The Tex Wash bridge, built on the eastbound I-10 in 1967, was listed as functionally obsolete in the 2014 National Bridge Inventory. Essentially, the bridge was listed as no longer adequate for its task, though it was not listed as having known structural problems that needed to be fixed.

Thankfully, our trip today to Lake Havasu doesn't include driving on Interstate 10. We will be on Interstates 15 and 40. I checked with the CHP road conditions hotline and both interstates are problem-free (well, at least, so far).

Clear skies are forecast for Lake Havasu City during our time there. The only thing the storm is causing is some cooling. It will be around 97 degrees there.

To read more, go here.