Articles of category "Joshua Tree"

During the week of July 17, 2006, a fire had California news reporters on their toes. One minute the fire would be confined to the Joshua Tree National Forest, and the next minute it would have encroached on Joshua Tree N.P. No one mentioned the fact that homeowners in the area had each had to drill a private well for their own water. No wonder that fire was hard to fight.

The Joshua Tree National Park is a unique location where two distinct desert ecosystems come together in one place. The park offers visitors the chance to explore two separate deserts, as well as some rare palm oases. Rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and camping are all activities that can be enjoyed at the Joshua Tree National Park. Plan your visit, and explore this truly unique location!

For years during my youth, my family always had an advent calendar. However, I never realized what its significance was. To me it was just a cool calendar with lots of little doors and surprises that were opened one day at a time for the 24 days prior to Christmas. Like many holiday traditions, the advent calendar has been lost amid a fog of crass commercialism, but fortunately its origin remains for those who want to learn it.

The western tradition of advent is the beginning of the church year. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and advent then ends on Christmas Eve. Advent calendars are used to what some people see as the countdown till Christmas. Many companies that make these advent calendars seem to have forgotten the real reason of advent. Making advent calendars last until the New Year.