Logomark
Image 1: Midday in Joshua Tree, California, a narrow sandy path winds between smooth, rounded granite walls. A large boulder rests in the middle of the corridor, with sparse desert shrubs at its base and wispy clouds stretching across a pale blue sky. Image 2: A close view of a rounded granite formation in Joshua Tree at midday, shaped into layered, curving bands by erosion. A dark hollow cuts beneath the rock, contrasting with the sunlit, sandy-colored stone and soft clouds above.

We spend two days in Joshua Tree with friends for our friend Edwin's birthday.


Chelsea asks "Why do people claim there's an energy vortex here? Is it just cuz the same Sedona hippie types live here, too? Is it the drugs?" We laugh and say "probably."


But in the park... it's hard to shake the otherworldly air that accompanies the landscape. It is pristine, it is alien, it is shockingly quiet. And yet... there are fresh signs of life: droppings, prints, fur and feather snagged in the cacti. Their gaze is felt, though they are unseen. The sense of eyes, quietly watching, waiting, is palpable, though not unpleasant. It's an uncanny place. The vibe is real.

Dyn ni’n treulio dau ddiwrnod ym Mharc Cenedlaethol Joshua Tree gyda ffrindiau ar gyfer pen-blwydd ein ffrind, Edwin.


Mae Chelsea yn gofyn, “Pam mae pobl yn honni bod fortecs egni yma? Ai dim ond oherwydd bod yr un math o hipis â Sedona yn byw yma hefyd? Ai’r cyffuriau?”

Rydyn ni’n chwerthin ac yn dweud, “Mae’n debyg.”


Ond yn y parc… mae’n anodd ysgwyd y teimlad rhyfeddol sy’n dod gyda’r dirwedd. Mae’n bur, mae’n estron, mae’n dawel iawn. Ac eto… mae arwyddion ffres o fywyd: baw, olion traed, blew a phlu wedi dal yn y cactws. Mae presenoldeb y trigolion yn cael ei deimlo, er nad ydyn nhw i’w gweld. Mae’r teimlad o lygaid yn gwylio’n dawel, yn aros, yn amlwg — ond nid yn annifyr. Mae’n lle annisgwyl. Mae’r naws yn real.

Image 1: A close-up of mesquite mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum) in Joshua Tree National Park, with dense reddish-brown twigs covered in small orange buds and translucent pink berries. The branches crisscross tightly, filling the frame with texture and warm desert colors. Image 2: Another close view of mesquite mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum), showing pale gray-green branches dotted with round, coral-pink berries. The berries stand out against the muted stems, creating a soft contrast within the tangled plant.

Mesquite Mistletoe / Phoradendron californicum


Image 1: In Joshua Tree National Park, a massive rounded granite boulder rises from sandy ground, pierced by a smooth oval opening near its base. Smaller boulders cluster around it, and the pale blue sky is streaked with thin, high clouds. Image 2: A single Joshua tree stands upright in open desert at Joshua Tree National Park, its tall, rough trunk topped with spiky green crowns. Rounded granite rocks sit behind it, and wispy clouds fan out across the bright midday sky.

Tirwedd Joshua Tree Landscapes


Image 1: A small staghorn cholla cactus (Cylindropuntia versicolor) grows low against pale, gritty desert soil in Joshua Tree. Its clustered, finger-like segments are deep reddish-purple and covered in sharp, pale spines that cast crisp shadows in the bright sun. Image 2: A close-up of the same staghorn cholla shows twisted, segmented stems in shades of pinkish red, densely studded with long, needle-like spines. The rough ground beneath is softly out of focus, emphasizing the cactus’s texture and color.

Staghorn Cholla / Cylindropuntia versicolor


Image 1: Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park, a large rounded granite formation shaped like a skull, with a hollowed “eye” near the base. Smaller boulders and scrubby desert plants surround it, under a pale sky streaked with thin clouds. Image 2: Nearby rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park, with smooth, rounded granite boulders rising around a narrow sandy path. A few people stand on top of a distant rock, giving a sense of scale against the wide, rocky desert landscape.

Skull Rock, Joshua Tree

Recent Posts

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Landscapes and plantscapes from a weekend trip to the uncanny Joshua Tree National Park with friends.

—

A shopping trip in Glassell Park yields some illustrated, mid-century treasures courtesy of FaceGuts.

—

The Knocks with Dragonette and Aquaria perform their show 'Revelation' last night at the Belasco in Los Angels. Incredible show.

—

At the end of October I return to Wales on my own. I stop first in Aberteifi for the Other Voices music fest, and to attend two open days at as many universities, exploring the Welsh language programs at each.

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Provincetown. Our maiden voyages each, we arrive with expectations high and leave with them thoroughly met. We achieve in Ptown what seldom comes on holiday: an actual vacation of our lives and stressors.

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I am practicing tattooing but I am not yet a practicing tattooer. I am not very good at the moment, but getting better every time I put ink to skin, synthetic or otherwise.

Colophon

This site was built with Figma. Photos were taken on an iPhone or a FujiFilm T-30iii. Drawings were done in Procreate & Illustrator. Titles are set in Geist, designed by Andrés Briganti, Mateo Zaragoza, Guillermo Rauch, Evil Rabbit, José Rago, Facundo Santana; the body is set in Bitter, designed by Sol Matatas.

Disclaimer

Novenarik is a silly little boondoggle and produced for the entertainment and wellbeing of the author, only. No audience is sought or addressed. The views expressed do not represent those of my employers, actual or implied. This is not social media, it’s a private journal, written in public.

This has been Novenarik.org

—

all content © 2026

Logomark
Image 1: Midday in Joshua Tree, California, a narrow sandy path winds between smooth, rounded granite walls. A large boulder rests in the middle of the corridor, with sparse desert shrubs at its base and wispy clouds stretching across a pale blue sky. Image 2: A close view of a rounded granite formation in Joshua Tree at midday, shaped into layered, curving bands by erosion. A dark hollow cuts beneath the rock, contrasting with the sunlit, sandy-colored stone and soft clouds above.

We spend two days in Joshua Tree with friends for our friend Edwin's birthday.


Chelsea asks "Why do people claim there's an energy vortex here? Is it just cuz the same Sedona hippie types live here, too? Is it the drugs?" We laugh and say "probably."


But in the park... it's hard to shake the otherworldly air that accompanies the landscape. It is pristine, it is alien, it is shockingly quiet. And yet... there are fresh signs of life: droppings, prints, fur and feather snagged in the cacti. Their gaze is felt, though they are unseen. The sense of eyes, quietly watching, waiting, is palpable, though not unpleasant. It's an uncanny place. The vibe is real.

Dyn ni’n treulio dau ddiwrnod ym Mharc Cenedlaethol Joshua Tree gyda ffrindiau ar gyfer pen-blwydd ein ffrind, Edwin.


Mae Chelsea yn gofyn, “Pam mae pobl yn honni bod fortecs egni yma? Ai dim ond oherwydd bod yr un math o hipis â Sedona yn byw yma hefyd? Ai’r cyffuriau?”

Rydyn ni’n chwerthin ac yn dweud, “Mae’n debyg.”


Ond yn y parc… mae’n anodd ysgwyd y teimlad rhyfeddol sy’n dod gyda’r dirwedd. Mae’n bur, mae’n estron, mae’n dawel iawn. Ac eto… mae arwyddion ffres o fywyd: baw, olion traed, blew a phlu wedi dal yn y cactws. Mae presenoldeb y trigolion yn cael ei deimlo, er nad ydyn nhw i’w gweld. Mae’r teimlad o lygaid yn gwylio’n dawel, yn aros, yn amlwg — ond nid yn annifyr. Mae’n lle annisgwyl. Mae’r naws yn real.

Image 1: A close-up of mesquite mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum) in Joshua Tree National Park, with dense reddish-brown twigs covered in small orange buds and translucent pink berries. The branches crisscross tightly, filling the frame with texture and warm desert colors. Image 2: Another close view of mesquite mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum), showing pale gray-green branches dotted with round, coral-pink berries. The berries stand out against the muted stems, creating a soft contrast within the tangled plant.

Mesquite Mistletoe / Phoradendron californicum


Image 1: In Joshua Tree National Park, a massive rounded granite boulder rises from sandy ground, pierced by a smooth oval opening near its base. Smaller boulders cluster around it, and the pale blue sky is streaked with thin, high clouds. Image 2: A single Joshua tree stands upright in open desert at Joshua Tree National Park, its tall, rough trunk topped with spiky green crowns. Rounded granite rocks sit behind it, and wispy clouds fan out across the bright midday sky.

Tirwedd Joshua Tree Landscapes


Image 1: A small staghorn cholla cactus (Cylindropuntia versicolor) grows low against pale, gritty desert soil in Joshua Tree. Its clustered, finger-like segments are deep reddish-purple and covered in sharp, pale spines that cast crisp shadows in the bright sun. Image 2: A close-up of the same staghorn cholla shows twisted, segmented stems in shades of pinkish red, densely studded with long, needle-like spines. The rough ground beneath is softly out of focus, emphasizing the cactus’s texture and color.

Staghorn Cholla / Cylindropuntia versicolor


Image 1: Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park, a large rounded granite formation shaped like a skull, with a hollowed “eye” near the base. Smaller boulders and scrubby desert plants surround it, under a pale sky streaked with thin clouds. Image 2: Nearby rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park, with smooth, rounded granite boulders rising around a narrow sandy path. A few people stand on top of a distant rock, giving a sense of scale against the wide, rocky desert landscape.

Skull Rock, Joshua Tree

Recent Posts

—

Landscapes and plantscapes from a weekend trip to the uncanny Joshua Tree National Park with friends.

—

A shopping trip in Glassell Park yields some illustrated, mid-century treasures courtesy of FaceGuts.

—

The Knocks with Dragonette and Aquaria perform their show 'Revelation' last night at the Belasco in Los Angels. Incredible show.

—

At the end of October I return to Wales on my own. I stop first in Aberteifi for the Other Voices music fest, and to attend two open days at as many universities, exploring the Welsh language programs at each.

This has been Novenarik.org

—

All content © 2026

Colophon

This site was built with Figma. Photos were taken on an iPhone or a FujiFilm T-30iii. Drawings were done in Procreate & Illustrator. Titles are set in Geist, designed by Andrés Briganti, Mateo Zaragoza, Guillermo Rauch, Evil Rabbit, José Rago, Facundo Santana; the body is set in Bitter, designed by Sol Matatas.

Disclaimer

Novenarik is a silly little boondoggle and produced for the entertainment and wellbeing of the author, only. No audience is sought or addressed. The views expressed do not represent those of my employers, actual or implied. This is not social media, it’s a private journal, written in public.