Dakenas Road

Long hot ride today. The wind and sun split my lips. This land is pure high desert. There’s a stark beauty to her. Barren dry fields punctured by jagged basalt rock formations. “How can milkweed survive here?” I thought. Then I proceeded to find the most amount of milkweed patches I’ve seen on the trip so far. Some of the milkweed plants were growing out of gravel and pieces of concrete on the side of the road. These plants are tough as nails.

Here on Dakenas Road I contributed some milkweed seeds to the amusement of these horses. Horses are surprising monarch allies. They refuse to graze on milkweed in favor of other plants and grasses, thereby giving the milkweed more space to flourish when it might have otherwise been crowded out. Gracias, caballos!