February 2026
Dos Palmas Preserve- A Palm Oasis Near the Salton Sea
Just east of the North Shore of the Salton Sea, just north of Bombay Beach, just off a short dirt road, there is a trail that leads through an arid landscape to a natural spring surrounded by a village of California Fan Palms ( Washingtonia flifera), palms named after General George Washington. While exploring the area I was transported to another time, another dimension. My imagination exploded and suddenly I was engulfed with visions of ancient palm trees becoming ancient warriors entrusted with the protection of the sacred waters. The landscape transformed into a battle zone. The towering ancients stood nearly eighty feet in the air, trunks dressed in armour rising to circles of recently sharpened razor edged swords. Below, areas of devastation- every tree dead, many mutilated. I wondered what had come to challenge the palm warriors, to dare to try and take the sacred waters. I sensed that over hundreds of years, as the landscape became dryer, these water-fed oasis became the remaining hope for the palms, and protecting them took a magical force bestowed upon the palm warriors.
In this altered state, I used my camera to bring the scene to life. It became an active collaborator in telling the story of of my vision.
