Have Been in Morocco

I just returned from 3 weeks in Morocco, where I took pics of as many plants as I could find to take pics of. However the variety of plant life is very different from in Costa Rica, where lush plant life is what the country is all about. Morocco receives very little precipitation, even on the coastal side of the Atlas Mts. (For those of you not sure of the country's locations, it is in the north-west of Africa, on the west side of the Sahara Desert). The native vegetation has a distinct "I have worked out ways to preserve moisture" look. This bougainvillea in Tarroudant, which is the only place I saw fields being irrigated with overhead sprinklers, obviously benefited from moisture and grew as tall as the lamp-post. The walls on either side are at least 8' tall.

Bougainvillea in Tarroudant, Morocco
Morocco appears to be in trouble this year, due to a combination of a lack of precipitation and such abnormally warm weather so early in the season. We (my daughter and I) were told that spring was about 6 - 8 wks ahead of schedule. In the area on the Algeria/Sahara side of the High Atlas Mts our driver/guide (who was very knowledgeable about the environment) pointed out 2 doves on the side of the road. He said that they should not be in the area so early. The warm weather had fooled them into thinking it was mid to late March. By being there so early there was not enough food for them yet so they were small. Since they themselves are a food source for locals, their small size affects the people of the area.

Much more about Morocco to come.