The desert is such a strange place to be.
We were following a particularly flat, straight, utterly lifeless stretch of the trail when we spotted a lake just to our left. We are very aware of how little water we have, and it was very tempting to leave the safety of the well traveled path. Luckily, our water stores are still in good shape, and we have been warned of some of the dangers of the desert. Upon closer examination, the "lake" turned out to be an oasis. It's not hard to see how so many travelers get lost and disappear out here chasing phantom liquid.
The creatures here are equally strange. The other morning, just as the sun was breaking over the horizon, a line of large animals wondered by us, then cut across the desert sand keeping in a single file line. They were similar to our horses, but much larger with shaggy, sandy colored coats. The skin on their backs was soft looking, bunched up like they were born with too much skin and muscle and the excess got piled up there for some reason. And their knees were backwards! It was quite an unusual sight. I don't think I've ever seen anything like them.
Steve called them something as unusual as their appearance, something like catamals. Or something. I think the hardships of the desert are getting to me. The hardships of traveling are finally weighing on me. I've been dwelling a lot on my childhood lately. There's a part of me that wants to settle in a place, be part of a base again. There's so much more to see, though! It's a confusing dilemma.
There's still time to experience things. We have this run to finish, and then... Well, the "and then" will come next I suppose.
