Canyon Country Urban Landscape

And a bonus.  The road Humphrey Bogart took in Treasure of the Sierra Madre.  Or not.  But it always reminds me of that movie.  Of course, I haven't seen it in 40 years or so.  But mostly the urban landscape of Canyon Country.  Where the heat is enough to desiccate a feller by the time he makes it to the local five and dime.  Where lizards, owls, crows and coyotes live to tell the tail.  Where pets are scared if they're not actually lunch or road kill.  Where the limes and figs and peaches make the trees sag during fruit season.  Where the pools reek of chlorine as they glisten in the brutal sunlight.

What's the first thing every passenger sees at the beginning of a trip?  Not in a stage coach, but in your Toyota Sienna Madre.  A glove compartment of course.  Not that anyone but OK Simpson might keep his gloves here.  

Blue and desert scrub and a dead end road.  Humphrey, turn around and try another route. 

Stoppin' in at the old Target' is a surefire thirst quencher.  Though there's naught for the horses.  

Here's the right route.  Off in the distance is gold.  Jes' follow the freeway.  Actually, the gold is a bit behind us.  Followin' this freeway'll jes get ye' to Palmdale.  Backwards a bit will get you to where gold was first discovered in California. 

Intrepid vehicles returning from a trip to find gold.  Perhaps going to spend it?

Signs and stores underneath desert mountain scrub.  Lots of business going on.  Flu shots, dentistry, food and styles for less, right turns.  And look at the shadows on the Walgreen letters.  Sun is almost straight overhead.  Time to take refuge from the baking heat.