The Barrens
I start my trek with a hike through the low dunes that are abuzz in winged tiger beetles darting and diving about. I’m about to put my foot down when a dune vole crosses my path, scurrying from dune mat to dune mat. Right then, a fleet-footed fisher-cat leaps through the dunescape and snatches the vole with its pointy teeth, leaving only a blackish blur and pungent stink in its wake.
“Memento mori, carpe diem,” I mutter. “Remember that you are mortal and seize the day. Too late for you, my furry friend, but not for me.”
A stiff wind builds at my back as I come off the dunes and step onto a sunken valley floor where dust devils rise above the cracked clay, spinning away in the heated air. You wouldn’t know it by the looks of the place, but this seemingly lifeless land can tur
