Nau speak: Vegas: Waterfalls and Sunsets

Broad swathes of taupe and greige paint a stark contrast to the vibrant shades of periwinkle, pink and fuschia that tend to dominate the desert landscape as the sun continues its timeless crawl behind the sanctuary of the mountains dotting the horizon. In the city, jutting angles of cement arch out with neon bedazzling, trying to strike their own eminent pose over the archaic landscape. Sunrise and sunset are both outlandishly beautiful here in Vegas, likely due in large part to the extensive views and visibility offered by the sparsely shrubbed landscape. Just like most all other ecosystems existing on our planet currently, water is the single most important lifeblood of the carbon-based lifeforms proliferating the region, be they human, animal or shrub. The Las Vegas strip itself is a glittering bastion of hydration and pomp, offering both stunning views of our horizontal changes throughout the day along with exceptional water-fixtures freely splashing their wares for the enjoyment of all who walk by.

It should go without saying by this point in my blog (and, say, our existence as conscious semi-responsible beings with ready access to the internet and all its veritable informational and educational resources) that water is a rarified resource here. As the city continues its quest for relentlessly growth and prosperity, the resources we currently have at our disposal (the Colorado river and Lake Mead, foremost) are going to become more and more tightly stretched, as they're already being shared between growing communities throughout Southern Nevada, Southern California and Arizona. There is, of course, something to be said for the predictably sunny and warm weather we have here, which attracts many people sick of the seasonal shifts and cold (or otherwise inclement) weather of back home, so despite the stretches to our reserves I foresee no slowing in the settlement. The economy should boom, with lots of eager workers moving in from other regions, and all the new infrastructure going in currently to support the Raiders and other entertainments popping up around their installation. For now, the water flows abundantly.