Beauty All Around Us

Every Saturday I drive fromFresno, in the geographical center of
California, across the western side of the SanJoaquin Valley and up
into the mountains, to Casa de Fruta. It is such beautiful country,
SubhanAllah. The San Joaquin Valley is a part of California's great
Central Valley, a vast agricultural breadbasket that runs 450 miles
(720 km) from north to south.
Right now in March, the fields are on fire with orange poppies and
yellowmustard flowers. The almond trees have been blossoming for a
month, and the white petals fall to the ground like rain. On myway
home, I sometimes pull over and park under the almond trees. I have a
snack, listen to the radio, then get out and practice martial arts
moves beneaththe trees. When the irrigation pumps are running I use
the water to wash my face or perform wudu'.
The grapes are just coming up – the slender stems are like the idea of
a grape vine. Corn, cotton and lettuce are newly planted, and birds
with long white necks flock to the fields. The fields are full of huge
herds of white sheep and black cows, and our uniquelocal cows with a
large white stripe down the middle.
The green grass sweeps up into the mountains, where it becomes forest
and finally snow.
The years-long drought is over. The San Luis Reservoir is setting a
new high water mark. It is normally full of islands, butnow they have
all disappeared as the water isa solid sheet of deep blue from one
side to the other, with fingers of water stretching into
surroundingvalleys. I've never seen it so high. The Eastside Bypass,
which is a flood control channel and is normally dry as dust, is
running with water.
The San Joaquin River is running to the Pacific Ocean for the first
time in decades. In coming years the Chinook salmon may return to the
river, Insha'Allah. This is a type offish that swims upriver from the
sea. There has notbeen a Chinook run on the San Joaquin River since
the 1940′s.
The skies in this part of the Valley are huge, with vast expanses of
clouds sweeping the sky like ships. Late in the day, the sky is a
giant palette of blue, yellow, orange and red.
The world is amazing. Never think that beauty is gone from the world.
Openyour eyes and look at the majesty around you. All this was not
created in vain. It is a miracle, a blessing, and a sign pointing to
the Most Merciful God.
SubhanAllah, glory to Allah The Provider, The Creator, The One.
Sheep butt heads near a dried-up irrigation ditch in the Central Valley in 2009.
Lawrence's Goldfinch is native to the Central Valley
Central Valley farmland
Skies in the Central Valley are always dramatic.
Central Valley trees in bloom on a farm
Another beautiful sky in the Central Valley
A San Joaquin Valley orange grove. Oranges are a major crop here.


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