Transmitting from the Mojave Wilderness in Joshua Tree, California.

Now is the time for Desert Oracle Radio, the voice of the desert.

Night has fallen on the desert, and we are now only 47 months away from 2030.

It's also a new year, although the shine has already worn off a bit doesn't take long.

Like when you buy a new car and a big tumbleweed blows across the highways so quickly

it with such force that it smacks your fender and leaves a horrific wound.

Right there on the front of the car,

which is made of cheap plastic for the most part.

And then the check engine light starts blinking and buzzards are circling overhead.

Welcome to the desert.

The Joshua Tree National Park Gateway Communities as the Chambers of Commerce

like to call the stretch of highway between Morongo Valley and 29 Palms,

was thrown into the most outrageous chaos a week or so back.

As the National Park Service had cruelly closed off the tourist's favorite route into the

national park, through the humble desert village of Joshua Tree, south down Quail Springs

Road to the miles long one-lane parking lot that ends at the federal attractions ticket booth.

Why did this occur?

The Park Service has built new ticket booths to accommodate all the traffic, all the visitors.

I remember when there weren't any ticket booths.

You can just drive through the park.

There were signs posted with prohibitions on commercial trucks cutting through the park.

I remember those.

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