Tuesday, April 10:  This week’s letter for Frizztext’s A-Z archive photo challenge is O. I couldn’t help but think of Oman, since I live here.  In Oman, a desert country, there are many wadis.  These are basically watercourses, many of which are dried up, but many of which have any amount of water ranging from a small stream to a large river, most noticeable in mountain valleys.  Many wadis have clear turquoise pools teeming with life and bordered by lush plantations or gardens along the banks.  An oasis refers to this fertile or green spot in the desert or wasteland, made so by the presence of water.  A wadi can be dry and barren, but alternately it can have areas where greenery abounds, creating an oasis in the midst of the desert.

Last weekend I visited Wadi Muaydin, not far from my home in Nizwa, and we happened to find this wadi abloom with pink oleander. This fast-growing sweet-scented evergreen shrub has leathery, long and narrow leaves with single-flowers of pale pink and grows wild in wadis in Oman. It thrives in full sun and is drought resistant; it is also highly poisonous.

Here is my entry: an oleander-filled oasis in Oman…. 🙂