Being so dry, there's not going to be a lot of moisture for the plant to tap into.

This makes the potential for very high soil moisture levels come springtime with the snow melt.

Smiles per Mile

The dusty tombs of long-dead exorcist priests lay in the alcoves below, surmounted by stone effigies, the features eroded by the passing of time and the reverent caresses of their grateful parishioners, a reminder, she knew all too well, of the brevity of life.

Kimaria smirked and placed her hands behind her back. “Come now. It doesn’t have to come to that. Violence is so beneath us.”
“No, it isn’t,” said Helianthus at once.
“Well . . . it is beneath me,” the high queen said and touched a hand to her chest. “Unlike you, I am civilized. I wear shoes and I have a last name.” They watched as she eased into a chair. She crossed one leg over the other, folded her arms, and regarded them calmly. “Aren’t you the least bit curious as to how I snatched the famed Nineveh Atvaris from our dark past? You can’t be that boring.

He's scheduled to have a quick doctor visit to get up-to-date with his inner ear issue. He's been doing his long toss, probably will start to graduate onto the mound and just go day-by-day on the basis of how he feels.