Gilbert often went on retreats with author and friend Jean Ure at her cabin in Madera Canyon. While there, he painted this ocotillo, a landmark with beautiful mountain views along the roadway.
The ocotillo is an unusual plant. For much of the year it looks like a bunch of dead sticks. But when rains come it puts out leaves and and shoots out brilliant red flowers from the tips of its stalks. Sometimes the flowers are used to make tea or as an ingredient in salads.
So if you come across someone who seems to be all dried up and dead, don't take them for granted. Maybe they're an ocotillo waiting for rain!
