• Did you know that dragons live in the Antelope Valley? The high temperatures, strong winds, and boatloads of space make it prime real estate. The High Desert is perfect because there are plenty of people to mingle with, yet not so many that dragons feel crowded. Dragons have created homes among foothills, enormous stretches of unused land, or even in houses in the cities.

    Everybody has seen tumbleweeds blowing by. Small dragons sit in the middle and use magic to propel the weed. Sometimes, tumbleweeds have trash stuck to them because the dragons inside are using the dead bushes to help clean up our valley. They chose to live in this valley and they would rather live in a clean one. Other times, small dragons play sort of a one-on-one Dragon Demolition Derby with tumbleweeds. The winner is decided by whoever can force their opponent to become lodged someplace. The large dragons provide extra wind for speed and entertainment. If you’ve ever seen two tumbleweeds stuck together, it’s usually the two players battling for first place. Dragons also love making bets on the tumbleweeds to win the Dragon Demolition Derby. The losers of both the bet and the Derby get turned into crows for twenty-four hours. It’s torturous to be a crow because nobody really enjoys their company. If there’s one thing a dragon hates, it’s being unloved. Why do you think there are so many stories about dragons? There wouldn’t be any if dragons didn’t keep showing off to humans every century or so. Ordinary animals also know when crows are actually dragons and take advantage of the fact that they can’t crisp anything with their scorching flames. Sparrows take special joy in harassing the unfortunate losers.

    Any dragon loves fireworks. Something about the booms and explosions of colorful light hold a fascination for dragons. Every year at the fireworks show in the AV Fairgrounds, dragons gather in the towering grandstand or find a suitable spot in the surrounding brush to watch. A few even gather in the air above to get a spectacular view of the fireworks blooming like flowers against the dark ground. Sometimes, the fireworks excite the dragons so much, they lose control of their fire-breathing capabilities. Many small brush fires blamed on firework sparks were actually caused by overzealous dragons and their flames.

    Give dragons an excuse to have fun and they will take it in a blink of an eye. They enjoy going to the fair, especially at night when the rides are lit up as if precious gemstones studded them. You might see a cluster of rowdy guys taking bets among themselves at the Demolition Derby. Maybe they’re some dragons who are taking a chance on becoming a crow to bet on their favorite drivers. Perhaps you’ll stand in line behind a gathering of wild teenagers waiting to get on the Zipper. Half the time, it’s an assembly of young dragons eager to brave the rides. Sometimes a dragon is having so much fun at the fair, they forget for a moment where they are and drop their illusion amidst humans. Their friends will immediately throw a new disguise over them, leaving anyone in doubt as to what they really saw. A couple of the show-off dragons will purposely drop their disguise for a few seconds to get attention. A flash of jewel-like scales, membrane-thin wings, razor sharp fangs, and a pair of glowing eyes with cat-like pupils filled with mischievousness will leave you in astonishment for just a moment, then it’ll all disappear and a friendly person will grin at you with decidedly pointed teeth.

    Dragons are part of the AV. They are similar us because they love this valley as much as we do. Maybe that’s why they blend into our community so well. Look twice at everything you see and maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of a dragon’s tail as it disappears around a corner.