Monday January 1 – Temps: 37/70, kind of scummy looking. Breezy in the afternoon.
I sit in the wash to read – the warmth of the weak sunshine feels good. As soon as my laptop is charged, I do some edits for Ang and suggest another agent for her book, “Dragons of Va’Ha’Den.”
We have a chili dinner at our place (too windy this evening to have a campfire). Later I finish the book I have been reading, “A Wild Thing,” and it has such a depressing ending that I feel annoyed for having spent so much time reading this past week. A rather uneventful first day of the New Year.
Tuesday January 2 – Temps: 46/73
I walk to the east beyond the wash.
Crossing the wash
Before me is uninhabited desert all the way across the basin. The desert lends itself to serenity. No wonder wise and holy men and women throughout history have spend time in the desert. It is not a punishment; the essence of a desert of this nature makes it possible to achieve a deeper meditative state just by being here.
Cholla in the desert
We decide to go exploring, taking the main La Posa road deeper into the desert, beyond the boundary of the BLM camping area and into the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
Exploring
We thought we might be able to make a loop to Crystal Hill, but the road is blocked. We hang out for a bit, admiring the scenery – too bad I didn’t bring a picnic lunch for us – and gather a few of the extraordinary rocks that are abundant here.
Hanging out in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge with Clifford, Ninja, and RollieWe consider driving over that “hill,” but decide against it – maybe more exploring than we really want to doLooking south – Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Back at camp, I do some editing before starting dinner. Dinner is at the campfire tonight, which make the meal a fun adventure. Later, before bedtime, I begin reading a Tony Hillerman novel, only to discover that I’ve already read it. Ah well…. It was still a very good day.
Wednesday January 3 – Temps: 40/69 and cloudy all day.
I walk in the desert for photos at sunrise, then make a pot of yerba matte tea and start a campfire.
Sunrise colors
Rollie joins me, coffee in hand, and we chat as we sip our hot drinks. I do enjoy a morning campfire!
Enjoying a morning campfire. Notice the additions to the fire ring .
In the afternoon, we make the 30-mile trip to Blythe, California, to a small music store, as Rollie needs strings for his mandolin. Very nice lady owner there. Long-story-short, Rollie and I end up playing some bluegrass music on store-instruments: Rollie on a guitar and me on a cello. What a hoot!
Back at camp, we have a late dinner of left-over chili and then I start a different Tony Hillerman novel, reading until well after midnight.
Thursday January 4 – Temps: 43/73 and mostly sunny.
I walk in the desert and take photos, glad to have some sunshine and blue sky overhead instead of jet trails and murk. I sure do love our spot and the unencumbered desert here.
The sun has risen over the wash
Very cool old trees grow in and along the washThe moon sets over trees in the wash
In mail that was forwarded to us at Quartzsite, I have a letter from Social Security indicating a problem with my allotment. The nearest SS office is in Blythe, and due to a deadline to take care of this, we make another trip to Blythe. I read as I wait for my turn to be seen and when I finally see the woman, she is not the least helpful. I have to dig for every bit of information to know how to proceed.
Back at camp, we have a quick soup dinner, as we are going to a music presentation at the Quartzsite Improvement Association (QIA) venue. This proves to be a community event with some very accomplished performers and some just so-so, but everyone’s contribution is appreciated by the mostly senior citizen audience. Maybe Rollie and I could play there sometime; it is something for us to consider.
3 thoughts on “New Year in the Desert – January 2018”
Hi Carol, …those two sunrise colors photos – WOW! Also, regarding your comment about the desert, the qualities/characteristics thereof, lending itself to helping one attain and feel a special type of inner-peace: have you read the classic eco-type book, “Desert Solitaire” by Edward Abbey? It was published back in 1968, but it’s subject matter/themes are are universal and timeless. Re: my health – as you know, i’m one of unlucky people who have been acutely harmed by the aerosols/morgellons. My chronic fatigue continues to deepen; I’m now in bed sleeping about “14” hrs per day! And the hours of the day i’m up, I can only sit on the couch. I don’t want to prematurely die from this, but my will power to live like this is now being severely tested. I’m not telling you this because I want you to worry or give me sympathy; I just need people to bear witness to this evil-caused ruination of my life. I’m like most people in this morgellons hell – most people you tell, even family, don’t want to hear about or acknowledge this horrible reality/situation i’m (and others) are in. I hope you and Clifford, and your loved ones, can somehow avoid the most severe damage caused by/from the aerosols.
Thank you for you comment here and the blog that followed. I started reading “Desert Solitaire” some time ago, but didn’t get too far. Too many other distractions, but the book is still in the camper and your reminder of it makes me think I would like to read it now – all of it. I am much more familiar with the desert Southwest than I was before, so it will mean more to me now. As a matter of fact, we are going to Moab area next week to get our Suburban worked on there. We plan to camp along the Colorado River, on the boundary of Arches National Park, Edward Abbey’s stomping ground. That sounds like a good time and place to read it.
We receive many emails from folks who are suffering from the environmental issues of our times. We send out a letter with information from the research, which I trust we sent to you, but even with doing that, it doesn’t seem like we can do enough to help people. Fortunately, Clifford and I are well, but good health is a blessing not to be taken for granted. I think there are many variables that make some people more susceptible to Morgellons and others more resistant. But the fact is that the toxins in the environment, as well as the Morgellons organism, should not be there. If governments across the world wanted to make the planet a healthier place, it could happen, but it seems that the corruption of those in power world-wide leaves no vision for the possibility of a clean and healthy planet. For what it’s worth, I appreciate your awareness and your comments on my blogs.
Hi Carol, …Thank you for your responses to my comment. I really appreciate the part where you mention morgellons etc. Us acute sufferers from the aerosol crime just need to know that there are at least some/a few persons that know/understand our situation; So Carol, thank you. This sentiment reminds me of the Warren Zevon song, “Mutineer” – “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum / hoist the main sail here I come / your my witness, I’m your mutineer…”
Hi Carol, …those two sunrise colors photos – WOW! Also, regarding your comment about the desert, the qualities/characteristics thereof, lending itself to helping one attain and feel a special type of inner-peace: have you read the classic eco-type book, “Desert Solitaire” by Edward Abbey? It was published back in 1968, but it’s subject matter/themes are are universal and timeless. Re: my health – as you know, i’m one of unlucky people who have been acutely harmed by the aerosols/morgellons. My chronic fatigue continues to deepen; I’m now in bed sleeping about “14” hrs per day! And the hours of the day i’m up, I can only sit on the couch. I don’t want to prematurely die from this, but my will power to live like this is now being severely tested. I’m not telling you this because I want you to worry or give me sympathy; I just need people to bear witness to this evil-caused ruination of my life. I’m like most people in this morgellons hell – most people you tell, even family, don’t want to hear about or acknowledge this horrible reality/situation i’m (and others) are in. I hope you and Clifford, and your loved ones, can somehow avoid the most severe damage caused by/from the aerosols.
Hello Daryl,
Thank you for you comment here and the blog that followed. I started reading “Desert Solitaire” some time ago, but didn’t get too far. Too many other distractions, but the book is still in the camper and your reminder of it makes me think I would like to read it now – all of it. I am much more familiar with the desert Southwest than I was before, so it will mean more to me now. As a matter of fact, we are going to Moab area next week to get our Suburban worked on there. We plan to camp along the Colorado River, on the boundary of Arches National Park, Edward Abbey’s stomping ground. That sounds like a good time and place to read it.
We receive many emails from folks who are suffering from the environmental issues of our times. We send out a letter with information from the research, which I trust we sent to you, but even with doing that, it doesn’t seem like we can do enough to help people. Fortunately, Clifford and I are well, but good health is a blessing not to be taken for granted. I think there are many variables that make some people more susceptible to Morgellons and others more resistant. But the fact is that the toxins in the environment, as well as the Morgellons organism, should not be there. If governments across the world wanted to make the planet a healthier place, it could happen, but it seems that the corruption of those in power world-wide leaves no vision for the possibility of a clean and healthy planet. For what it’s worth, I appreciate your awareness and your comments on my blogs.
Hi Carol, …Thank you for your responses to my comment. I really appreciate the part where you mention morgellons etc. Us acute sufferers from the aerosol crime just need to know that there are at least some/a few persons that know/understand our situation; So Carol, thank you. This sentiment reminds me of the Warren Zevon song, “Mutineer” – “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum / hoist the main sail here I come / your my witness, I’m your mutineer…”