There's been a heat wave the last few days. Temps in the 90's. A sign of the season to come for sure, but a welcome cooling trend is on the way this weekend. Lizards are starting to scurry across the hot sand and I'm expecting to see the first rattler of the year any time now. A strange sight in the hot dry desert: mushrooms! A little searching on the web turns up a Montagnea arenaria that looks very much like what I've found.
Spring rain has been good for the wild flowers, especially poppies, and a few yucca are blooming too. We're walking in the early evening now, just before sunset, as the shadows lengthen and temperature drops a little. It's a nice time of day to hear the birds singing and watch bats and nighthawks fly.
I woke last night wondering where this pink cab had wandered off to. Found it, and two others, in my pants pocket. Had no idea they were missing. I would be lost without my dreams!
I love this pink rock. Bob was telling me it was quartz but I'm thinking maybe rhodochrosite. Whatever. Wish I had more. Apparently we picked up this chunk on a backpacking trip in the Talkeetna Mountains years ago. Can you imagine that we've actually hauled rocks from Alaska to California to Oregon to Arizona? The fossilized palm with it is another nice stone with lots of color and interest. That's one I bought in Quartzsite last month.
While we're complaining how cold it is for the end of February here in the desert we got a reminder that it is so much worse in Alaska. Photos show a bit of glaciation around the cabin. Looks like we will see how well the drainage system that was installed last summer works to remove the meltwater. Everything else looks good though. This summer we'll finish putting up the siding on the garage. Keeping fingers crossed for some good weather for that job.
I love the color of this apple green marble set in patinated silver. I got a little experimental with the second stone and inset a pretty blue topaz, then made the silver pin. The piece is now convertible from pendant to brooch. How very clever of me!
Weather is improving. Yesterday was warm enough to bring out a snake -- a garter or striped-whipsnake. Warmer weather also means I can start working with clay and cutting rocks again, but I won't have much time. We'll be heading north next month.
Finally. The closet can now be closed. I didn't like looking at that dark gaping hole. Bob did a good job building the hardware using instructions found here: DIY barn door hardware We didn't find quite the same hardware they used but made do with what was available. It was tricky finding a solid spot to put the bolts in the hollow core door. There is a shallow frame in it that was wide enough for them but limited the placement of the brackets. A solid door would allow them to be placed further in from the edges. Very pleased with it anyway. It rolls smoothly with no tendency to wobble. There are two little wheels attached to the back of the door that roll handily in a groove in the floor trim to keep the door from hitting the wall. A couple of bolts still need painting, and while doing that we plan to lower the door an inch so the gap under it isn't so big and the track will be visible above the door. This is a neat space saving option when you can't install a pocket door.
Quartzsite was kind of a dud. I was looking forward to lots of rock and tool vendors but most of them were at the big shows in Tucson so we didn't have much to see. I picked up just a few samples to work with if it ever warms up here. After spending a few days in the glorious 70's it was not fun to return to a chilly 52.
We set up the Chalet in the a far corner of the BLM free camping area on Plomosa Rd, about five miles north of Quartzsite. The camping strip is three miles long by half a mile wide and other campers were spaced out so privacy wasn't an issue. As you can see, we had no neighbors at all in our corner so there were no problems with the dogs running and making noise. A large pack of coyotes serenaded at night and next day the camp host told us they were dangerous so we should keep the dogs close... a spelunker had been sent into a cave nearby where he found seventeen dog collars. Hmmm. Right. OK then, time to move on.
The lone Chalet
Sonoran Desert with towering saguaro cactus and palo verde trees.
A small fruiting pincushion cactus
Quartzsite is a tent city this time of year. Vendor booths line the main roads, RVs and trailers are everywhere. It's a little like a dingy carnival. Everyone looks like they've been in the desert without running water for awhile, brown skinned, scruffy, covered with dust. We fit right in. (No pictures of the town. I just wasn't inspired to snap a picture.)
There wasn't much left to see by early afternoon, so we headed back to Plomosa, broke camp and moved on. Plomosa Road to Bouse goes through the mountains with some nice scenery. Different from the surrounding flatlands, anyway.
Plomosa Road pass
There are lots of campers on the Bouse side of the pass, too. I wonder how many people are living in RVs these days. It's possible to survive on practically nothing out here. Bouse is even smaller than Quartzsite. Didn't appear to be anything of interest. Blew on through headed for the Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness. Set up camp in a wash in the shade of some tall trees with plenty of time for a hike left.
Hiking with the dogs
Our campsite (white spot in upper left quardrant). Very private!
Morning was warm and sunny, birds were singing. I would have liked to stay and explore the Bill Williams River and Swansea mining area but we had things to get back home to. Next trip.
The wash, park-like with new spring growth, birds singing.
