Is there such a thing as “too much quiet?

At times in Quartzsite, I felt like my head would explode with all the sounds, the highway, the main street, campers everywhere. I yearned for silence and the wilderness. So before heading on northward to visit more people and fight more traffic and noise, I decided to go find some silence and wilderness.

Saw Doctor in Parker again about my knee acting up.  He assured me that I had not damaged it nor had I torn a ligament.  Just overuse.  Suggested I keep my walking stick with me when I hike around.  I told him I had bought a pair of crutches to keep in the van just in case it got bad enough again that I couldn’t walk.  Insurance you might say.

So decided to head out of Parker toward the Swansea mines and old ghost town.  Didn’t go far the first night, just pulled off by this neat hillside thinking it would be a fun place to explore. 

Noticed a lot of spent bullets on the ground.  Worried I might have pulled too far into the wash pulling my heavy trailer.  But got out and explored just a bit and then back to the van to make supper.  Then the shots began… someone target shooting.  Boy, I hope the walls of my van will stop a bullet.  By dark, the shooting had stopped and the silence began.  I took photos of the hillside wondering what geological activities had created this hill.

My first conclusion was, most the rocks are very boring.  Second, it was very very quiet here.  Be careful what you pray for.  Are there ANY creatures out here for me to listen to????  I dosed off straining my ears to hear something, anything???   Finally some birds?  Owls?  I don’t know what they were but I enjoyed their sounds… the only sounds I heard that night.

First thing I discovered in the morning that on closer inspection  the red peaks were not in front of the grey stuff, but underneath it.  Wow.  Look at it from this angle.

Went to inspect the shooting area.  Spent bullets and shotgun shells everywhere… and target material.  OK, Clay Pidgins are made to shoot, but why not recycle your old electronics and plastics, etc.? 

		Don’t Recycle: Shoot It! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

O.K. back to the natural wonders.  As I was about to walk away from all this depressing junk, I spotted what looked like a trail coming out from between the rocks.  You know I had to go check it out.

It’s a pass going up through the red materials/rocks?  What?

Finally I come to a brick/stone wall!  This was very exciting. The camera is aimed straight on and my head probably wouldn’t come up to that hole.  I have no doubt I could climb up it, but had not brought any water, or my SPOT gps signaler, or anything with me.   Besides going up is always easier than going down.  I might even need a rope to get back down from there.  Very interesting.  Now if I can get myself back down out of there before anyone begins target practicing again.

Headed on down Shea Road and found the camping area, a large canal that takes water to Tucson, move evidence of shooting activities, and finally signs of nature again.

		Desert Plants VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Settled in for another night in the desert… very very alone and very very quiet.  And supper…

		Taco Time VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Wonderful sunset… nice evening sounds again.  Very peaceful.

As I dosed off, I was awakened by what sounded like donkey braying… or maybe burros? Interesting. I listened for them some more… and fell asleep watching the stars. Later in the night I was awakened by coyotes howling/yipping. O.K. that’s good… I like those sounds.

I woke feeling a little disoriented and concerned about the road and about pulling my trailer.  I have not had internet since I left Parker and have no really good maps with me.  It’s frustrating that I can’t check Google maps.  But I remember enough about the maps I have looked at for this route to be very concerned about pulling my trailer much farther.  About 4 miles out of Swansea, I found a place to pull off the road and dropped the trailer there.  As it was, I had gone over one hill too many I think and am concerned about getting back up that hill.

I drove on down to the townsite… all the way down there where it looks like dust in the air.  I’ll add captions to these a little later.

The open vertical shafts have been fitted with steel covers.  I think ALL of those open shafts should be covered like this.

The mine has been inactive since 1944.  I didn’t know that before visiting.

 

This is one of the five campsites… shelter, table, fire ring and bbq grill.  Nice.

Many of the walls were made of adobe.

Long nails were being used to reinforce concrete walls.  Interesting.

These timbers must have been 20’ long.

There are five campsites within the townsite and I thought I’d be spending the night at one, but I’m concerned about the trailer and feel uneasy.  The winds are very strong which always makes me nervous.  The BLM is suppose to be giving tours of the site on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm through March.  That means day after tomorrow.  I plan to wait for them to come, although I will probably see everything by then.  This is not the best place to take a two-wheel drive… so there are places I won’t drive to.

I think I would only recommend this trip to people with 4x4 vehicles… as I feel frustrated that I can’t see everything here after making this trip.

The wind continued all afternoon and I was becoming increasingly uneasy about leaving my trailer four miles away unattended.  So, I drove back to the trailer and snuggled up close to it with the van.  Then a took a walk. Right around the corner from where I am parked is a great little campsite.  Wish I had discovered it sooner.  But it was a fun day prowling around the mines and the historical buildings. 

  Wonder what nature has in store for me tonight.  Hope it’s not just the wind.  There are burro piles (feces) all over the place.  Maybe they will grace my camp?

I might be allergic to Creosote bushes.  Allergies acting up.

Will it get better tomorrow?  And, yes, I think there can be too much silence… or at least you might have to ease into it.

(continued…Yes, there can be “too much quiet?)

On The Road Again–to work in Colorado

As I load up and prepare to leave Quartzsite for points north (had to cancel my plans to go to CA coast due to gas prices) I found this in the local paper:

Taurus: April 20 to May 20.  “I Have”
The new job that you have just been hired on to will prove to open many doors of financial and career success.  This new position will have many benefits; number one being a positive increase in your self esteem and a great job with benefits and many opportunities to advance.

OK… that’s spooky and cool all at the same time.

Time spent in Quartzsite, AZ was good and I’ll be trying to summarize it over the next couple of weeks and post some new photos for you.

Stay tuned.
Swankie

A bittersweet day… leaving Quartzsite.

Sorted the last of my rocks and buried those I will leave behind to work on next year. Selected a few specimens to carry along.  While doing that I noticed a ground squirrel approaching.  Too funny… it could smell the bread I was baking…while finishing up in camp… I had set up the Sun Oven to bake some Irish Soda Bread. 

Odd thing that… instead of buying bread while I was in town, I decided to bake my own.  I just tossed out a loaf I bought which had gone bad! Hate that.  So, I just decided right then and there not to BUY any more bread.

Hum, doesn’t look like food but it sure smells good!

I know, I’ll push it home and let the kids help me
figure out what it is!

No? O.K.so I’ll just get up here and get
some of it… whatever it is!

This I know… it’s hot and slippery!

Working hard here…need a drink!! 
(She is sipping the moisture that is dripping out off the gas lid.)

OK, human!  Let’s talk.  I got a family to feed!!

Oh oh, here comes one mad ninja momma squirrel so I decided I’d better feed that squirrel before she climbs into the 300 degree F oven and I have roasted squirrel for dinner too.

Then I finished spit-polishing SwankieWheels so not to embarrass any relatives when I show up at their gated community in Vegas.  But I just like to do that… start off the trip with my vehicle looking good.  Gonna buy some touchup paint for all those rock chips, and some buffing stuff for the Arizona pin-stripping.

Suddenly, I hear all kinds of critter sounds… and look up to see a gathering happening.  Wow… Rabbit, Quail, and Squirrel… all together at the same time and place.

Finishing up on the last wheel… I noticed the squirrel was still around trying to get into the oven.  It was a female and I could see she had been feeding babies.  No wonder she is grabbing all the food in sight.  But then I spotted a rabbit near her and next in comes a covey of Quail. I tip-toed around the van and got my camera… I can’t believe all these creatures came at the same time… to bid me adieu. I guess???  What a fitting farewell.  I’ve camped at this spot maybe seven weeks off and on and knew all these creatures were here but this was the first and only time I’ve seen them all at the same time. Very special.

Quartzsite, I’ll be back!  (What’s wrong with those people who say there is nothing to do here and go off in a huff???)  Bittersweet?  Because I’m excited to be back on the road again.

In the glass half full or half empty??

My last month in Quartzsite (March) until October or November.  Today I said goodbye to the three closest friends I met here.  Feeling sad.  Lots of thoughts going through my mind.

L-R:  Liz Klein, my new friend, and Laurie and her mom Aleta.  We had a farewell lunch at Silly Al’s.  Liz worked as a Foreman in the Silversmith shop for Laurie who is the Silversmith Shop Supervisor.

Laurie and her Mom heading out, not to return to Quartzsite until November 2012.  I’ll sure miss those two.  They are keepers.

I’ve learned a lot here since arriving in October 2011.  Mostly about rocks, but also about people.  I have learned to trust my instincts more and be tighter with my money.  I have a tendency to do too much for others… because that is my nature and it makes me feel good.  It feels better for me to give than to receive.  Receiving only makes me feel like a “user” or icky some other way????  Don’t really think I can explain it any better than that… or understand it better, it’s just the way things are… the way I am. 

The lesson I learned is that people are in one of two categories, they are positive and see the glass as half full, or negative and see the glass as half empty.  The ones who see if half full have hope about their lives and future, those who see it half empty are feeling pretty hopeless.  That is an even sadder realization than the sadness I feel today, saying goodbye to good friends.

Someone I knew had their “living” cargo trailer stolen recently and all the contents.  It is giving me nightmares.  So this morning I hitched up the trailer and plan to tow it where ever I go.  That will at least give me peace of mind.  I think loosing mine might cause me to loose my mind.  I just can’t let that happen.  A high density BLM  camping area doesn’t give one a sense of security.  Next year I will be camped with friends for the entire season and we can give each other security.  I, no doubt, will have to “escape” to the wilderness every couple of weeks for a few days, just to find myself again.  I tend to “loose” myself when I am with lots of other people.  I tend to stop thinking and taking care of myself, in order to give to or take care of others.  Bad thinking, me thinks.  We were raised to think that was “selfish” but it really isn’t, it’s just self-preservation.

So, if that is a hard lesson well-learned this year… it’s a good thing. But still, I feel sad about it all.  Now, I’ll go play with rocks some more, maybe I can find myself inside one of them? I’ll return later (soon since the wind is too strong to do anything else outside) to add photos to this and write another blog entry on my recent experiences… a donkey and covered wagon I saw going through town, flowers blooming in the desert, etc. Fun, fun, fun.

Howard West, on the Quicksilver Key Book Tour. “Every adventure has to start somewhere; this one begins at my tiny ranch called Pilgrim, 50 miles from the small village called Tonopah, NV.  My traveling companions are a little red covered wagon pulled by one large blue/white donkey name Blue Pegasus, who reminds me she did not fire on to this Dog and Donkey Show to stand still and Ezekiel the Australian Shepard half of the show.”  More about him in the next blog.

Are they kidding, there is nothing to do in Quartzsite????  They must not be looking very hard.  Can’t say they must be blind as a blind man comes to the Rock Club and grinds and polishes his own rocks. Get out there people and live.  What’s stopping you???