QUARTZSITE 2002

January 28, 2002
Monday

What an uplifting day!

Visited with some friends who I haven't seen for a few days, since I have been at a different show. I walked around, chatting with this vendor and that, smiles and hugs, it is wonderful out here.

Jimmy T and Linda are two of my favorites to talk to. I have known Jimmy for about 8 years, meeting him at Java City in Sacramento when I lived downtown. It is fun to have someone out here that you know from home.

I always try to make a point to visit with them every few days. Jimmy sells Buffalo skulls, among other dead animal stuff. I love his booth. Someday I want a skull. I thought about getting one this year, trading for beads (Linda uses some of my beads in her work, she does incredible beadwork) but until I get a bigger place, I think it would take over the house.

Then, with breakfast burrito (my favorite) in tow, head over to Don's camper. It has been so long since we had time to hang out in the morning. Not SO long, but I have really missed it. Just seeing him is wonderful, I am at peace in his company.

After some time of hanging out, working a little on the computer, listening to music and such, I decided to go over to Main Event to see if my friends Krystal and Stephin were still around so I could get my hair wrapped.

Yeah. I found them, oh, and also the moccasins I had on hold, but I was anxious to get the wrap done. I had some beads I wanted to use, and I chose some of his as well. Here is a photo of Crystal and Stephin. They have a website as well. (Not only does he do hairwraps, but he is in a Celtic Band)

Mine are permanent, wrapped into my hair, just behind my right ear. I absolutely love them, I have wanted wraps done for years, and this guy did them perfect. I chose some of his beads, used some of mine, chose the colors of the floss, and just let him go for it. I think the length is perfect, hanging out from under my hair by a good 6 inches. The beads I chose are a little heavy, and it will be some getting used to, but I think when these grow out I will have to drive to LA to have him do them again. He and Crystal are great people, hopefully we can stay in touch as well.

~~~

When I got done, it was already past bank hours, so I came back to the Gardens to see if Don wanted to join me on the drive. I thought we could go out to dinner there.

He did want to go, but once we got to the bank, which is in the Safeway there, we decided to buy some food and I would cook back home. It was perfect.

I made stir fry veggies with Thai seasonings, Couscous, marinated chicken. For appetizers we had Sourdough bread with olive oil/red wine vinegar and seasonings to dip it into, marinated artichoke hearts and red red wine.

Just as we were sitting down to eat, Ed showed up, and since there was plenty, he joined us. It was great. Nothing better than good friends and good food, conversation and just pure love energy.

~~~

It was a beautiful day from start to finish.

January 29, 2002
Tuesday

Last night, Ed had said the Wild ones (J-Me, Guy and Vi...Wild Things) needed help getting the rest of their stuff packed up and off the vendor spot. He would get there at 8, him and Don actually, to begin loading up, and said I could be there at 9. When I got there, they were all finished. I was surprised.

There were tons of beads scattered all over the gravel, ones that had slipped through the crates. We were all on our hands and knees...addicted to gathering them...ground score.

Alan and I walked over to get some coffee, and when we got back we again, joined the others for the fun. I was gathering them and giving them to the others, it was more fun to fill up their pockets. I will get more later, from the bins, I know I will.

I came back to my camp and began the process of cleaning off everything before packing. There is so much dust covering it all that I ran my extension cord and hair dryer out to blow it all off. For the most part, it works. This dust is so fine though, that there is that film of the finest that just sticks. I will be carrying it with me wherever I go.

The clouds were so beautiful today, I kept walking out to look in the sky. At one point, my neighbor asked me what I was looking at, and I told her the clouds, she laughed, telling me I am nuts. Nuts? How can anyone not appreciate this???

This was just what was covering the sky straight up, over the mountains, they were wonderful too. A storm had passed us by, apparently only an hour away, it was snowing, and we didn't even get sprinkles. Cool.

~~~

Doris came by and chatted for a bit. I was glad, I needed to get her books back to her, and I had no way of contacting her. I was telling her how comfy I was in this little trailer, and she told me it was comforting because it was like going back to mother's womb...small and simple.

We shared treasures (things we bought or traded for), hugged and expressed hopes on keeping in touch. Doris is the one that shares my birthday. I told her about Lynn, the one that shares my birthday as well as my year, she thought that was pretty cool.

I have never met anyone before this trip to even share the day, and now in a matter of weeks, meeting two people.

~~~

I was out at the area Fahim was selling at, the place the wild bunch bought 6000 pounds of beads. All of these beads were in crates, I was sure there would be a ton of ground score after they left, but amazingly enough, it was pretty clean. I did get some, but not nearly what I thought. Earlier, there were a bunch of kids out there. He had told them they could keep whatever they found on the ground. I was just too proud to go out there with them. Ha. Me??? Scavenger? Yes, I definitely am, but not to the sacrifice of my pride. Ha!

When I was out there, Don's niece came over and invited me to dinner with them. They were all making tacos (his favorite) as his belated birthday dinner. I looked up, saw the sky, told her I would love to, I was going out to take photos and when I got back, I would come over.

There wasn't a whole lot of color, but I got a couple of cool shots.

I have to admit, when I put the camera centered in the bright part of the sky, it intensifies the colors, so as to not be too deceiving, the sky was not this vivid, but the photos are gorgeous...no?

The mountains to the east were pretty tonight too, with the sun just before it set below the mountains, shining down, lighting them up as if they were on fire. This is one thing I have a hard time capturing on the camera, the representation of the power of seeing these mountains all lit up fails miserably. All in all, here is a shot of it.

~~~

I had a great time with Don's family. Katie is such a cutie, she is 10 and talks and talks. I just listen and listen. :) She makes me miss my little girls all that much more.

Don's hand got hurt, moving rock today. I brought him back to the trailer and put some Arnica on it. It is an herb that heals bruises, strains and muscle pulls. It is the best.

He went home to his camper to get some sleep, and shortly thereafter, Alan came by and visited.

I love it out here, all the great friends and company. Just as much, I love the serenity.

January 30, 2002
Wednesday

The wind howled all night. This morning, my face was icy cold...which only meant one thing. I stuck one foot out by the heater, and nothing. No warmth. Dang.

It took me probably 1 1/2 hours to actually get out of bed today. I was trying to figure out how to type on the computer laying in bed with my arms still covered. I figured unless I was completely under the covers, head and all, which I cannot stand, then my arms were just going to get cold.

Before long, I got up, braved the frozen air to pull some frozen jeans from the closet and find a sweater to put on. First though, I gazed in the mirror at the hair wraps on my skin. They are very cool, I love them so much. I think they are very flattering.

I unhooked the propane tank, made some coffee, visited with Alan and then with Don and head off in search of propane. I also couldn't get into Subway to do email or upload this journal again, it is so busy there. I could have waited, and probably should have, because I never made it back.

The wind was horrendous today, it always surprises me that the tent actually stays on the ground. I was inside, sorting everything, blowdrying off the dust and making piles of what will stay and what will come with me to Tucson.

It was tough for me to stay focused, it is such a mess.

Don was gone all day long, I kept waiting for him to get back. I will be leaving tomorrow, and I am going to miss him in a big way. When he finally did, his energy was heavy, I mused that it might be that everything is changing, people are leaving, things will not be the same here in a few days.

I came back later though, initially, I thought I should leave him alone, but I decided to try to lure him out of his hole, which did actually work a little.

I made lunch and ate it down there so I could share with him, we had some Kahlua and milk, and invited him down for a visit a little later on.

We were here visiting when Alan showed up. What a delight that was, two of my favorite people, in my trailer, connecting as lovers of stone, sharing that appreciation and even sharing their prized specimens with each other.

So that the magic would not be lost, instead of going out for dinner, I offered to cook. While I did, they talked and talked about digging for rock, cutting it, the beauty of it and so on. I smiled at times, they were both so passionate about their love of gems, it really was beautiful.

I didn't want the evening to end, but it had to, and it did.

January 31, 2002
Thursday

I was supposed to leave today, to go to Tucson, and I woke up with tremendous pressure in my chest and coughing. I have heard the dust out here can cause infections, that it carries something that makes some people ill. I am typically not that succeptible to viruses or infections, but I had been blowing out all the dust with my hairdryer these last couple days, and I think it took it's toll.

I would have enough energy to do a little, then I would have to rest and come in from the cold. I did this all day long, not getting much accomplished.

J-Me and Vi came by, giving me vitamins to take.

I drank a ton of water, adding Echinacea to it, as well as Vit. C, and chewing Zinc tablets too.

Don helped me take a load of stuff over to the storage unit, but I just couldn't gather the energy to do much else.

After, we went to the Main Event, taking J-Me and Vi, they had some things to get. We got some pie and I said goodbye to my hairwrap people.

There was a constant flow of people by my trailer, people wanting to chat, say hey, spend time, it was nice. Don and I were going to go out to the desert, but that didn't work out, so we went out for dinner instead.

He stopped by for a few minutes after dinner, then went home.

Alan's van was outside, so I went over to see how his day went. He hadn't eaten dinner yet, so we went to get him something to eat, and then desert, of course, the requirement. mmmm Hot fudge sundae. Yummy.

Lose weight? Yea, right. :)

After Alan left, I got all snuggled up under the covers, looking at photos that are on my hard drive, and another friend stopped by, we chatted for a while, and left. Wearing pajamas around here is important, as often as I have been caught in bed by friends stopping by.

Today was a friend filled day, to be sure. All except for feeling poorly.

• BEAD HOME •
• QUARTZSITE 2001 •