QUARTZSITE 2002

January 7, 2002
Monday

I actually set the alarm. I kinda had a vow, no alarms, but I broke it. I knew I would sleep over, and I agreed to pick Alan up at 8-8:30. Knocking on his window, I woke up sleeping beauty, got him and brought him over here for a rather disgusting shower it turns out. The guys are evidently slobs here. The women are fine, the showers are clean, but not for the men I guess.

He knows the people who are selling behind me. It really is a small world, at least in this circle.

Today I didn't open. I drove to Blythe and got flyers made, turned in the old propane tank that they gave me a discount for (small town honor system) and bought lotion, tons of lotion. I went to a medical supply store and got lip balm, hand cream, body/face lotion, carmex, then to Rite aid to only find more, but I got some cheaper stuff there, a big 2-for deal so I could give one to my neighbors with the little rugrats running around. Apparently they dont have any lotion there for the kids, and I felt bad.

I then came back to Quartzsite and passed out flyers, and made friends. One couple especially, I am hoping make it over. They do hairwraps. I want to trade some beads for a couple of cool hairwraps. Oh, also, he is in a celtic band, even knows of Tempest. We listened to his CD for a bit while I sat and chatted, pet their doggies, and just generally connected with them. Even if they don't make it over, I am going to go back there.

I fell in love with some knee high moccosins. They are the type with fringe on the top. I just love them, hopefully I will start making some money here soon.

I also got some groceries. I really needed produce. Oranges, bananas, apples, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, cabbage, lettuce, jicama, celery, carrots...yummy. I was really jonesing for produce.

I want to make a big pot of soup. I can just eat on that for days, well, it can't be too big, this fridge is pretty small.

The produce was purchased over by the Wild RV, I paid them a visit, and joked around for a while. Guy and I tend to get out of hand, silly and unruly...J-Me just rolls her eyes.

We all went out to dinner last night, 6 of us. They let us in a mere 10/15 minutes before it closed. Alan and Eden are vegetarians, which at this restaurant was very difficult. Nothing vegetarian on the menu. What they had to order was a Reuben sandwich minus the meat. Actually, minus the saurkraut by their choice, so it ended up a cheese and grilled onion with tomatoes sandwich. Even the potatoes and gravy had meat in it. They made up for it with the blueberry cream pie they all bought and took home. I am not much of a pie fan, perhaps apple pie, or berry pie, but not cream pies or merengue or pumpkin...just not my thing.

I don't eat much red meat, but I am glad I will. I can see how difficult it can be if you eat no meat whatsoever.

Ok, another simply gorgeous sunset. I am going to come home with a whole CD of sunset photos. I am simply charmed by them, I think that may absolutely be the time I feel most serene, watching the Arizona desert sunsets.

Ahhhh. Who could NOT feel peaceful when viewing such magnificence?

Yes, these are all similar, but again, I just can't decide which ones I loved the best, so there you have it, you got them all. These small ones take so little time to upload, if you click on them you get a larger photo, as usual, so YOU can choose which ones you want to wait for.

It was so awesome!

~~~*~~~

January 8, 2002
Tuesday

It is absolutely amazing how precious produce is, and how you simply don't realize it until you have lived a week without it. I had bananas in my granola this morning. I cut up a Jicama for lunch. I made veggie soup for dinner. I probably am going to suffer (my tummy) but I am loving it now.

~~~

Oh the sun was so warm today. I moved my car over to another area just so I could soak in the afternoon sun. I moved my chairs, facing the heat and soaked it all in. I can't tell you how many people walking by warned me that I was going to get burnt, but I love the scalding sun beating down on my skin.

~~~

I am finding out that if I wear my typical garb of long flowy skirts and tank tops that I attract the rainbow children to my booth, they hang out and stay for hours, just chatting. I don't mind, I like the company. These rainbow children are actually all ages, but most are young, 20's, 30's, drifters. I would say homeless, but they regard the world as their home, happy to sleep wherever they are, they look for jobs wherever they can find it.

Juan was a rainbow child. Then along came Frank, he had asked me for work yesterday, then today he just hung out for probably an hour or maybe two. We sat and chatted about cities. He has drifted through St. Louis, Dallas, Seattle, all over California, here. Vegan, free and seems happy. He brought me back a fry bread, it had honey on it, and evidently he doesn't eat honey. I didn't know Vegan meant no honey. I guess because bees make it.

Later, Dave stopped. He and I had made eye contact earlier. He has a nice face, older than the others. We actually had a much better conversation than the others, more than likely because of the age difference. He knows Juan. I had taken Juan out to their camp the other night, and mentioned so. Dave said it was good to know who it was that brought him out there. I don't know if that meant anything, but it was interesting that he said it.

We took to each other quickly. Actually, I was impressed, when I came out he was deep into a conversation with an old, old man who was telling him about the movie "Paint Your Wagon". I came in on the middle of it. They were in my booth chatting when I was in the camper beginning to make the soup. What impressed me was how engrossed he was on what the man was saying. I love listening to older people talk too, and I love seeing other young people take delight in it as well.

I love talking to anyone, and out here, age is no matter. Although, I have been told by a few men my age that hang out around my booth that I am among the rare in Quartzsite, young and no obvious man attached to me. I am getting quite a bit of attention, even some little gifts here and there. But, I will really talk to anyone, from old ancient people to the little kids running around.

~~~

Don came by to complain that he couldn't find a decent beer, and he just wanted a beer. I told him to come inside, I had a few cold Sierra Nevada Pale Ale's in the fridge, and I was making the soup, so I told him he should just stay and have dinner.

I got the soup on, and we decided to take a drive out in the desert. It was getting close to sunset time, and he knows the fun roads to take.

Tonight's sunset was nothing, but I did get a pretty shot of the mountains. If you will forgive that they are a little blurry. I'm not quite sure why they all came out so fuzzy, probably some setting on my camera that I need to look at, but these were the best of the bunch.

these are the mountains I am absolutely in love with	pretty cactus, I just cant wait to go hiking and get some beautiful shots

Don is such a nice guy, we have a great time laughing and telling stories. It is so funny sometimes when we get going on about likes/dislikes. There are too many things we are similar in. Even to the point of what we like burnt. Like, grilled cheese sandwiches, lasagna, and marshmallows.

When we got back, the soup was done, perhaps just a tad too done, as the bottom was scalded...hence the conversation of burnt foods. :)

After dinner, he showed me where the laundry was. I got it all done, and now I have jeans and clean towels once again! Yippee.

Life can be so simple.

~~~*~~~

January 9, 2002
Wednesday

This morning I was up for the sunrise. Don had said it was awesome, and yes, it was, but nothing like the sunsets. (Later he said it wasn't all that, THIS morning, wouldn't you know)

I am just getting addicted to the sunsets around here. I am going to have to curtail the photos, I am telling you, I will be bringing home 25 cd's filled with sunset photos if I am not careful. I KNOW I can't fit them all on my hard drive, being taken in 1200 x 1600 pixels. I am just in lust with the sunsets. I imagine I will have to show you some more. I just can't stand it. I want to share with the world just how beautiful it is out here. Sorry if you are sick of it. But, I JUST can't imagine how you could be! (of course, I am partial to them)

Bear with me and all my excitement over Mother Nature...

(some of these are before the color set in)

Phew, ok, I got that out of my system. I saw the clouds and just knew it would be awesome tonight, so I grabbed the camera, took off down the road in my car, got a ways out of town and just ran out into the middle of the desert. I actually took about 60 photos, and saved about 30 of them. All of these were taken tonight, at different times, different directions. Awesome, don't you agree?

~~~

Don and I had fun joking this afternoon. I walked up at one point, and he was figuring out how to sell his truck and camper, quickly. He was wanting to buy something. I just knew, but I still teased..."What are you wanting to buy...ROCKS?" He said "ROCKS, you say it like that "ROCKS", no...not rocks!!!" But it came out that he was wanting to buy a huge chunk of gold, from Australia, apparently an awesome deal. I just teased the heck out of him. Wanting to sell his wheels and shelter for a chunk of gold. It runs deep. He was saying he could resell it tomorrow for more. But you know...I saw that guy later, still trying to sell that chunk of gold, and he was wanting to sell it for less than Don would have to sell it for to turn a profit, and that man still had that chunk of gold, still trying to sell it. I'm not doubting him, but I personally would be afraid, no home, no wheels.

It is bad out here. All these people, addicted to gems and minerals. It is bad. I just have to laugh. Of course I have my addictions, just not rocks.

~~~

It was cloudy and overcast all day. Not much sun, no way to get burnt today. I so loved sitting in the sun, letting it soak into my skin yesterday.

It is slow here still, everyone is commenting on it. Trying not to get scared, but you know, we all are. I see the people who were out spending money they brought, now NOT spending, but waiting to make some before spending any more.

Yea, I am worried, but the ones who were here last year tell me to be patient. They say it will happen. I just take deep breaths and say "OK". What else can I do.

So, I still smile, hang out, chat, laugh, tease, have a good time, fend off all the crusty old men and their good natured comments and fall in love with nightly desert sunset.

~~~

After the sunset photos, and then a shower, I went over to the Wild RV. They were just getting ready to eat dinner. I chatted and worked on the computer a bit while they ate. After dinner, the guys wanted to revert to little boys, and I let them have their fun.

They took a photo of Eden that I had and in Photoshop drew all over it with the airbrush. Now, I am telling you, even the most mature of men can drop that maturity in a split second. Drawing scars, tattoos, silly stuff, you name it.

It was all in fun, and she was there, and when they were done, she looked at it and got a good laugh, even wanting a copy of it emailed to her.

They were silly boys, but paybacks are coming. We made Alan stand up for a payback graffiti shot. It was too late by that time, but Eden promises to have a little fun next time I bring my computer over.

I do believe this place brings out the silliness in all of us.

It is a good thing.

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• QUARTZSITE 2001 •