Desert Wanderings

This trading post was closed, but I spied some really great 

Navajo rugs through the window and some wonderfully random books on a table outside.

Myth of Sisyphus, Uncle Tom's Cabin, My Antonia. Angle of Repose, 24 Hours Before Dawn, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Kids Say the Darndest Things, Life is Tremendous!

We camped near of the edge of this:

Goosenecks Sate Park

And marveled at the beauty of the night sky. 

birthday girl

I finally made it!

(It took me awhile to get here...)

Happy Blessed Day.

mini road trip

Hit the road last weekend, in search of sunshine.

Since the weather reports showed that the only sunny part of the

country was going to be southern Nevada and California,

it made the decision easy. We chose to head to the Valley

of Fire, a beautiful state park in southern Nevada, and then

on to other parts...

from the valley of snow

(salt lake city)

to the valley of fire

hiking on the rocks

joshua trees,

high desert, Nevada

Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada

crazy chipmunk

Cathedral Gorge

Polka with Lawrence Welk

The first night, everyone else seemed to have the same idea -

campsites in Valley of Fire were full. So, we camped out in a motel room.

go Apolo!

camping in Caliente,

Nevada

night sky

Desert Dwellings

1. an imaginary house for little people. 2. historic stone cabins built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930's for passing travelers. 3. the window view from the inside was breathtaking. It looked just like a painting hanging on the wall. 4. There is something very peaceful about being inside the belly of a rock.

I love these little stone structures. They remind me of ancient temples in the Middle East and Asia that are carved right out of a mountain. Heaven. (depending on ones ability to charm scorpions...) I once lived in a stone house built by my grandfather. It was one of the most peaceful place I have ever lived. Except for the spiders. Lots of spiders.

We fantasied about what we would bring to set up camp in the stone cabins.

the short list:

lavender curtain for the doorway,

sheepskin rug for the cold stone floors,

donkey with a cart for our camping gear,

mexican saint candles for the mantel,

and a bottle of wine, of course.

What would you bring?

Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest State Park, 55 miles

northeast of Las Vegas. Some of the attractions include fiery red rocks,

petrified wood, and 3,000 year -old Indian petroglyphs.

I had never heard of this place before. (My boyfriend

knows his geography...)

We just came here to flee winter for a couple of days--

to warm our bones.

It rained the first day, but by the 2nd day

our escape was a success.

We basked in a 65 degree desert dream.

Desert Camping

Had a wonderful weekend camping with my boyfriend

in the Southern Utah desert. We return to the same spot as often as we can. I love it-- and the desert in general. The stark beauty, the stunning silence, the intermingling of one's essence with the vast expanse, the coyote's howl, the night sky.

(Oh, what a sky!)

coyote den

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