Joshua Tree and Beyond

Several days ago, now, we hurriedly packed up our tent between rain showers and drove out of Joshua Tree National Park. Rained out of the desert! In a matter of moments, our tent had almost been inundated by a flash floodlet which we diverted by digging trenches in the sand with the heels of our monsoon-soaked shoes. We quickly recognized that our wonderful little tent site was in fact a wash zone, and that the whole area in which we were staying was subject to instantaneous flooding by rainwater shed from rocky outcrops all around us, so we opted to pack up and find a motel.

For most of that day we lingered in Joshua Tree, driving the geology road and visiting the cholla cactus “forest”. Later we drove southward out of the park, and away from the odd little Joshua trees with their up-stretching limbs, down in elevation and in grandeur to the barren, dry desert toward the border with Mexico. There before us was the conundrum of the Imperial Valley, so productive and lush where water is applied to the parched land; searingly hot and dessicatingly dry, so menacing and life-threatening when water is withheld. The sky was dark with cloud. Along the roads there was an increasing number of ominus patrol vehicles, some marked and others not, with uniformed, armed immigration and border patrol guards seeking illegal migrants from Mexico. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of Central and South American people cross into the US on foot through the desert each day. All along the roadway I could imagine the spirits of those who have given up the ghost while attempting to cross this inhospitable barren land while seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

We came into heavy rain in the late afternoon with flashes of heat lightening and surges of water in the normally dry drainages. Rain pelted our windshield making it difficult to see. It was a dramatic sight, and unusual given the desert environment. At the same time, in my mind’s eye, I imagined I could see the outline of persons currently crossing that treacherous land on foot, their arms raised high, like the Joshua trees, in thankful appreciation of the life-giving water.

May the Circle be Unbroken

In Sedona there is a wonderful knitting shop. It is small and set back from the busy road, with colorful banners and knitted clothing hanging near the doorway, and a wonderful rainbow of color to greet you as you enter. It is called the “Sedona Knit Wits” and is run by a charming German woman named Petra, and her equally pleasant helper whose unusual name, I’m sorry to say, I did not retain. The shop comprises several rooms of what may have been a small house, the initial space being the check-out but also with some specialty jewelery and buttons on display. The next two rooms have cube-shaped shelving along one wall in which all varieties of yarn are arranged by color rather than by brand or weight. It gives a lovely impression and results in a wonderful graduation of color and texture across the wall. These women are not compulsive about what goes where, so if you remove a skein and are not sure where to replace it, they say it doesn’t matter. The result is an array of color, shade and texture that pushes your boundaries and tantalizes your fingertips. There is a central alcove with a lot of sample knitted items so that you can see various completed projects, and there are patterns for many of these available (generally) for the price of asking. Petra wears some of these around the store to demonstrate them and can make the simplest project look smashing. The back room has a large work table around which classes are given, and it also seems to be used to sort and price yarns as they arrive. Best, there is a large bin in this back room of yarns at reduced prices, most of which was variegated sock yarn! Yummy!

 Travis and Bill came to visit us in Sedona, and Travis and I went off to Knit Wits on the following morning. She too was impressed with the look and feel of this darling shop, and after an hour or so of exclaiming over, and feeling, nearly every ball and skein in the shop, we both purchased yarn for projects and came away with knitting instructions. We both bought wool and beads to make a lacey little shoulder shawl, but have both since quailed at the instructions. I think we may need to concoct a knitting retreat in order to figure it out!

It left me realizing once again the interesting and tenacious bond created amongst knitters, and the intense pleasure of seeing, feeling, and imagining the yarns in a variety of possible creations. I feel the same way about beads. The combinations of hue and heft are endless, and sometimes the most unlikely mixes make lovely malleable fabrics. Of course, what I really wish is that I could capture all the wonderful women that I meet in a little treasure box and carry them around with me everywhere I go. Then anytime I wanted I could just open up the lid and out would spill the rich and luxurious mix of talent, chatter, laughter, nurture and creativity. Also yummy! Let’s knit on….

October 16 to 20: Joshua Tree National Park and our first day in San Diego

Well, the weather turned out better than forecast and we had a great drive to and 2 days touring around Joshua Tree National Park.  We found a very nice camping site in Jumbo Rocks Campsite in the middle of the park.  Camping in the middle of the rocks meant we climbed them in different directions when we were at the camp site.  Evening sunset and morning coffee in the sun on the rocks were very nice.  We found fire wood at unused sites nearby and had a very nice dinner and campfire the first 2 days of our planned 3 days in the park.  The stars were spectacular and Jupiter has 4 visible moons! 

Day 1 we hiked into the 49 Palms Oasis and picked up firewood at the park entrance for the rest of our camping nights. AND we saw a tarantula spider on the road and rescued it from being squished.  The dark thunder clouds made nice backdrops for the scenery pictures.

During the 2nd night it rained off and on so Alison and I were discussing what to do over morning coffee when it let loose with a strong thundershower. Luckily we were up and saw the runoff from the surrounding rocks building FAST! We quickly trenched the stream away from the tent and kept the runoff a foot from the tent. YEA! When the excitement was over we decided to pack up and not stay for the 3rd night.

On the drive out we took the geology road tour and avoided the heavy rain until we left the park. But then it poured the whole way to El Centro, CA. ‘It doesn’t rain in southern California, it POURS!!!’ We’re drying out some of the wet stuff now and the rest whenever…… We’ll need to return to Joshua Tree to finish the planned hikes.

We had a nice San Diego harbor tour and Thai dinner last night and spent the day at the Sealife Center today.  Tomorrow we plan to go to the zoo.  The weather should improve….

October 2 to 15: Sedona Arizona

We have been in Sedona for 2 weeks. So what have we done, seen and experienced while in the center of Red Rockness?

We went to Prescott for a day of Folk music where there were 6 venues going throughout the day we were there. Live music is doing well in Prescott.

Several great sunsets were seen (there were rumors of nice sunrises also), spectacular rainbows after the rain and hail storms, and more ancestral Puebloan ruins and petroglyph sites were visited.

Alison is pointing out several of our red rock hiking spots (She is very fast).  We were OFFICIALLY in the wilderness!  We circumnavigated Alison’s rock (Bell Rock), viewed sweeping vistas, hiked skinny trails and looked at the world upside down and doubled.

 

  

But we had time to smell the grapes and drink a bottle of bubbly to celebrate Bill and Travis’s surviving their Grand Canyon hike.

We added a skink and several other interesting wildlife to our list. Alison took several good pictures of her favorite dry land plant.  Now, onto Joshua Tree National Park.