Adventures in the American Southwest

I spent ten days in Las Vegas visiting friends. Among the fun things was my first timid steps into rock climbing. Red Rock Canyon is quite amazing and beautiful but the shoes didn't fit and owie, owie, owie. 

Then back to Slab City. Here's a shot of sunrise over Salvation Mountain.

The Range held a talent show one Saturday. It was mostly an extended open mic that lasted from early afternoon until after midnight. Peter, in full hippie regalia, told some jokes.

 Builder Bill opened the show. (suitable for all ages)

These shots are from the Gopher Flats golf course at sunrise.

Stinkbugs like to get into the cups. (stinkin' idiots!)

Approaching rain and Chocolate Mountain Jesus.

The beautiful Chocolate Mountains (made from real milk chocolate)

And midnight at the Oasis (actually, probably about 9:30 but send your camel to bed anyway)

The West Coast

I took these shots near Anacortes, WA 

while I was waiting for the ferry.

Doe Bay is an isolated corner of Orcas Island. 

Very beautiful but deserted in November when I took these shots.

I took a broom making seminar with my friend Susan's basket weaving group.

I made a hearth broom, a cobwebber and 3 whisk brooms.

Heading south, I spent a week in Portland. Norah came down too 

for a few days. We had a fun time. Portland is a very cool city. 

And not just because they have no pro football.

Astoria, OR is at the mouth of the Columbia River and a 

treacherous area for ships. There are hundreds of shipwrecks.

A little farther down the coast, Cannon Beach is a 

little coastal community with a beautiful beach.

It was windy the day I was there and the dry sand being 

blown over the wet created some interesting effects.

Really, a gorgeous beach.

These haystack formations turned out to harbor all kinds of sea 

life in tidal pools. It was low tide so I could just walk right 

up to them. Mussels, barnacles, starfish, anemones and more.

Some very unexpected things at Cannon Beach.

Driving back from the beach I stopped at a fish hatchery with a salmon stream.

Some people had been there for hours with no luck, but this old guy 

got there when I did and within a few minutes had snagged this beauty.

The forests of the coastal range are very furry and magical.

Here's a new shot of the Oregon state capitol.

I stayed one night outside of Ashland, OR 

and woke up to a couple of inches of new snow.

I followed my GPS's directions back to the main road. The route took 

me up a little mountain road. As the elevation got higher, the road got 

snowier and then icier until I came to a pickup truck in the ditch. 

I stopped to see if I could help and the guy said TURN BACK. 

I almost slid off the road turning around. Possibly the scariest driving 

experience of my life. I drove back down that road at about 5 mph. Yikes!

I finally got to southern California and stayed a night 

at El Capitan beach near Santa Barbara.

El Capitan has the picture perfect campsite.

Now I'm in Slab City. More on that later.