"Y"

Heading out after a beautiful week in Death Valley we take the highway that will lead us to Rhyolite , the ghost town located outside the eastern side of the national park, not to far from Beatty, Nv. I am pretty sure I went here as a child, and Bob has been many times on his motorcycle adventures. We wandered around what is left of the old structures, but it was this outdoor art museum on the road into the town that was our main calling for the day.
To me, the "Y" on the front door of the little house that serves as the museum info area, (unfortunate for us it was closed the day we arrived), sums up the acres that surround it. 

Y this place in the desert
 Y this type of art
Y not place it somewhere where more people could experience it

Then it just kinda all made sense. Y, The reason for "Why", doesn't really matter. We don't usually ever have the answer as to "Y" something happens. Even when we try to wrap our heads around the.......placement of a building, the cause of an accident, the reason for the weather, the blossoms on a tree, the magic of the sunset, the flight of a bird, the color of the sky.........

I will never know "Y" they made this choice for the front of the building, but I do know why it appealed to me. My thoughts became words.

 





 






 Belgian artist Albert Szukalski creates his sculpture “The Last Supper”

On the trail

From the early morning view out my window, I realize that the hike planned for today will be filled with clouds and beauty. The Bizz Johnson trail is calling. 
the bluebird of happiness....it can be found on the trail
 my hiking companions, Mel and Ms.Lily
  A little icy and snow covered in parts, we only made a 6 mile loop. Hoping for the entire 23 mile path sometime this summer, possibly on my bike.
Bizz Johnson Trail ~ Everything you need/want to know.

The Breakdown

view out our window in Bishop
I knew it was coming...I anticipated it, but long .......long.....long way off into the future. As I have said in previous posts, my Mom and Dad traveled for 12 years, FULL TIME, in a small living space known as a fifth-wheel. I would absolutely marvel at the fact that they could fit what was left of their entire lives accumulation of possessions into a space that measured maybe 8' by 34". They started with a pretty fancy big one, and gradually moved into smaller ones, but there were no slide-outs in their early adventures.

After an almost mystical and amazing adventure on the coast at Pt. Mugu, we left for home so we could get there before the incoming snow storm that was forecast for Fallon. We got as far as 3 miles south of Bishop. BAMMMMMMMM!!!!! The breakdown began. The Dodge Ram 2500 that we "Oh so CAREFULLY" decided on when we knew that we wanted to travel across the county, hopefully many times, decided to take a turn of it's own. Down the path of breakdown. After finally finding someone who would come out and tow us on Thanksgiving eve at 7pm, we landed in the Kmart parking lot. Not as bad as you might think. We spent five days there, one of which was Thanksgiving. We watched as that day turned to Black Friday and the multitude of shoppers filled the parking lot. We made friends, we actually even ran into someone I used to work with 20 years ago who had also broke down on the north side of town.

5 days later, we finally made it home on Sunday, thanks to some very helpful friends, Charmaine....who came and picked us up at Topaz Lodge, (did you know that tow trucks can't pass the border??? and another truck from Reno had to come and meet him) and Dan O. who loaned us his pickup to go the three hours south to pick the trailer back up.

So what did we learn;
1. You can plan all you want, but stuff happens.
2. It's ok to sign up for AAA and Good Sam and anything else you can think of. Why? See # 1
3. Always be prepared. Thankfully we had full propane and water tanks, plenty of food...and oh did I mention a Starbucks and Kmart within walking distance.
4. If you have to do it, make sure and break down in a really great little town. Bishop was filled with thrift stores, coffee shops, antique places and great bike riding. We lucked out on that one.

But the most important thing I took away from this part of our adventure, I really can spend 14 days (or more) in a small enclosed place with the man I have been happy to have around for the last 40 years. Yep, I guess I can see now why Mom and Dad had it figured out.

Heading Home

Our last night at the beach, the waves call me to the shore line. I sit.....and wait.....and wait.
Certain that he will visit one more time.....and then.....
I love the ocean

Sunrise, Pt. Mugu

I am an early riser, but not usually an early..."out of the house" riser. Different story when this guy is right out your front door waiting to greet you every morning. Feeling blessed and thankful. 
Good Morning Pt. Mugu.










 


Pt. Mugu at sunset

Each evening, as I watch the sun set on another day at the beach, I wish that I had captured it just a little more so I could mark it in my memory bank. Tonight I grabbed my camera and walked the mile or so down the beach road to a point where the birds gather. I wait......and watch.......as they settle in for the night. The sun sets on the horizon, the winds are gentle and the quiet is just what my soul always needs. The ocean meets the wetlands. The day meets the eve. The shorebirds find their nest for the night. Memory bank full.




Mt. Whitney bound

Mt. Whitney, rising to 14,497' is the tallest point in the contiguous United States. Not one to be able to climb to its top, at least at this point in my life, I can sure park myself at its base and marvel at its beauty. The drive in was easy, the roads passable and well maintained, we set up camp at the Tuttle Creek Campground outside Lone Pine. Quiet and peaceful there were only two other camps set up in the massive park. Hiking was over large boulders and down massive washes, and the sounds of the creek lulled us to sleep at night. The stars filled the night sky as we listened to the coyotes off in the distance. A beautiful start to a southern trip.  
graffiti as art????  art as graffiti???

creek side that we parked along



 hope to return some day in the Spring and see the wildflowers in all their glory




 between a "rock and a hard place"
 this is the guy that got me here, thanks Bob

clouds

my husband loves the desert...........

and I...........love clouds.

So, when the universe lines up just perfectly....we get this.




 life is pretty grand...... isn't it?
driving home from Susanville last week, this is what guided us, the clouds.....out the trucks front windshield they changed by the minute and each direction was a different type. Once he gets driving, there is not a lot of stopping with Bob behind the wheel.....these were taken with the Iphone rather than with the new Nikon5200 (gonna change that mentality in the years to come.....yep, guarantee you..... I'm gonna do it)