Wanderlust

hmmmmm...... Spring! Green things popping from the ground, flowers opening, birds building nests, bunnies chasing each other through the yard, bees swarming....

I am getting restless too. I find myself looking at maps, reading travel stories, listening to other's travel tales. Perhaps I should let the bees have the place for the summer and take to the road in my van.

I am told that I should have a goal. I do. I want to fill all the boxes in my "1000 things to see and do before you die" book. I was pleasantly surprised when I first started checking off places that I have already visited. I sure didn't realize that I had seen and done so much.
Yay for me!

~*~

BEES !!!!

Noticing a lot of bees flying around the underground box for the water valve, we opened it to find a swarm of bees setting up a hive. They had already made a good start on a honeycomb which they attached to the underside of the box lid. That is the yellow object.

Here is a piece of the honeycomb compared to a quarter coin for size. The idea that a little insect could design and construct such a structure is amazing to me.

After being hit with a stream of water the comb was broken and many of the bees had left. We left the lid open hoping the sunlight would make them lose interest in building there.

But they must like the neighborhood..... the next morning I found this pile in the corner as thought they were trying to keep warm through the night.
Oh come on! Don't make me feel sorry for you! Just go away!

Three days later.....  
The bees are still with me. No one seems interested in capturing them and the majority tells me to get an exterminator. Bees are scarce, bees are dying for many reasons.....I don't wnat to add them on my conscience.  Update later....

~*~

Word For the Week

undisonant  (adj) sound of crashing waves

Word of the Week

As I have posted previously, I love words. The odder sounding the better in my view. So I am going to start posting one word a week that I find interesting, odd, attractive or maybe all three. This week's word is:

psithurism

the sound of leaves rustled by the trees

~*~

Just a thought....

I believe that there are things beyond our knowing; mysteries, magic, the shape of the future, the whole meaning of the past.  How poor life would be without mysteries and miracles. They fill my life....so I must believe in them.

~*~*~

Workin' Like a Dog

Walking through the vendor area in Quartzsite and I came across these dogs modeling hats. They ignored the people passing by, seeming to be deaf to the noises. A sign requested us not to pet the dogs while they were "working".

Sights In and Around Quartzsite, AZ

January is a busy and crowded time in Quartzsite. There are all kinds of special shows besides the 1500+ vendors this year selling any and everything that you can imagine. It may seem that it focuses on the RV lifestyle and the gem and mineral hobbists but there is something for everyone.
 I have been taking pictures of various things as they catch my eye. I stepped out my door last week only to see that we had been marked....as in X marks the spot. I guess the fly boys out of Edwards Airforce Base were practicing their sky writing.

Camels tie into much of Quartzsite's history. You will find various images all over town. This one has been around for many years and was just recently given a new paint job. Yes it is made up of car wheels.

This home made camper was spotted at the library parking lot. I never did find the driver but I suspect it was a woman since the bumper sticker read: Alaskan Girls Kick A$$

Another unusual RV was found parked at Tyson Wells show ground. It is made of a huge redwood log. Signs on it declare it was 1900 years old when cut down and was 267 feet tall the base was 14 feet across. This was the fourth log to be cut from the tree.

The interior is all hand crafted from the tree's redwood.

This is a close-up of the exterior showing the bark and the banding for support. Notice the burl.


And then....there is the loved and cared for antique....

These folks advertise that this is the Adult Day-Care. They must be doing a great job because there were a lot of smiling people sitting around.

I fell for these morrocan lamps displayed at a booth but managed to walk away without one.

The Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) met up in the Dome Rock area for a 14 day gathering. It is an informal group of folk who live and travel in recreational vehicles from vans and small trailers to motor homes. This man entertained one evening after dinner.

When the wind was calm there were nightly campfires to sit around and share tales.

An evening view of Quartzsite looking north-east from Dome Rock.

It seems that the sunsets try to be better every evening.