January 27-31, 2020 Shoshone, California

Low 70's and sunny. I think we have found the perfect weather.

Still trying to get rid of the candied fruit we picked up at the fruit cake festival. I made double chocolate orange cookies. I made myself sick eating the cookie dough. Still have 6 and 1/2 containers left of the fruit. John may be right, maybe I should just start randomly sending them to people anonymously! Sunset tonight. 

Sunset tonight. The sliver new moon in the sunset tonight. 

I finished this one. 7 x 6 1/2 x 2 inches. The center is a piece of dichroic glass I fused, the beads are glass. I used purple, navy blue and wine dyed pine needles and stitched it with polyester thread. It is a beauty. Cool clouds this afternoon. 

Sunset tonight in Shoshone. Sunset in Tecopa.

Sunset in Tecopa tonight.  

And yet another sunset in Tecopa. The white salt covered hills are stunning in this light. 

Another great sunset tonight. I made more cookies. I used the candied orange and lemon rind in these. Plus chocolate chips and walnuts. I am using up the candied fruit that we picked up at the Fruit cake Festival. These are yummy.

And another sunset the next night. I climbed up and over the mountains to the west of here. I went mid day so the light was not that good for photos.

A small prospect. The top of this peak has an arch in it. It is at least twice as large, but I didn't feel like climbing back down where the better view of it was 

This cave is big enough for me to sit in the back of it. Of course there is a pack rat nest back here. Lots of caves in this rock. A couple arches seen today. Lots of arches in this rock too. 

View near the top. Looking up at the ridge line with the moon. The rock is razor sharp lava rock. Great gription for hiking. 

I am headed down into that valley. Sunset was nice tonight again. 

I put some henna on my hair today to condition it. It looked like green mud when I put it on my hair, the left part is when I had rinsed most of it out. Dry my hair is now thicker, shinier and softer, and light blond. The color will wash out in a couple of washes, but I hope the nice thick, soft and shiny stays longer.  I started a new basket, this center is one of the jewels I made this last summer.

January 26, 2020 Amargosa Canyon, Tecopa California

Low 70's and sunny.

I went on a hike with the Happyville group to the Mudthedral, which is a series of arches and tunnels. We are at the trail head at China Ranch Date Farm. The first arch. 

Coming out of the arch and heading into the Mudthedral.  

The Mudthedral. Toni, Christie and Robin.  

Coming out of the Mudthedral. Really cool place. 

The Happyville group waving good by as they headed back after the Mudthedral to China Ranch. Wonderful clouds. Some of us continued up the canyon to Tecopa. The start up the Amargosa river canyon toward Tecopa. The colors and formations are really cool in here. 

Five of us are in the group now 

Wild rock formations and clouds along the way. Christie on the trail to the waterfall. 

Claudia crossing the bridge. Claudia, Pat and Toni on the trail. The trail is on an abandoned railroad bed most of the way, we have to hike around the washouts from all the arroyos.  

The waterfall on the Amargosa river. The river is pretty interesting in that most of the year it runs underground. But it is always above ground here. After storms this is a huge waterfall. A spring crossing the trail up the canyon.  

Puffy cotton top cactus and puffy clouds,drippy rock formation and the flower plants are really coming up now. Could be a big bloom in the spring. Looking back down the Amargosa river canyon toward China Ranch.

Tiny plants,cracked earth with salt deposition, puffy clouds and puffy plants. Sunset tonight in Shoshone. 

January 25, 2020 Shoshone, California

Low 70's and sunny.

John smoking a roast for dinner tonight. I was in the lawn chair working on my basket. Here is the current masterpiece under construction. I made the glass in the middle and dyed the needles purple, navy blue and wine colored.  It may have one more row, but am still working on it. 

Beautiful downtown historic Shoshone at sunset.  Sunset tonight.

I went to the Crowbar, the best  restaurant  in town for a retirement party. Susan who hosted the party.  

Dinner for 50 people.