March 7-9, 2026 Shoshone, California

 High of 73 and sunny.

Little Black Mountain with phragmites and blooming brittle bush. Close up of the blooming brittle bush on Little Black Mountain. 

Desert gold off the Aqua trail, phacelia off the White trail. Amargosa river on the Aqua trail. 

Wash full of brittle bush. Judy enjoying her new patio. It is done. Great job John. 

First dinner on the finished patio. Palmer Palms Party Patio set up for a dinner party. 

Appetizers on the patio. Desert gold with Tecopa Peak.

 Desert gold with Tecopa Peak. Desert gold on the Old Spanish Trail

Roadside desert gold and phacelia. Phacelia  in the foreground and desert gold in the distance in front of Tecopa peak. 

Phacelia on Hwy 127.  Phacelia with some roadside flowers. 

Phacelia. 

February 27- March 6, 2026 Shoshone, California

 High of 86 and sunny. 

Finished another masterpiece. It is made from dyed pine needles, polyester thread, glass and gemstone beads, and the center is slate with a petroglyph sandblasted and painted. I added a hand with an evil eye bead on the side. It is 7 x 3 inches. John untied the palm trees today. Yeah!

Palm trees in the front of the house. Date palm trees have these 3-5 inch wicked thorns on the fronds. I cut off the thorns on the ones by the bus, just in case I fall into the tree.

Sunset west and sunset south. 

This looks like maybe Dorothy flying off to Oz. Dorothy way flying of to Oz and a giant centipede. 

Sunset west. Sunset south.

I finished the last mosaic for the walk out front.  Came out nice. The front walk completed. 

One of the many lizards living in the yard. The full worm moon rising.

We had an early dinner with Roger, Toni and Kelly. Nice to see them. Toni and had on sort of matching dresses. My horns are showing. . .

Sunset. Beautiful, historic downtown Shoshone tonight.

Sunset. John is extending the patio. I looks marvelous.

I finished the mosaic to go into the Palmer Palms 

Party Patio.  I finished this cute little basket. It is made from dyed pine needles, hemp cord, glass beads and the center is a dichroic glass paw I cast. It is 5 1/2 x 2 1/2.

February 23-25, 2026 Death Valley, California

 82 and sunny.

Field of pink sand verbena with a few desert gold.

Sand verbena and desert gold. 

We backpacked in to camp with the Judy's on their last night. My tent, John snores without his cpap and he didn't bring it, so I had my tent. Johns sleeping bag for the night in a field of flowers. 

Judy cooking her dehydrated dinner in a field of primroses. Judy and John on a patch of grass having dinner.

Sunset. My astrophotography for the night. It was cloudy, so I got a ring around the moon.

Judy and John walking back to the truck. Evening primrose, gravel ghost, gila, cryptanthia, sand verbena, Schotts calico, painted lady and phacelia with verbena.

Spanish needles, pincushions, chicory, 5 spot with no spots! I have only seen 3 without spots ever and two were this week. Desert gold with a 5 spot with spots , and sand verbena. Desert gold and colorful formations. 

Judy treated us to lunch at the Inn. The Judy's are staying in a casita at the Inn, we are staying in our RV in the campground, but hanging with them at the Inn, at the pool, their casita and having dinner at the Inn. Love the spring fed pool at the Inn. 

Sunset. We had an exhausting day around the pool. You get a golf cart with the casitas, so Judy drove us up to dinner. 

Sunset. Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley. One of my favorite places. 

We had a delicious dinner at the Inn dining room.