Sanctified Saturdays: LIGHT!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 John 1:5 New Living Translation

Moonrise at sunset in Arizona

LIGHT

Darkness tries to hide so many things. Sneaky plans to derail us. Destructive forces at work. Slimy thoughts and self-indulgent actions. 

But it only takes a tiny bit of light to push darkness aside and bring revelation. Light doesn’t have to work at shoving aside darkness, battling for supremacy. Light is. By being who it is, it causes darkness to slink away, overcome by brightness.  

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by increasing darkness in our world. Wars, destruction, self exaltation of leaders. I can’t fight the darkness. But I can be a light and shine the love of Jesus everywhere I go. 

I can’t change nations, but I can pray for people in those nations to encounter the love of God. I can’t replace evil leaders, but I can pray for justice, mercy and righteousness to be released. 

Sunset in Arizona with saguaro cactus

Just as God spoke light into our dark world, I can partner with Him to speak light in this present darkness. I can declare the goodness of God. I can read His words out loud to shine His truth into the atmosphere.

When someone around me is grumpy and negative, I can smile and show love and kindness. When news from around the world seems dire, I can declare He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, even in troubled areas.

Standing strong in faith, trusting God, and finding joy in challenging situations allows His light to shine through me.

Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16, The Message Bible.

He is my light. He has filled my life with His light. I must BE a light.

Take that, darkness!

Sanctified Saturday: Getting Out of Sideways

Moonrise at sunset near Bouse, AZ

In the Spring, when the nighttime temperatures warm up past 50 degrees or more for several days, the Sidewinder Rattlesnakes come out of hibernation. I’ve only seen a few since we are not down here for long once it gets hot enough. But to watch them in motion is a marvel. How do they move sideways so rapidly? They make it look easy, scooting along leaving a distinctive pattern behind them. How do they know what direction to go and how do they keep going that way?

It brings to mind those times when I have been moving sideways, not going in a forward direction, but lateral, marking time without a clear direction. Did God look down in his love and say “Oh, child, come this way! Come forward! I have so much more for you than this sideways dance, back and forth in place”? I think he must have, because eventually I felt the tug of more, of destiny, of direction and purpose. I felt his love pull me into a place where I connected with his heavenly GPS to guide me into a course correction. Pulled by that loving, bigger-than-life Heavenly Father into his presence, his better ways and purpose, I move in the direction and course he had planned for me all along.

I leave behind the cloudy self-focus, the time-wasting activities, the negative thinking, the circular questioning and step into the identity he created just for me. Now I joyfully dance along the road, sometimes running, sometimes walking quietly in contemplation, always trying to be in step with him, moving forward with purpose. 

He has called me, I have answered with my life.

Sunset near Bouse, AZ, camping with Boondocker BOF

Travel Tuesdays: January in Quartzsite, AZ

Sunsets are often spectacular in Quartzsite. I'm told it's because of the dust in the air. Whatever!

 

Quartzsite, Arizona in January is a phenomenon. I suspect it is unique in the whole world. Where else would you find so many RV enthusiasts in one place? For over 30 years, upwards of a million people have annually flocked to this desert town during the month of January. Sunshine and warmer winter weather play a part, but the space to spread out plays an even larger part. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns miles of land around the town. Not just acres, miles. There are two types of areas where RVers can park. Dispersed camping areas are free to stay for 14 days, no services, just a place to park. The Long Term Visitors Areas (LTVA) is $40 for 14 days, or an annual permit for $180 lets you stay for seven months . Provided is garbage dumpsters, water stations, and dump stations. Some places have pit toilets, but many do not. 

Most often we park in the dispersed camping areas, although we did stay in an LTVA once. It’s a favorite way to gather in groups. Such places as “Mile Marker 99” a favorite meeting spot for Geocachers and Ham Radio aficionados. “Scadden Wash”, one of the first areas we stayed, is off the worst road I’ve seen yet. This is a ‘paved’ road where the old pavement is so broken and cracked that a rig like ours can only go about 3 miles an hour to prevent being shaken to pieces. Driving on the wide dirt edge is preferred. Clearly, it’s not on any road crew’s maintenance list. Our favorite place now is Plomosa Road, where 3 miles of camping on either side is occupied with different special interest groups. Some groups are as small as two or three, some as large as 200 or more. The Bureau has rangers who come from time to time and check to see that people have checked in with the Camp Host to register. It’s how they get their numbers and can allot resources. One year the Ranger came to the Boomers BOF group and spoke. He said the head count that year was 850,000 people. It boggles the mind because it doesn’t seem that crowded and it leaves you wondering how that many people can be so easily spread out around this small town of 3,000.

What attracts people other than all the space to gather with each other? This area is famous for its rocks. Everywhere you look there are rocks. This has drawn rock hounds from all over for years. The town has capitalized on that and has an annual rock show, where collectors can find not only local rocks, but ones imported from around the world. There are more rock shops in town than gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants put together! After the rock show, there is the Big Tent Outdoor Recreation and RV show. I hear that back in the day it was really something special. Still, it’s fun to see what all the vendors bring. Outside of the Big Tent, there are hundreds of vendors with all variety of goods scattered about town. This year seemed to have less people shopping, but more than I expected in the surrounding area. I think many people headed out to the desert for a safe and enjoyable place to maintain distance while still being able to socialize.  

We reserve a day to shop, but most of our time is spent with the RV groups that have gathered. We have three Escapee RV Club groups (BOF: Birds of a Feather)  that we belong to that meet off Plomosa Rd: Boondockers BOF, Boomers BOF, and Christian Fellowship BOF. Thankfully they are now all within an easy 1/2 mile walk of the Christian Fellowship group where we start out. 

A camp setup that got my attention! There are some great cooks in this group.

 Besides getting to know the other Christians in the group, we enjoy the daily message given by a retired pastor and the time of worship music prior to that. This year I led the worship for the Monday through Friday times as well as the church services on the Sunday before and after. I was thankful for Nancy on her guitar and Kathy singing along. We made a great team and their input was invaluable for choosing songs and praying together beforehand. We were dubbed “The Desert Trio”. I also shared my music after dinner one evening, and although I hesitate to call it a concert, it was well received and appreciated by the group. First I shared songs I had written, which didn’t take long. When I finished, their expectant faces looked for more, so I went on to play favorite worship music and invited them to join me in praise of our Lord, welcoming his presence. What a blessing to know that I am doing what the Lord is asking of me, even if I feel only minimally qualified! He is so good to take what I have to offer and magnify it for his glory.  

The Christian Flag flying in the sunset. 

Foodie Friday: PIzza my Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza? Oh, that smell! Something easy to grab and eat, and of course it’s great to be able to order it and have someone else do the cooking. It's been many years since I've eaten 'regular' pizza. I just can’t get past the inferior ingredients that cause my body problems. I've become so used to eating food that makes me feel better rather than worse, that to eat something I know will do harm is unthinkable. No matter how good it smells or looks, I have become adept at looking deeper into what the ingredients are, how those ingredients help, or harm, the body. It’s an important skill to learn. While every body responds differently to foods, certain principles apply to everyone. None of us can eat sugary snacks, foods void of nutritional value, or pesticide laden foods with impunity forever.

 But we usually don’t connect what we eat with how we feel. It makes sense that if you put in inferior fuel, you won’t get the best results. We know this for our cars, but we ignore this for our bodies. Many people will tell me they can eat whatever they want and don’t have any problems. And then go on to complain of allergies, constipation, skin problems, inflammatory diseases not realizing that these are all signs of the very problem they are denying. I know it requires something of a paradigm shift, but the pay-off is well worth the effort.  

 Back to my pizza. Since I no longer eat grains, I've experimented with various alternative pizza crusts. I've found that I really love this combo, giving it a chewy, dense satisfying flavor. We've found that we seldom eat more than half this pizza at a meal, it's that filling! It makes for great leftovers.

Recipe: 

Mix together:

1 cup almond flour 

1/2 cup cassava flour (or you can increase the amount of almond flour by this much) 

1/2 cup ground flaxseed 

1/8 cup (2 TBSP) coconut flour 

1/8 cup (2 TBSP) psyllium seed ground

1 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

 

In another bowl thoroughly mix: 

1 egg 

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup water 

Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until evenly distributed. It might be slightly crumbly, but that's fine. With oiled fingers, spread onto a 12" pizza pan. I like to leave a bit of a thicker edge around the outside edge. Bake this for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove and add toppings. (If you forget to bake the crust first like I sometimes do, it still works, it's just harder to eat by hand)

Sauce: 

1 small can tomato sauce 

pizza seasonings like basil, Italian seasonings, fennel seeds about a tsp of each 

Optional:

Since I try to keep the weight down in my RV, I used dried tomato powder for my sauce: 

1/3 cup dried tomato powder 

1/2 cup water 

Toppings: 

this is what I put on mine, but you can put anything you like on yours

Trader Joe's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage cut into slices 

Onion slices

Olives 

sliced tomatoes

topped with mozzarella cheese

Bake this until edges are browned and cheese is melted. 15 to 20 min. Sometimes if my toppings are thick it takes longer, and I cook it just a few minutes more, check it and cook it some more until it looks done. If I forget to cook the crust first, it can take 25 minutes or more for it to get done. 

Let me know if you tried it. What worked well? What didn't work? What did you do differently from me? How well did you like it? 

Travel Tuesday: Valley of Names

Hill after hill of names. We are parked on the other side of these mountains.

 

Even though we have boondocked off Ogilby Rd near Yuma for several years, we have never been to the Valley of Names before. I had heard it mentioned a few years ago and it sounded mildly interesting. In these desert places where vegetation is sparse, leaving rock names or pictures is not uncommon. After all, there are rocks aplenty! It's interesting to see what someone took the time and effort to come up with to decorate the desert.

A few old timers in the group decided we needed to all go see this place to pass on the location of one of those 'don't miss' local sights. I had looked it up before on Google Maps and zoomed mostly to figure out how to get there, but you can actually see the names from the satellite view. (32.874635, -114.683814) That, however, in no way prepared me for actually seeing it in person, on the group with my own two eyes! The sheer size of it astounds! And in the words of one of our group "How in the world do you describe a place like this?" Well, I took that as a personal challenge and went to work taking pictures from all kinds of angles. A picture is worth a thousand words and I knew I needed help! These are a select few from my collection. They really don't do it justice, so I must also try to describe it. As we were approaching the area, we could see a small airplane circling over the area, then we saw it land as we passed it. I think it would be a wonderful way to see this!

Our group parked at the top of the picture. The square at the bottom is about 3 ft x 5 ft in scale.

 

Even though it's just on the other side of the mountain from us, we went the long way to meet up in Winterhaven, CA, with others currently staying in Yuma, AZ. Then we drove north, winding our way past green fields of kale and lettuce, date farms with their huge date palms and irrigation ditches. It was a beautiful drive, but once the pavement ended, it became the familiar arid rock and dirt area, with a dirt road that deteriorated after a few miles into something that made us thankful for our 4-wheel drive truck with a high center. We didn't actually need that 4-wheel drive, but knowing it was available was comforting. 

Our first glimpse of the names made from arranged rocks wasn't that impressive, until we looked up and past them to the rolling hills of names that went on and on and on! Name after name. I tried to guess at how many acres were covered with names! The sheer scale and size of this was astonishing! One name spelled out of rocks is not uncommon out here. But hundreds upon hundreds? I was beginning to wonder if the lead car was going to ever stop so I could get out and wander around looking and taking pictures. Finally, easily a half mile past the first name we stopped. The names kept going. I eagerly hopped out and began trying to capture this surprising place with photos. Many with two names and a plus sign. Some with hearts, others with rectangular outlines. A few rock collections painted blue, some black. Some people had brought in bricks to spell out their names, sure to be visible from a satellite. Some had dates. They ranged in sized from 2ft x 3ft to 5 ft x 12 ft. Having filled our eyes with this wonder, we then went on to see Senator Wash/Imperial Dam (where we have stayed before) and then Mittry Lake (that we hadn't seen before). What a fun day trip.

Travel Tuesday: Valley of Fire

Valley of Fire State Park had never been on our radar. Only because of staying nearby were we even made aware of it. We are so thankful that we got to see it!. It is the most breathtaking landscape with all kinds of colors of rock and soil right next to each other, sometimes in layers, sometimes in folds, sometimes jutting out. Every turn of the road brought more amazing sights and I was very busy with my camera trying to capture it all.

Below is the best of what I took. We did two hikes which was enough for me, but there are more for next time. The $10 entrance fee per vehicle was easily worth it. 

Driving into the Valley of Fire State Park. Even the drive in is fascinating.

So. Much. Color. Every turn and twist of the road brought more breathtaking scenes!

The Seven Sisters is a series of tall outcropping with nice picnic areas nearby.

It's not hard to see why the destination of this walk is called Fire Wave! What amazing colors and shapes! The walk began on the other side of the large red rock outcropping at the top right. The next few pictures are in the same area, just looking in different directions. The variations of color, texture, shape and height are amazing!

On the left, the red and white striped rock, the next to it a greenish and brown color, and behind that a deep burgundy color! The arid climate makes all of this so dramatic since there is sparse vegetation.

Returning along the Firewave trail, just past the large red outcropping looking into the next valley. 

To the right, this is what is left of a movie set built in the 60s. There is a plaque explaining that this area has been used for many movies over the years. The fantastical shapes and colors makes for great backdrops, especially for filming movies like Star Trek Generations. 

Layer upon layer of different colored rocks. I can't help but wonder what the composition is to create all of these varied colors. Coming from a place where the vast majority of rocks are just grey, I'm always fascinated by the colors of rocks in the Southwest and especially here. 

This slot canyon may not be as large or as deep a red as the famous Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ, but it's still beautiful, picture-worthy and fun to walk through. I love the contrast of grey gravel on the floor to the pink walls. The picture just above is near the entrance to the slot canyon just before it got narrow. There were so many holes and caves dotting the walls. And a very sturdy bush stubbornly growing in the barrenness. What a great reminder that life continues, that life can grow in unexpected places and survive when it doesn't seem possible.

This Valley of Fire is a place that warrants repeat visits. It's hard to take it all in in only a day. They have a campground there which is in a beautiful setting, and staying there would be a great place from which to go on the many hikes. It's first come, first served so you have to be early and quick to grab a spot. We drove all through the park, but only did two hikes: Fire Wave and White Dome. That was enough for me for one day. I'd like to return some time and do the other hikes. It's a place that begs to be explored, photographed and enjoyed. 

Museum time: Extra Post

Because I have plenty of material for blog posts and have great internet connection here, I'm sneaking in an extra post. It's mostly for the grandkids, but you're welcome to enjoy it, too!

Just a short walk from where we parked. Such an interesting place!

A new spot this year for our Boondockers group was Poverty Flats (or Snowbird Mesa) near Overton, NV (some 60 miles East of Las Vegas). Not sure why it has two names, but it's a great place to boondock or dry camp. The views are gorgeous and there are plenty of places to walk and take pictures all around our rig. The nearby town of Overton boasts a nicely stocked grocery store (Lin's) with a pharmacy. Also, there are two hardware stores, and a community park where we could get water for free. We loaded up our empty water bottles and our water filter and took advantage of that. I also visited their friendly Post Office where I understand they will receive General Delivery. Even though I didn't need that this time, it's good to know for the future.

One little gem there is The Lost City Museum which was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp. Into this delightful place they retrieved many artifacts and reconstructed some of the excavation sites that were later covered by Lake Mead (formed when Hoover Dam was built). The museum building had interesting Craftsman touches inside and was not only well built, but it's been very well maintained. I was intrigued by the many models of dwellings of the Pueblo/Anasazi people. The basketry was impressive. And outside they recreated the round dwellings that are indicated by the rock outlines. It was interesting to get a glimpse into their daily life, their living spaces and their skills.

I didn't capture the time line for the many pictures I took, so some of it is by memory. (!) There was a wide range of dates from some time after 1100AD up until the early 1930s with more information than I could absorb. I am no expert on basketry or the Anasazi people, just the bits and pieces I've picked up in various museums around the Southwest, so my captions are somewhat general. I enjoy museums, but don't really attempt to remember all of it! 

A rather sophisticated 3 level dwelling of rock. So cool!

The view from the top looking into it. 

Round rooms or houses was a common theme among the Anasazi, or Ancient Ones. I could live here!

Still life showing how they ground the corn or maize that they grew. So glad I don't have to do this!

This shows a recreation of part of the walls, some containers and corn found. The exposed rock shows how it was built underneath the covering made of local clay.

Beautiful artwork done on this pottery that's over 100 years old. 

These water jugs were first woven, then covered in pitch to make them waterproof. These are really, really old and my favorites of all of the baskets. How did the get the pitch to cover it so well?

Intricate basketry, most dating back 100 - 150 years ago if not later. I'm amazing at how small the weave is! 5 to 7 loops per inch!

Early black and white ware. Found in the excavations and very old.

Recreation of a storage room. It would make sense to store stuff where you have to get in by ladders to keep out vermin, snakes and other threats to the food suppy.

An interesting mostly underground dwelling. I imagine this kept them cooler in the heat and warmer in the cold. The temperature can get extreme, very hot in the day and cold at night.

A large collection of arrowheads of varying sizes and of different kinds of materials. 

Full size replicas outside of their round dwelling places. All the entrances were blocked with grills to keep us nosy people out. Not doubt to preserve it better.

Rustic ladder that I don't think I'd want to try even if I could! Where's the bottom step?

The typical outline left by ruins. The buildings above are what they looked like when used, but in many places all that is left is the outline like this. 

Travel Tuesday: Off Road Adventures

Spectacular views! The road looks good from a distance....

Unusual flowers I've not seen elsewhere

Some parts are better walked.

While we were camped outside of Bouse, AZ, I was invited to go to The Desert Bar with some off-roading enthusiasts. I've heard of the Desert Bar from many people who have gone, knew of its uniqueness and also of the somewhat bumpy road getting up there. So far we hadn't felt compelled to go, although we thought it might be interesting. And then along comes an opportunity I didn't want to pass up. Because I would have felt like a wuss if I had! I decided to go for the Adventure instead of comfort and safety. So off we went, and instead of the rather rough road going in, we took the back way. I'm not sure I would call it a road. Well, maybe: if you have 4-wheel drive and plan to use it--a lot!, if you have enough clearance to get over some big rocks, if you don't mind desert pinstripes (getting up close and personal with thorny bushes), if you don't mind dirt and bumpy rides that bounce your head off the window, then, yes, it's a road! Truly, going with enthusiasts made it fun. Jerry opted out and I almost did. It's enough that it's about an hour plus drive on the main road, but the sound of 3 or more hours taking the back way had me questioning the wisdom of this. I was concerned about sitting so long. I also was wondering if there would be any stops along the way, not only to stretch my legs, but to 'pick flowers' as my Grandmother called it. It was a relief to discover that due to the bouncing, movement side to side and having to keep my balance, I wasn't just sitting there and didn't have a chance to get stiff. Plus we stopped several times to get out, stretch legs, take pictures (while not in constant motion!), oooh and ahhh over the scenery, and, yes, 'pick flowers'.  We were rewarded by spectacular scenery, the comradery that happens when challenges are met, and the fun of arriving at this picturesque oasis in the desert.

     The Desert Bar is only open on the weekends and they do a hopping business in those two days. People come from all over the place to enjoy food, drinks and music at this remote place. It's hard to fathom the kind of vision needed to think up something like this, but it's really something to see. It's been built in stages and they are still building. It runs totally on solar and I got a peek at 2 of the battery banks. The smaller one had 48 linked together. The food there is typical fast food: hamburgers, specialty fries, etc. Since we were eating outside, I felt comfortable eating the lunch I had brought with me while the others supported the local economy. There was a band playing and quite a festive air about the place, and lots of people. 

First view of the Desert Bar. It was packed! Ahead of me are MP, Wendy and Dave.

      From the entrance of the 'back way' it took us about 2-1/2 hours to go the 5 miles to the bar. The scenery was spectacular. Some of the sections of road were pretty tricky, and at the very start was a part they called a 'gatekeeper'. If you could get up that section, you could probably make it the rest of the way, but it was not for the faint of heart! I was the first to hop out and walk up it, but in the end everyone got out and the drivers assessed it to figure out the best way to go up. The careful way they looked it over and planned it built confidence, and I was happy to hop back in once they made it up the hill. I took videos of 3 different vehicles making it up that climb. Since I was at the top, it didn't show very well how steep it actually was. There was only one other section I walked, and I was very quick to hop out when asked if I wanted to walk this part. Yessiree! Plus I could take more pictures, getting better shots from the outside. 

     Several times we pulled over to allow faster off-road vehicles pass us. Since we were in two Jeeps, we weren't trying to win any races. There were quite a few people along the way, some coming towards us, some passing us. Since it's a one-way road, either we or the other party pulled off onto a wide spot to allow passing with lots of hand waving, some sharing of "How's the road up ahead" and "You're almost there! Cold beers await!" After we reached the highest point where there was a memorial, we heard that the next little bit would be tricky, but since we made it this far, we'd do fine. I was reassured, but some sections felt much like whitewater rafting in a Jeep!

   

Clockwise from the top: The small church from the front, cement floor, stamped tin walls and ceiling.

Nice view while washing your hands.

      One intriguing addition to the Desert Bar is this tiny church. It's about 10 feet square, made all of steel and lined with stamped tin. It's beautiful inside. There's a plaque inside of all those who donated funds to make it. I wonder how many weddings have been done here?
     One of the first things one hears about whenever people talk about the Desert Bar is the Ladies Room. So of course I had to see it for myself. It's quite unique, with a very industrial look and a half wall in front of the sinks. Instead of windows, it's just open to the air with a great view since it's so high up. How many Ladies' rooms warrant pictures?
   All in all, it was a fun day and I'm glad I went. But everyone agreed that they can cross that road off their list. "Been there, done that" It wasn't exactly harrowing, but there were moments when I heard "Definitely getting a lift kit when I get home" muttered more than once. I think next time, I'll just go the more usual route. We left that way and it reminded me of the road in Monument Valley. Not exactly smooth, but much smoother than our first section!
      ADVENTURE ON!

Top: Me and MP, Bottom left: MP and Wendy, Bottom right: Vic, Dave, and Rick in the background.

Someone did a lot of work building this road! Check out the rock wall edge. This section stretched for about 300 feet.