Boulder City, Nevada

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to Boulder City! Sorry for the blur in the next image. For as many years as we've been coming here, you'd think I could get an in-focus picture of this sign. But, no. I must have a half dozen pictures that look a lot like this one:

It was a long day of driving yesterday, and through a desolate landscape. It'll be our longest driving day for this trip. As we were heading north on I-15, I noticed the roadside daisies are starting to bloom. We didn't see these when we arrived in Escondido. What a difference a month can make. You can see the orange patches in the image below.

This was our view for much of the day.

We could see some snow-capped mountains out Mike's window.

Eventually, we started seeing more color in the barren landscape.

And this...just a rustic water tower. When there are no barns nor any grain silos, water towers stand in as photography subjects.

We drove miles, and miles, and miles, and the image below pretty much sums up the scenery.

When we were within about 100 miles of the state line, this salt flat came into view. This is known as Soda Dry Lake (or Soda Lake). It was formed from the evaporation of ancient Lake Mojave. Situated near Baker, California, and I-15, the area features a white salt crust, a nearby palm oasis, and the Desert Studies Center.  The lake has standing water during wet periods, and water can be found beneath the surface.

Eventually, we began to see Joshua trees. The Joshua tree is native to the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah) and northwestern Mexico. This range mostly coincides with the geographical reach of the Mojave Desert, where it is considered one of the major indicator species for the desert. It occurs at elevations between 1,300 and 5,900 ft.

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Eventually, we came to many miles growing thick with Joshua trees. Joshua trees are one of the species predicted to have their range reduced and shifted by climate change. Concern remains that they will be eliminated from Joshua Tree National Park, with ecological research suggesting a high probability that their populations will be reduced by 90% of their current range by the end of the 21st century, thus fundamentally transforming the ecosystem of the park. Wildfires, invasive grasses, and poor migration patterns for the trees' seeds are all additional factors in the species' imperilment.

As we approached the state line, we came across this mining operation. This is Mountain Pass Mine, home to the largest rare-earth element mine in the U.S. 

Discovery of the mine’s rare-earth elements happened by accident. In 1949, three prospectors sought uranium in the Clark Mountain Range in the midst of high demand for the element during the developing Cold War. However, instead of uranium, the prospectors struck bastnaesite, which contains rare-earth elements found in familiar gadgets we use today, such as the magnets in speakers, microphones, vibration monitors in mobile phones, and other modern communication devices.

Down the road, I captured the colors in this hillside. This is the sort of thing we'll see when we visit Death Valley. The green color indicates the presence of copper, and red indicates iron.

We were traveling adjacent to the Mojave National Preserve. In this photo, you can see the mud flat behind the sign. 

This is Ivanpah Lake, a dry lake. It's a 13-square mile mud flat located along the California-Nevada border near Primm, Nevada. It is a premier, free public destination for wind-powered recreation like land sailing and kite buggying, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The site is famous for hosting land speed record attempts and, in 2009, saw the Greenbird set the world wind-powered land speed record of 126.1 mph. 

Farther down the road, we came upon the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. 

This is a concentrated solar thermal plant. It was slated to close in 2026, but that decision has been reversed by the California Public Utilities Commission. The facility derives its name from its proximity to Ivanpah, California, and the Chemehuevi word for "clean water."

It is a 377 megawatt net solar complex using mirrors to focus the power of the sun on solar receivers atop power towers. (Mike thought "power towers" was the best phrase of the day.) Those are the big shiny objects you see in the image above. The electricity generated is enough to serve more than 140,000 homes in California during the peak hours of the day. 

We were just about five miles from the border at that point...get ready...it's the picture of the day...

We stopped there for fuel. (Fuel is cheaper in Nevada than in California.) As we exited the interstate, I noticed his HUGE roller coaster off to the right. Sheesh. Don't look for me to be riding this monster.

And I don't know what's going on with that structure, but it reminded me so much of the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark we visited when we were in Alaska, pictured below.

In the distance, we watched as three skydivers jumped from a plane. Looking at the image below, I'm guessing this was a tandem jump. There appear to be two people attached to that parachute.

And then...surprise, surprise! This is one of the things I had on our bucket list for this visit. This is known as Seven Magic Mountains. 

This unique art installation was created by world-renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone in 2016. In his words, he describes his creation as “artwork of thresholds and crossings, of seclusion and gathering, of balanced marvels and excessive colors, and the contrary air between the desert and the city lights.” 

Seven different structures (mountains) make up the artwork, consisting of massive, stacked boulders painted in vibrant colors that glow brilliantly against the Nevada desert backdrop. Each mountain is a whopping 30 feet tall, and the artwork is considered one of the “largest land-based art installations in the United States.” The creative installation represents Rondinone's interpretation of human interaction with the desert. It was one of the things we had on our to-do list for this visit, but we can check that off now as to-done.

Okay, and continuing on, we turned southwest here, but we could see Las Vegas in the distance.

We were nearing our final destination. There's some interesting art work along the interstate here. I captured only a small piece of it.

These are the mountains behind the RV park. They're beautiful in the glow of the rising sun.

We have a nice end spot, and an orange tree growing right at our doorstep. (I have an idea these are ornamental only.)

So we're going to take a chill day today. After such a long drive and after being social butterflies for the past month, we need a day off. I'll probably get outside and take a walk around the park. I expect we'll add naps to our day's agenda. Aside from that...no plans. Sometimes those are the best days. I have a few things on our agenda for this area. You'll want to dust off your hiking boots, because I'm sure we'll find a few trails to walk here. Also, there will be time for sewing.

Whenever we arrive in this part of Nevada, I'm reminded of a conversation we had with a cashier at the grocery store on a previous visit. We were purchasing some Mike's Lemonade, which is an alcoholic beverage. We weren't sure about the liquor laws regarding alcohol in a moving vehicle. Was it okay to have it in the cab with us? Or did we need to put it in the back and out of reach? The woman there said, "You can do anything in Nevada." Okay, then. My kind of state.

Oh yes, and tomorrow will be the reveal of my latest art quilt for The Endeavourers art quilt group. Prompt this time around is"Motion." Signing off now. Have a good day, Everybody!

Quickie

Good morning, my friends. I have to write fast this morning because we're heading on down the dusty trail today. Our time in Escondido has come to an end. By the end of today, we'll be in Boulder City, Nevada.

My slow-stitching was neglected yesterday morning. My first priority was to finish sewing together the final ten blocks for the Gumballs quilt. Smitty helped me lay them out for their picture.

And there they are. 

The top four rows are still at home. 

One of the first things I'll do when we get there is to sew all the blocks together. 

It was after lunch time by then, and so it was time to pack it all up. I'll have more time for sewing down the road. My next project...this being near Valentine's Day, and all...will be this "Vintage Valentine" from Temecula Quilt Company. You can find all the particulars for this project right here.

Backing up a little bit, I realized I'd forgotten to mention these pretty bottles of homemade vanilla from my friend, Debi. One is made from vodka, the other from rum. And with the price of vanilla these days, these are very much appreciated. Thanks, Debi. Aren't these pretty?

Okay...so I must be on my way now. We'll catch up down the road and in a whole new state. Buckle up, my friends. Nevada, here we come, and we're bringing cats!

One Last Afternoon with Friends

Good morning, my friends. It's our last morning in Escondido. Some of today will be spent preparing to leave for Boulder City tomorrow. Probably I'll have a little time for sewing today. As long as I have to put everything away, I might as well get it all out again one more time. Wouldn't you agree?

So we had a casual sandwiches-and-wine day planned with our friends Debi and Jim yesterday. Before we left, I spent some time on my slow-stitching, finishing off what's in my hoop.

Now I've moved my hoop more to the bottom of the turtle, and I'll spend some time on it this morning.

Smitty was keeping an eye on my stitching from the catio. He likes this RV because he can be outside in the catio, and he can also be a peeping Tom and pay attention to what's going on inside as well.

For her part, Sadie was pestering the birds. They'd like to drive her crazy with their protective shield.

So, around noon, we headed out. We met Debi and Jim at a really nice Italian deli for sandwiches, and then we took our sandwiches to a nearby winery. Sorry about my finger photobombing the image below.

Fallbrook Winery is in Fallbrook (not surprisingly). It's more casual and low-key than the extravagant wineries seen in Temecula. There was a nice outdoor patio area. Debi bought a bottle of white wine, and we sat outside eating our sandwiches, drinking our wine, and sharing stories. It was a relaxing afternoon.

Debi likes this winery because of their good whites. We had a nice white, and it was a good accompaniment to our deli sandwiches. Debi also brought chips and cookies. We enjoyed our food and wine.

We sat gabbing for a couple of hours. When we left, I took a picture of the vineyards.

Also, these many barrels. I don't know if these are for storage, or if there is wine aging in here. Probably just for storage since wine needs to be aged in a cool environment.

Turning directly around from there, we could see the equipment and buildings where the wine is made.

On our way home, we stopped off one more time for more avocados. These are close to ripe, but they'll need a few days. These are the Zutano variety. Our last three avocados were of this variety. They have a thin skin, but the nice buttery flavor of the Hass.

Debi also surprised me with these pretty fabrics and this "Field of Clover" pattern. The pattern is from Mary Boldt of Bear Paw quilts. I tried to find something about the designer online, but I came up dry. I'll have fun sewing this together for a St. Patrick's Day runner. Thanks, Debi. 

And that brings to an end what I have to tell you about our day. I'm hoping tomorrow's post will include finished quilt blocks from the Gumballs project, but I'll have to see what the day has in store for me. Tomorrow we'll be heading on down the dusty trail, so get a good night's sleep tonight. We have a long drive tomorrow. 

Egrets...I've Had a Few

Good morning, my friends. Our time here in Escondido is nearly at an end. We'll be here today and tomorrow, but then we'll move along to Boulder City, Nevada. We're still enjoying our time here, and we have yet to see everything on our list of things to do. Anything we don't do this trip will go on the list for next year.

My yesterday started with my slow-stitching. I've filled the hoop on this section now.

I decided to try the longer and larger Sashiko needle included with my kit. In the image below, the embroidery needle I usually use is shown on the right. This is the large-eyed needle I use for Perle cotton floss. The one on the left is the Sashiko needle included with my kit. The eye appears slightly larger, and the needle itself has a thicker shift. 

I prefer a shorter needle, but the larger Sashiko needle pulled the floss through the fabric easier and with less drag. I think that will help keep the thread from fraying as I stitch.

So now, I've moved the hoop to the right to stitch the right side of the turtle. That's where I'll start this morning.

We were meeting up with friends for a late lunch, but I had plenty of time to get out for a walk. The lake nearest us was the picture of tranquility. 

On the far side, I spotted our friend the Great Egret. When I'm photographing birds, I zoom in and shoot from a distance. I worry I'll scare them away if I get too close. And so he stood still for this next photo.

As I walked on and got a little closer, I took another shot.

And geez...I needn't have worried about scaring him because at that point he flew across the lake to within about 20 feet of me.

Okay, and so then I walked on. I met up again with these two geese looking for a handout.

Helllllooooooo...remember us? Got any snacks? Tostitos? Funions? Potato chips?

I get the feeling they're fond of Frito-Lay products. One might think they'd prefer Granny Goose potato chips. Are Granny Goose potato chips still being made? (Please tell me you're old enough to remember Granny Goose.)

I spotted a few new blooming things along the way. My phone tells me this next image is viburnum.

So, I walked all the way around the lake, and who did I meet up with yet again on the far side of the lake? It's our friend the Great Egret.

I'm starting to think he's just a camera ham, although it looks as if he has a bead on something here.

Across the lake there was a double-breasted cormorant. He kept flapping his wings and shaking off the water.

Also, these mallards. It appears each of the males has attracted a female. Do you suppose they’re double-dating?

My phone tells me this is Ceanothus cuneatus. (That's a mouthful.)

When I got back from my walk, I noticed Sadie had found a spot of sunshine to sleep in. 

We were getting ready to meet up with our Gang of Ten at a local BBQ restaurant. I've known most of these folks longer than anyone else in the world. I've known some of them longer than I've known Mike. 

Except for the gentleman second from the left (David) and the one fourth from the left (Jim), all of the people pictured here graduated from Vista High School. And except for the three men in the middle on the left, we were all in the high school band. Rick (first on the left) played trumpet. Tom (fifth on the left) played saxophone. All of us girls, except for Debi (fourth from the right) played clarinet. Debi played flute. I played alto clarinet and I played piano in the jazz band. (I was a terrible jazz pianist.)

So that was fun. We had a nice lunch, and it was good seeing everybody. And since our time here is growing short, we were saying good-bye until next year to some of these folks. Today we're meeting up with Jim and Debi again for wine and lunch. After that...we'll be spending most of our time putting things away and getting ready to head out. 

I’m hoping to get in a little sewing time tomorrow, but that might just be wishful thinking. Probably I won't get any more sewing done until we get to Boulder City. For now, I'll just focus on my slow-stitching. It's doubtful I can finish off the turtle before we go again, but sometimes I surprise myself. 

So that's all I have for you today. Let's all get on with our days, shall we? I hope y'all are staying warm in this cold winter weather. We can't complain here in Southern California. Nevada should be pretty much the same. We'll be doing more hiking and sight-seeing when we get there, and there's a quilt shop in nearby Henderson that I want to visit. There's still much to do on this trip, so don't unpack just yet.