Moving Ever Onward!

"Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep." ~Shakespeare

Okay, I'm over it! I am over a misdirected relationship and over living in the desert.  Time to move on.  Will be traveling back to New England and staying for a month or two.  There is no escaping the desert until I can afford a permanent move and my housemates and I can figure out how to replace my economic place in the home we rent.  But a month or two is a month or two.

Sold my Yamaha motorcycle yesterday.  Kind of sad about that but it will be replaced eventually.  Am pretty sure that the replacement will be a Harley low-rider....just love it when my feet can touch the ground at a STOP.  The little Virago has gone to a rider who is making the transition from scooter to bike and her passing of hands will help finance the trip home.  No longer drive the MX5.  She has been sold several times over. That car was a great teacher. I'm no longer afraid of FAST or switch backs..in fact it's all a liberating joy.  Good Golly Ms Molly, a year ago I didn't even know what "turbo" meant! :) Driving a Baja now ~ its a Subaru and dependable.  It's a trucklet and that is helpful. But its real strength is in its ability to off-road. She's not a rock climber like some of the Jeeps and other 4x4s but still pretty stealth out there in the forest and in the desert.  I do love that.  Will be putting 1" spring risers in sometime soon and replacing the tires with ATs.  Funny because in NV off-roading is a sport ~ in New England it was a necessity.  I have become an unrepentant automotive geek.

I'm am sickened by the news of late.  So we won't go there too much.  The outback of Alaska sometimes is very appealing but will probably be satisfied with Northern NH...perhaps not to far from the Connecticut Lakes.  "Won't you be snowed in" some asked....god smite me with it! I've given up most the nightly news and rarely read the paper.  I'm weary to my bone marrow (as it is my bone marrow that is under attack from within that is no small price to pay) of police violence, the growing arms race between citizens and police, our government selling military arms to police and the suffering of humans in general.  Politicians...oh my word, what is there even to say that has not been said.   I will admit that I am still addicted to the New Yorker and the Atlantic ~ guilty pleasures.  Better than shooting up or snorting! 

I return to me original purpose and that is to enjoy photography and write about the "stuff" observed.  I would say it is good to be back in the saddle but I sold my saddle when I left Washington.  Okay, I still have my feet, so...it is good to be back on the path, wherever it leads!

“Water, water, water....There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount , a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation. There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.” 
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness
                                                                                                

I think these signs should have a post-script - "those with bad backs and/or weak bladders should stick to the main road!".   

Part One:
Sunday...my day off.  Four hours to explore the nooks and crannies of this part of the desert.   I drove my trusty little Subaru across Hwy 50 ("The Loneliest Highway in American") onto a short paved road that quickly becomes rutted and washboard dirt road heading toward the North East.  The little road, it turns out, follows the Carson River.  Much of the land is posted.  The river valley is green, shady and pleasant in stark contrast to the barren mountain range that stand on either side of the road.  

This is open range land or so the signs proclaim but I did not see a single head of cattle or wild horse on said open land.    Perhaps they took to heart the "Keep Out" signs.

This little trip took me to the remains of Fort Churchill and then onward to Lahontan Recreation area.  A few photos of the the first part of the trip (Highway 50 to Rt 2b to Fort Churchill).  It was reminder that if the balance is maintained...there is enough water for life in the desert.

Then just beyond these restful places is an area that contains larger fenced areas that appear to be used for cattle round-up.  No people nor cattle found there on Sunday...

The desert is quick to reclaim what is not watered:

To be continued...