Party Time!

One of the nurses Granpa works with invited us to a party at their house in the desert.  It's an all-day come-n-go affair.  I'm always up for a party!



Her directions said to head north out of town on Route 66 for quite aways, turn right at a particular spot, cross the railroad tracks, and follow the dirt road and signs to their place.

Seems they have been having this annual picnic for a whole bunch of years and so they are very prepared.  She's a pretty good artist along with being a wonderful hostess!




The road is enticing all by itself.

We didn't expect a dirt road, and we didn't expect it to go on and on and on.  We are drawn high onto the mountain.  These roads are well maintained, and they're wide.  Each one must lead to at least one home - and these homes are "off the grid."  They have no power lines going to them, they have their own water wells or haul their water in.  The homes are heated with fireplaces and old style cast iron wood-burning stoves.  Up on the mountains of the high desert there's not much need for air conditioners even at the height of summer.  The neighbors all know each other - but leave each other alone.  They are far apart and essentially out of sight of each other.  All in all, I'm very jealous!

But the road keeps going...

All along the roadside are beautiful desert blooms.

I can just imagine what this will look like in a week or so when all of these burst open!  They seem so delicate for the harsh dry desert.  God has put flowers among the thorns of life!

What might these be?  I've never seen anything like them.
But the yellow ones I'm more familiar with.

The party is at the top of the mountain, and we finally get there.  I am so-o-o jealous of them living out here!

They have bounce houses and - believe it or not - a stage for kids to dance on, farm animals right and left...

There's not enough level ground on at the top of the mountain for baseball or other sports.  The young children begin trying to do a line dance, and pretty quickly the teenagers step in and show them how. No adults directing, just kids playing - like we used to!  What a cool place to live.