May 12, 2005
Salton Sea California

Arrived late yesterday afternoon just in time for a walk on the barnacle beach before sunset. Interesting campground here at The Salton Sea State Recreation Area. Really a large parking lot with hook ups but only a few 100 feet from the water. Henry is ecstatic swimming his little butt off.
Yesterday morning we pulled the wheel and found one of the studs that holds the magnet onto the arm had busted off and was floating free in the wheel drum. Luckily it had done no damage to the wheel drum so the repair was simple- find a new pin have it welded onto the old arm and replace the arm and magnet. After locating a pin I was off to Mike’s Welding to have the metal work done. Drove up to Mikes and showed him the project. He got right to work on it and in 20 minutes I had a working arm and was headed back to Larry’s. After making a great portrait of Mike. Two hours later we were on the road heading to Salton Sea.
I’ve begun to realize that every breakdown bring us in touch with local folks who afford me great portraits and a chance to spend some time getting to know them. We have been blessed with meeting great people who stop what they are doing to lend us a hand and get us back on the road. Am
It seems like the breakdowns have always been a blessing in disguise and are an important part of our travels.
In Barstow the best RV and plumbing guy is:
B&B Plumbing and RV Center
(Sharon, Larry Sr. and Buster Brown)
27170 Old HWY 58
Barstow, CA 92311
760-256-3608

best welding I’ve seen in awhile
Mike’s Iron Works
(Mike Miller)
29019 Old HWY 58
Barstow, Ca
760-256-6591
mail: 29018 Arrowhead
Barstow CA.
Be sure to tell them we sent you and say Howdy for us.

Afterwards no visit to Barstow is complete with out a stop at B’s Dinner 2191 West Main Street, just of I-15. It’s over at the American Travel Center Truck Stop and from the outside don’t look like much but the inside is so 50’s retro and the food is great. But don’t ask Lori, the day manager to take her portrait cause she just don’t take good portraits! Oh yeah, You’ll get in big trouble if you try to make a photograph of Sharon Brown. She don’t let nobody, not even Larry take her picture!
Speaking of Larry, here is the big rough guy who talked so lovingly about the family of doves that live out in the shop. He has spent many hours letting them get to know him and can now approach the nest without the birds getting scared.
So for now the Airstream is back to roadworthy. We’ve been lucky to upgrade and retro fit all the systems so they are still original, rebuilding and re fabricating all the parts needed so she is now about in the same condition as when she was towed off the assembly line in 1959. But around each corner we’re keeping our eyes open for THE bus. We do love the Airstream but sure need that work space.

Didn’t I do this with the bus generator????

So this is how to fix the brakes?

Mike hard at work

Getting there

Mike did it again

Heather at B’s Diner

One of Larry’s Doves in the rafters

on the way to Salton Sea outside Palm Springs

May 17, 2005
Willow Lake RV Park
Prescott Arizona.
The Lake is a small one just over the rocks from the Camp. If has numerous fingers going into the rock outcroppings that make to die little swimming holes. Henry is in Heaven. He’s been able to swim morning and night for the past week
Traveled through Quartzite Arizona on the way here. Looks like one hell of a town from about October to March. The entire town is one big flea market / RV park. By early April it tends to get a bit deserted and all we saw was vacant spaces and the memories of last years camp. Hope to spend some of this coming winter there.

Willow Lake

May 18, 2005
Lone Rock Beach
Page, Arizona

Arrived after dark last night. Strange place to come to at night, no signs, no maps, just a computer station that takes your credit card and charges 8 dollars to camp on a huge expanse of beach on the west side of Lake Powell. After much testing of sand softness and tribulations we selected a spot and went to sleep. This morning we found out we selected quite well and it was off to the water for Henry’s daily swim. How we keep finding water for him in the desert I’m not quite sure but I’ve come to believe he is directing the trip, cause we keep finding it. Heard about another bus in Colorado Springs so that’s the new direction. Also Jesse has been down in Albuquerque and he is heading back to Boulder on Thursday so we’ll try to hook up with him somewhere along the interstate.
Very basic camp, no hook ups and they are quite strict about any kind of waste water. There are copious amounts of out houses so your covered but if you camp more than 200 feet from one you must have a chemical toilet of your own. But there are what seems like miles of beach and it was quite deserted. It’s just across the Utah line on HWY 89. With 4×4 you can go anywhere and with a good car you’ll be fine.

Lone Rock Beach Camp

Henry at Lake Powell

Got another Ball Fish

One More time ….please!

HH and Henry Lake Powell

May 19, 2005
Colorado Springs Colorado

Days like today are too hard lots of driving and introspection. Thinking about motivation in general, mine in particular. Weston we out and photographed everything with a passion was almost driven to it. Friends, family, landscapes, portraits anything that presented itself to his field of vision. Mapplethorpe, well I guess he had 3 main thrusts…. Flowers, portraits and the other. Avedon, he took his white paper west and with a production and support crew to rival NASA or the current Home Land Security Team, photographed people. So here am I heading east and north looking at another bus.
Feeling an almost frantic need for more space more time more something.

Driving through Navajo Land today started looking at doors to homes or in some cases I guess just houses. Started wondering what the people who live behind them see as they approach the door, getting ready to open it and enter the space beyond. How different their perceptions of those doors must be from mine as I travel past them.

The folks who stand by the road all day with the stop/slow signs at construction sights. Do you wonder about them as you sit beside them in your air conditioned car perhaps cursing them for delaying your important journey? What do they think about us as we drive by. What perceptions of our lives do they have from the fleeting (sometimes not so fleeting) glances into our lives. And what about our perceptions of their lives. Do they wish they were in one of those cars all seemly knowing where they are going, with important destinations. Happily off on the family vacation or returning from a successful business trip.

Didn’t make any photographs today.

’nuff said