Where's Heather?

Wonder Valley's own artist, Heather Johnson, is riding her motorcycle to the other end of the Americas. She's made it as far as Cusco, Peru.

Heather Johnson: In Search of the Frightening and Beautiful

From Heather:

Hey there everybody. So.. sorry for the long, crazy silence. It´s good to be in Cusco, churning through all the different bureaucratic processes involved in replacing the things I need to move forward. It´s happening, little by little. The first image I post from the replacement phone will be one hell of a luxury. Since I can´t post pictures at the moment, words will have to suffice. Here are a few collected bits from the last week I´d like to share. They are memory fragments - things I´ve seen, felt, heard, smelled, in mountain towns here in northern Peru. Feel free to run away with them in your heads at will. 

Love, H. 

A cow, eyes rolling in her head, runs down the concrete highway for her life or freedom, a long piece of rope trailing behind her. 

Broken bits of concrete gushing water from the rain. Blood red rivers of melting clay color the streets. 

20 guys with sticks and metal pipes struggle to remove boulders and 5-foot dirt piles from the middle of the road. Miles of buses and trucks wait to pass, their drivers huddled together, smoking cigarettes. 

Animal carcases organized in piles. Jumbled heads of lambs all look as though they´re half asleep. 

Cracked mannikin faces with brightly painted eyes and lips. 

Old men, stooped and limping, who look as if they spent their youths carrying bricks on their backs. 

Body heat. Blankets thick as rugs.

Rows and rows of televisions in different stages of disrepair. 

Bright yellow chicken legs with their nails all pointing in the same direction. 

Rain clouds close enough to touch. 

Skidding around an oil and rain-slicked switchback. Gliding to a horizontal stop with only the tiniest asphalt mark on my helmet to show for it. (Oh yeah.. and a slightly bent clutch lever.) 

Snow covered mountains with clouds smoking from their summits, backlit burnt orange from the setting sun. 

Dodging boulders bouncing off the mountainside. 

Villages made of mud and hand-painted political ads. No people anywhere. 

Underwear, uniformly arranged and sized, hang on a rooftop from multicolored clothing pins. 

My fingers. Forever blue, grey and black.

Mojave WIFI Expansion

Pat, from Mojave WIFI called me today to tell me that they're expanding their service in Wonder Valley.

Call or write to Pat to see if they can set you up with WIFI.

Email: Service@Mojavewifi.com
Phone: (760) 366-7515

Desert Trail Column, August 20, 2015

The monthly meeting with our MAC Representative Teresa Sitz went well. Discussions included providing a large dumpster for an area cleanup, a community potluck in October and the possibility of the County offering monetary incentives for tire recycling. Also, the County Code Enforcement Supervisor answered many questions.

We send out Rainbows-of-Peridots-and-Gladioli to Dominick Bruxer and to Ted Meyers who celebrate their special days this week, plus belated wishes to Alexa whose special day was last week. Happy birthday to all of you!

Darlene’s Commentary: I’m back! No, I haven’t been captured by poltergeists, but I did spend some time in la-la land after my hip replacement surgery. I evidently took my time coming out of the anesthesia (not a surprise for anyone who knows me – late to almost everything). Anyway, my dear sister Karen waited as long as she could, then took a very unflattering picture of me snoring so she can show it to everyone! Seriously, my plan was to write a little about my surgery and a lot about how grateful I am for all of the love, support, kindness and help from friends and family. Thank you all, with love.

Karen’s Commentary: Have you noticed all the tire chunks along both sides of Amboy Road? Last week I counted 31 substantial–sized pieces between Utah Trail and the fire station. Maybe it’s because of the increase in large truck traffic when the I-10 was closed? Or maybe just because the County hasn’t cleaned up the shoulders of the road for awhile? I’m not sure. On another note, thanks go to our cousin Annie in Phoenix for sending a large envelope FULL of nicely cut out manufacturers’ coupons to go to the US military bases overseas.

Animal Action League, located on Highway 62 just west of the dinosaurs in Joshua Tree, will spay or neuter your pets at a discounted rate. They also offer microchips and vaccinations at discounted rates for pets in Wonder Valley and the other unincorporated areas. Call 760-366-1100 for information. Be part of the solution!

Handy Hint:  Peel the top and bottom of a tangerine so only a belt of skin remains in the middle. Use your fingers to make a slit in the rind, then open it up and lay it out flat with the fruit still attached. You’ll have a strip of juicy slices ready to pick off the skin.

Thought for Today:  “Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it is impossible for anyone to accomplish. But whatever is possible for another, believe that you, too, are capable of it.” 

– Marcus Aurelius

Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.

Regarding new construction and hauled water.

Supervisor James Ramos speaks about water permits when building a new home. Filmed at the Homestead Valley Community Council meeting on August 17, 2015. Filmed by Lauren Ell of the Hi Desert
Posted by Lauren Ell of the Hi Desert on Monday, August 17, 2015

Thanks, Lauren Ell, for filming this and sharing this with us.

DEHSART - a radical approach to dumping

I expect people will have many different responses to this, but I do like the way they at least stop and think about what "waste" means in the desert. 

Engaged and Inspired: DEHSART 
"Because the high desert is a vast and wide area, it cannot be policed for illegal dumping as frequently as it may be desired; but Nickel and Newman don't think their communities have to settle for that. Recently, the two were awarded a Task Force Grant, which helps them fund their community projects. In its third year, the Task Force Grant has helped fund many similar initiatives to stop illegal dumping the Antelope Valley and other high desert areas. The Antelope Valley Illegal Dumping Task Force Group was also created in light of these problems; it acts as a forum for people to talk to the government, offers resources for community members, and helps fund education about and prevention of illegal dumping. " 

Desert Trail Column, August 13, 2015

The USDA Food Distribution will take place at our Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 ½ Amboy Road, from 11 to noon on Monday, August 17.

We send out Rainbows-of-Peridots-and-Gladioli to Chad Fairweather and to Cowboy, who celebrate their special days this week. Happy, happy birthday to both of you!

Other people celebrating birthdays this week include Danny Bonaduce (56), Antonio Fargas (69), Linda Ellerbee (71), Timothy Hutton (55), Robert Di Niro (72), Edward Norton (46), Peter Gallagher (60), Gerald McRaney (67), Robert Redford (78), Maureen O’Hara (95), Julie Newmar (82), Ben Affleck (43), Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr (56) and Kevin Tighe (71).

Karen’s Commentary:  My husband and I are grandparents to three wonderful grandkids Megan, Tony and Austin; two sweet little great-granddaughters Bailee and Ileigh; and now a whole bunch of grand-FISH! Our fishpond is suddenly loaded with lots of baby goldfish. It looks as though there are tiny babies, “kids” and “teenagers” in there. Our big goldfish (and they are BIG) look like huge monsters next to these little things. If they all survive, we are going to have to relocate some of them because they’re already sharing the pond with four frogs! Anyone with an outdoor pond need some goldfish?

Darlene’s Commentary:  Actually, this is Karen – I’m doing double-duty this week because Dar is recuperating from hip-replacement surgery. Ouch! Instead of writing the column, she is spending her time and energy today gritting her teeth and trying to outlast the pain. (Funny what some people will do just to get out of a little work, isn’t it?) She came through the surgery fine, but ended up back in the emergency room when they thought she had a blood clot. Thank goodness she didn’t, but they did find a couple minor problems that have now been taken care of. Hopefully, she’ll be feeling good enough to write her own commentary next week. In case you’d like to send a card, her address is 5025 Anza Avenue.

The Wonder Valley Book Program has books of every kind, movies and even audio cassettes to loan out. There is no charge, and they can be kept much longer than the regular library allows. Also, there are usually a lot of books stacked up on the “free table.” The Book Program is open at our community center on Mondays from 9 to noon. Call 760-367-9880 for more information.

Handy Hint:  Tired of brick-hard brown sugar? Store it in the freezer to keep it fresh and moist.

Thought for Today:  Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up praying a lot.

Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.

1.5% parcel tax increase

For your information: the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors meets today, August 11, 2015. The following is on the agenda:

"Page 11 of 15
40) Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
2. Adopt the following Resolutions to continue special taxes, which were previously approved by the
voters, for 2015-16 with certain inflationary increases as indicated below:
h. Resolution setting special taxes for Service Zone FP-4 (Wonder Valley) at $33.80 per parcel, per Attachment H (1.5% increase from previous year)."