"Gopher Holes and Moles" 
in  the Desert

 

We just made a trip to Quartzsite, Arizona to do some buying for our shop, Crossroads Treasures.  Along the way, we made a stop near  Palo Verde, California, to look for some elusive crystal-lined geodes.  By elusive, I mean that we  have looked for this particular location several times before without success.  This time, though, we had a guide!  It was great fun to dig down deep in the ash layer and come up with some "keepers"!   It really did look as though some giant gophers had been at work by the size and depth of the holes created, while the people resembled moles with only their heads showing, at least from my point of view. Several large geodes were dug out along with numerous small ones, all of which we are anxious to cut when we get back home.  There should be some nice crystals and crystal flowers inside them, according to the broken ones laying around the site.

After we got our fill of digging geodes, we continued on to Blythe, Calif., our base for the shopping trip.  Several of the rock shows such as Desert Gardens will still be operating through the end of February, while the QIA Pow Wow only runs for a short time, finishing on Jan. 25.  By the time you read this, there will still be several weeks for you to go and get some bargains on some really great rocks and fossils.  There will be other things such as jewelry and swap meet type "stuff" for the rest of the family to peruse.  We stopped by the booths of several of our friends to see how they were faring in this upside down retail market.  The news was good--they were holding their own and selling a decent amount of items.  Derek Ivan, a great silversmith/goldsmith was there with his line of marble jewelry and handmade chains.  The folks from the Himalaya Tourmaline Mine were there too, with some of their amazing crystals on exhibit in the main QIA hall.  Several members of the extended Otteson family were there as well with their hall displays and their booths.  It was great to see them, as well as the material from the new Sidewinder turquoise mine---the very material we plan to go and collect come May. 

As always with a show like this, you get to partake of all the great food, from Thai to Barbecue to Mexican and so on.  One of the barbecue huts had some really eye-catching figures and greenery out front, which of course was designed to stop you long enough to make you notice the great aroma in the air.  We always enjoy the huge variety of items for sale here, such as the wonderful yard art ranging from hummingbird feeders to rock critters, and so on. It is really quite a show, and there is never enough time to see it all.  If you do make this trip, be sure and allow at least three days to take it all in.

On our way back home, we were  blessed to see the clouds part over the mountains allowing the rays of the sun to break through to the desert floor.  We couldn't have asked for better weather or better friends to accompany us on our trip.  May you be as fortunate if you make the trek to Quartzsite, Arizona in the next couple of weeks.  You will be glad you did!!!