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sliding rock on The Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, California'just ran across this and liked how svelte my shadow looked and after the biggest rainstorm in the history of recordkeeping in these parts, the desert looks inviting. Peace Tags: -print available-, abstract, california, death valley, desert, nature events, pattern, people pics, phot expd, rock, self portraits, surreal
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when I was at the San Rafael Swell, I kept hearing what sounded like a voice whispering... any yet, there was no sound... it was as if I was hearing it inside my head... and it didn't sound like any voice I could recognize... the voice kept whispering "take me with you" Then, I found the source of the calling... it was a large brownish-orangeish rock... way off the road where it and other rocks had been brusquely relocated there by heavy machinery when the road was located there back in the '70s. I listened to it's pleas but there was no way that I could possibly take it home with me... what about all it's friends relatives and neighbors? how would they cope without it? the rock seemed to talk to me telling that it's family had long been eroded away by wind and the incessant freeze/thaw of the harsh winters and expansion/contraction caused by the fickle summer sun heating things up and then diving over the horizon for the moon and stars to cool the landscape overnight. What was left of it's family were now gravel spread across the land passing messages by coyote-song and lizard swishes... (that's what lizards do isn't it?) the rock told me that it's neighbors were cold and hard and it was getting that way too over the eons... my heart was soft and warm that day and needed some aerobic pumping and so I consented... but... the rock weighed several hundred pounds and so did I but mine were mostly soft... Ughhhh, nope, no way to even budge that behemoth... but I was intrigued... (curious).... upon investigation, I found that the rock was sedimentary in nature... not just sedentary... oh, it had a history of upheaval in it's youth but in the whole of it all, quite the rock (you know rock=stable)... If I could pry a layer off the top to take with me, a new inner self would be exposed to enjoy the fresh air, blue sky, warm sun, snow, dust, wind, rain and the other wonderful things Mom Nature had in store for those surface dwellers... Nope, no dice, it was in layers but adhering to the other layers too tightly... "please" it pleaded "don't leave... just when I had hope you are dashing it just as if you'd hit me with a rock" hey! Eureka! the answer... hit it with a rock to jar it loose... sooooo... I found a nearby rock... one of greater than half my own weight... one that I couldn't lift outright but could roll up my body... and I did... I rolled this rock up my body till I had it shoulder height and literally threw dropped it onto my now coveted brownish-orangish rock... crack! boom hiss Yippie! Freedom! ... but, I couldn't move the top layer either... I could budge it but not move it farther than a few inches... hand truck time... I trudged back up the sandy hill to the trailer ("trudged", "up", and "sandy" should have brought me to my senses) and returned with the hand truck... then I went back again to get some leather gloves... (I was a boy scout... ya know... "be prepared") A few minutes of tugging and wheezing and resting and I almost had the thing onto the hand truck... the wheels were sinking and without experimentation, I knew I wouldn't be able to budge it... I gave up and took the hand truck back to the trailer... I went back down the hill because I had put in so much labor already that I didn't want to give up... I found that although there was no way I could lift or roll it, I could lift one end with a lot of effort using my legs and not my back or shoulders... and flop it over getting it one rock length closer to where I could hand truck it on the pavement... even that was too much and I had to quit to go get an energy drink and catch my breath. Just then, three 'festive' Santas on their way to Las Vegas drove in to the rest stop and jumped out to photograph each other in their Santa hats in front of the sign... I volunteered to photograph them and when their camera was in my hands I said "I guess this is where I run away with your camera" and started to walk away... I love to do that... (interesting thing that folks do: hand their camera to a stranger and walk away not expecting the stranger to run with their camera... now, that's trust.) I directed them to stand in front of the scenery instead of the sign and made about a half dozen exposures with their camera... then announced that I would like them to repay the favor... They said sure, "where's your camera..." then, I explained about the rock and how I needed help to pull it up the hill on the handtruck... one Santa gasped "work! I only know how to do statistics" and stood by as the other two helped pull the handtruck riding rock up the hill... I gave them my card and told them that I would send them a photo of the scenery there if they contacted me... (again, no contact - maybe I should put more than my name on my cards... ;) After the rock was safely up the ramp and into the trailer, I accidentally cracked a big piece of it off trying to move it out of the way so I could get another rock... I'll use it where I can put the pieces together... it's about five inches thick and about three feet x three feet... seeing that the rock was two smaller rocks now gave me the idea to return and get more smaller pieces... I'm happy now... and the rock is home with me... but still in the trailer along with a lot more smaller but impressive friends. and there are a lot more on the floor of the van. I really need to unpack... it's been a week and the van and trailer are still parked in the driveway blocking it... good thing it's a circular-like driveway... after reading that, I should show you the rock...  that's not a clump of grass beside it but a bush... the triangle shaped part is the part I was able to get... and one like it underneith but just a little smaller but much thinner... I was able to get that part myself without help. more photos when I situate the rock here... Peace Tags: desert, highway, mountains, rock, utah
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edbook's journal
