In the winter of 1985 I was driving through the Mojave Desert with a friend, talking about our apparent need for new river gear. As we passed the Twenty Nine Palms Marine Base, a man unexpectedly appeared on the side of the road selling used ammo cans. My friend and I laughed wildly and quickly came to realize that the moment was "All In A Days' Karma". This blog contains the occasional ramblings of a died-in-the-wool westerner who loves seeing, understanding, and being alive upon these landscapes. I cherish the moments of bliss and irony that come to all of us as we explore the planet and its residents (and perhaps visitors) in the short time we are here.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Basha's Grocery Store Fire June 24, 2013 7 PM

We saw black smoke from the front of our house and ran over to the store to take some photos.

Looks like only the front façade in the roof area was burned.















Friday, June 21, 2013

Birds of Paradise in New Guinea


This video is just awesome. It could even make a die-hard geologist forget about rocks and start looking at birds!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Flooding on the Danube River

An amazing image of the Danube River in Grein, Austria on June 6, 2013. There is a lot of trust placed in the strength of that flood wall!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Marble Canyon Lodge Burns To The Ground - 1:30 AM June 19, 2013

Undisclosed photo
We received word this morning that the Marble Canyon Lodge, originally established in 1920, caught fire at 1:30 AM and burned to the ground. Initial reports on exactly what buildings were involved confused us. I guess it had been awhile since I used the Post Office at Marble Canyon, and when the article stated that the PO was OK, I thought of its old location in the main lodge. This was not to be the case however as the picture clearly shows the main building. These photos are courtesy of Allison Leigh Schmidt who operates the small jewelry shop east of the lodge. Her structure was saved!
Photo courtesy of Allison Leigh Schmidt
It must have been quite a sight in the dark of a rural Arizona night to see such a structure completely engulfed in flames. The motel section of the Lodge is apparently intact and perhaps no one will lose their reservations at the inn. Who knows. But all of those books and chicken grease are now gone.

Photo courtesy of Allison Leigh Schmidt