CITY MENTALITY?

Is there such a thing as City Mentality?  As in complete disregard for common sense? Probably not, but you can't remove the stupid from some people. Yesterday, wind storm warnings on the radio, television and on-line for the Mother Lode, as predicted, began about 4:00 p.m. The winds came on with a vengeance and continued on through a power failure that lasted until 10:30. Winds continued on past midnight. The wooded five acres next to me was recently purchased by someone and they are in the process of preparing the property for building.
They speed on our one-way road with complete disregard to walkers or people on horseback.  They target practice at night. They run ATV's on the property sending up clouds of dust so thick I couldn't discern my neighbor's driveway from my car. I've had to close windows against the drifting dust. I've never had a chance to speak to anyone. Other neighbors have called the police numerous times over the target practice. Last night, around 6 p.m. they started a gigantic twelve feet wide bonfire. It rained the previous day and it is legally a burn day. I don't know about a burn night. All I know, is people from up the hill came down to see, worried about a forest fire. There is only one road out.  My renters are talking about moving. Their once quiet household has been repeatedly disturbed by imbecilic actions like starting a bonfire in the middle of gale force winds and constant shooting.

I can only imagine what they think living in the country is like? They seem to think their five acres is a vacuum and doesn't affect anyone else, nor do they seem to care. Now I understand why people live in communities with Homeowners Associations and rules to make sure one party doesn't disregard the comfort and peace of another. Okay, I've had my personal rant. I will write a polite letter today, but I don't have much hope for change given the issues of such inconsiderate disregard for others. Jim always says, one good thing about living in a motor home, when you don't like your neighbors, you can easily move.

SO MANY LIVES AFFECTED

I read over all of  the messages, and some new ones,  and had another cry this morning. I guess it is cathartic.  It has helped Jim to be able to vent and talk through his experience over and over. He has struggled with guilt feelings about Dr. Crowe’s death, thinking that if he hadn’t shouted “We’re going over”, maybe he wouldn’t have jumped.  On the other hand, maybe it helped save others worse trauma to have been warned, he also reasons.  There is no answer I tell him, and no one can make rational sense of  what they did during an event that lasted about five seconds and forever changed all of our lives.
I laughed at him yesterday as he wanted all of his bruises and mine, photographed.  Yesterday he went back to the clinic.  They wrapped his chest tightly and explained to him that he had held onto the chair leg so tightly, that the power of the wreck really wrenched and tore that muscle and that is why he is in so much pain. Every move, breath and burp.   He slept really well for the first time last night. It doesn’t matter how severe your injuries are, the emotional trauma can be debilitating, as we all know.
I keep thinking of Sara Dailey’s words,  Walk In Beauty. They resonate constantly in my mind and I try to keep them foremost. Also the words of Carolyn, Richard’s sister, “…we look through a glass darkly…”   How true, and then we must move on.
I also heard from Stuart Koch, the father of a young officer with the Sheriff’s Department, Zach Koch, who loaded my pictures from the canyon and the accident into his hard drive, two days back.  We gave a lengthy recorded statement as well. Stuart, from Chicago,  said he was so proud of his son and seeing the pictures gave him a perspective of what his work entails at times. (Pretty gritty.)  Zach spent time with Mrs. Crowe and was very much affected by the families trauma, as well.  Being in law enforcement does not make you immune to suffering.
I’m getting restless and feeling  kind of trapped in our tin can.  Many of  you know we are in a motor home in the camp ground for Canyon de Chelly.  As travel bloggers, we are used to getting out and doing things.   We discussed maybe driving  the South Rim overlook that we had to quit because the wind nearly blew us  off the ridge. That happened the day before the accident. In fact, I took pictures of the dust that seeped into the motor home even with the windows closed that day.

This is the window closest to the dinette table. I drew my finger through the dust on the table before taking the photo.  Of course, I wiped the table but the window sills throughout are heavy with dust.

This photo is of the bedroom window sill, again with my finger run through the dust.  I’m hoping today I have the energy to haul out the vacuum and get rid of most of it. The road of life is a dusty one,  Jim keeps telling me.
Because the accident has kept us here, we had our mail rerouted from our expected destination in Durango, Colorado. I drove to town, and Jim got his new credit card after it was skimmed. And I finally got my absentee ballot for California. The time was short, I marked my ballot, put it in an express mail envelope and went to send it and I had driven to town without my wallet and didn’t have a dime to pay for it.  It was late in the day. I drove back and tossed it on the dashboard. The first time I have ever missed voting in an election since I was old enough to vote.
A lot of firsts happened to us this week, the least of which are the small irritations like missing my vote.  Last night, I loaded all but one of the accident pictures into an album if you have the need to look at them.  You can see them at this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/2012530AccidentOnlyPics?authkey=Gv1sRgCPHCv9eqzd2jQQ

SOUTH RIM GIVEN OVER TO THE WIND.

Thank goodness I have a floppy hat with a chin strap, but the wind was even worse than the day before. At Tunnel Overlook,  above,  I managed to take one picture.  Neither of us would even try the chiseled steps down into the canyon to see the tunnel for fear of being blown off balance. When I opened the door to the Bronco, the wind pulled out of my hand so fiercely, I couldn’t get it closed. Then, when I returned to the Bronco, while closing the door, the wind wrenched it so hard the arm-rest handle broke.

Tsegi Overlook was close by.  The haze at the back of the canyon is dust raised by wind.  This time Jim backed the Bronco into a parking spot so the wind couldn’t slam the door open.

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Driving the short distance to our third stop,  Junction Overlook, the road in front of us was billowing with dust.  Grit scalded my bare legs where I stood on the rim.

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We were out for about 30 minutes. The overlooks were close to each other, but the next one was nine miles away. We decided to call it a day. And glad we were. We returned to spend the rest of the day, doing more tin can rock and roll. Winds blew a steady 60 miles per hour all day with gusts of 70 to 75. Green branches were blown off trees in the park,  one of them hit the motor home. Sand skittered in waves across the paved areas.  The extremely fine dust filtered in through every crack  putting a fine particulate on the fruit in the bowl, our computers, floors and every surface. It seemed unreal. We are told the weather for our jeep tour today will be better. The tour is called Shake And Bake because it is hot in the canyon and the roads are bumpy. We’ll try to finish the South Rim overlooks on Monday.