To finish off the desert pictures. . .

Cafe
Yucca Arizona
May 2007


Doorway
Yucca Arizona
May 2007

Brick Tiara
Yucca Arizona
May 2007

Green Room
Yucca Arizona
May 2007


Sunlight Morse Code
Yucca Arizona
May 2007

Honolulu Club
Other Side of the Highway
May 2007

Move-In Special: Act Now!
Yucca Arizona
May 2007

Lounge Here
Yucca Arizona
May 2007

Gingerbread Porch
Yucca Arizona
May 2007

I'm always amazed by the quality of abandonment that can exist in these small towns, whether it be a collection of bony skulls that adorn a back porch, a lounge chair that some housewife wanted out of the way, or faded gingerbread along a porch's awning.

They remind me of the things I abandon--but less publicly: cast-offs stored in boxes and bins out in the garage. Perhaps that's my version of the desert side of the road. And yet, even though I'm convinced of the necessity of paring down, getting rid of, I see a book discard at the library and pause to peruse the cart. The neighbors clear out for good and I think I could probably use their little discarded riding toy for my grandchildren.

And so, surrounded by mountains of things, I spend my time taking care of them, moving them around, repacking after I've sorted through one more box (what am I saving this for?). I remember when Dave's Dad cleared out his file drawers, the wistful way he said he just upended the drawers of his ideas, plans, hopes for the future into the trash. A melancholy recital of the purge. And I've been the recipient of envelopes, boxes from my own parents, as they tire of taking care of the stuff.

My kids are next. Time to take back my desert garage.