In April Rose and I went camping at Joshua Tree National Park with 25 friends and acquaintances. This was our second invitation to join this long – established trip. Last year the weather was warm and calm. This year the wind was unpredictable; the gusty desert winds were strong enough to blow our tent right off the stakes! In the evening I was reminded of just how lucky I am to call Santa Barbara home. The cool desert temperatures certainly differed from our coastal nights. Thankfully we were prepared with extra layers of clothes.
A small group of us took a guided tour of the Keys Ranch, built in the 1910’s. The ranch is situated on 800 acres with in Joshua Tree and was traded to the park service in 1969. They maintain it as a museum. The ranch had originally been established for mining gold, which required building dams as a water source. Like any old-time working ranch more than 100 miles from the nearest market,and without natural wood for building, everything had to be imported. Any material that wasn’t used was kept “just in case.” I’ve rarely seen so many piles of “might be useful someday” stuff.
Mesa Market Report
The Keys family was always improvising repairs with the materials at hand, trying to keep the ranch running while producing income. Their situation has some similarities to the current real estate market. However, we are not stranded in a desert, like they were. We have knowledgeable advisors predicting that this rocket market could be ending. Some sellers are waiting to “go on the market” at just the perfect time, hoping to maximize their sale by holding on another year. I hope they don’t end up like the Keys family, with the gold played out and piles of junk all around.
On our last evening we journeyed to a lookout over the Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea. There we soaked in the beautiful sunset and the spectacular view of Southern California’s highest, snow – covered mountains. The desert twilight was luminous, and the sky went through amazing transitions, with colors stacked up like a fancy parfait Breathtaking! Shared time around the campfire, playing games, music, meals together, and hiking made precious memories. Those beautiful days camping reminded me of the gratitude I feel for the friends and life I have.
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