Finally - its time to catch up!

Okay, my bad........I haven't published in two months. Thanksgiving is past, Christmas is past, and as of today we are in a new year. So, I must catch you up.

We left Indiana about November 15, the view below is what the landscape looked like a few days before we headed out.


We got into Arizona on November 20 and this is what the landscaped looked like.


We are staying in Mesa, Arizona for the winter. I am spending all my time in the silversmith and lapidary shops. Sharon starts her projects in the glass shop on 1/4. Now, we aren't working, we are handy-crafting. I'll do a blog in the near future about the shops, what we are doing, and what our output looks like.

Since December 29, we have been in Quartsite, Arizona. We came over here in our Lance camper, leaving the fifth wheel trailer in the RV park in Mesa. We came here to visit friends and to shop the 100's of rock and gem vendors that flock to this area in the winter.

The vendors are in row after row of tents, a few even have permanent metal buildings.


They bring in their wares (rocks or whatever) anyway they can. The bigger vendors arrive in semi-trucks loaded with skids or barrels.


They organize and display however they can...


...and the people come.


I am shopping for stones to mount in my silver jewelry. Sharon is looking for unique beads and stones to put into here strung jewelry. Anyway, we sure have dumped a load of money on ROCKS...