June 23rd to 26th

We had several visitors to Midian Ranch this last trip. Both Tina’s mother Nancy and her friend (and ours) Laura Reid came to spend the weekend. The ladies had a lovely time drinking tea, watching movies, and taking nature walks around the property. I had a not-so-lovely time trying to fix the jeep (didn’t happen) and building a 55-gallon water container rack (did happen). Actually, I’m exaggerating a bit: I too had a nice time hanging out with the womenfolk. Still, I wish I could have gotten the jeep running.

After the ladies left, Tina and I took a long drive up State Route 34 to the old Leadville mine. It’s a beautiful, isolated location far from the nearest human habitation. We left the truck by the road and walked hand-in-hand most of the way up the gorge to where the remains of the old mine lie. The small creatures of the desert teamed about us: butterflies and bumblebees, birds and ground squirrels. I can’t say that it was antediluvian - there were bits and pieces of hundred-year-old mining equipment scattered around (not to mention mine tailings) - but the hand of man has certainly not been upon the land in many years. It’s typical of the Black Rock Desert in many ways - not so much a land that time has forgotten as one that it has discarded.

Beauteous, beauteous. Here we shall spend our lives.