Cabot's Pueblo Museum

Cabot's Pueblo Museum, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

Cabot Yerxa build this 4 story, 5000 square foot home out of reclaimed and found objects from the surrounding desert and old abandoned homesteads. It has 35 rooms, 150 windows and 65 doors.

It's an amazing place to see and very inspiring. So much so, it inspired me to follow in his footsteps, so I set out to build my home out of found and reclaimed objects just like Cabot. I have a nice collection of doors, windows, an air conditioner, fridge, stove, hardwood flooring, throw rugs, ugly pillow (I'm throwing that one back) and a couple of beer bottles that some man laying face down in the gutter tried to convince me blew into the yard. Now all I have to do is keep my neighbors from taking all their stuff back and I can start working on my new Pueblo next week.

View on black or you'll never see your couch again

for
Sliders Sunday
HSS

Hang Em!

Hang Em!, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

Hang Em!

A couple of weeks ago I had some cool colorful eggs obviously laid by some rainbow chicken. Then some crack pot bunny came and stole them all. After some extensive research, I found his name. Cottontail, Peter Cottontail. And I'm gonna get me that wascally wabbit if it's the last thing I do!

View on black or I'll chuck colorful hardboiled eggs at you.

Always Carry Extra Water

Always Carry Extra Water, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

When hiking out in the desert, you should always carry extra water just in case. That's why I purchased this state of the art water pack. You just strap the two wooden handles onto your shoulders and off you go. Get stranded? No worries, plenty of water.

Only problem is you need to purchase a set of ear plugs so you don't have to listen to your other half complain so much about why they are the ones strapped to it and dragging it around the desert.

View on black or I'll strap you into my new water pack

for:
Cliché Saturday
HCS

The Desert Queen Mine

The Desert Queen Mine, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

The Desert Queen Mine


I saw an opportunity to strike it rich and took it. Driving along the road, I glanced upon a sign, Desert Queen Mine. I slammed on the breaks, threw on some 10 inch heels and a Tiara, put on some cheap mascara, slapped myself to make me cry so the mascara would run and ran down the trail to the edge of a cliff looking over the Desert Queen Mine and decreed, "I Claim This Mine to be mine!" Then one of my 10 inch heels broke, I rolled down the mountain, lost my tiara, got so much dirt on my face you couldn't see the mascara and crashed to the bottom of the valley face down in the dirt right next to Anderson Cooper who was wearing a tiara, runny mascara and sensible shoes.

View on black or I'll chuck my tiara at you (it's BIG)

for
113 pictures in 2013: Made of Stone or Rock

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Taken from the National Register of Historic Places

The Desert Queen Mine is of local historical significance under the category of
Industry and the subcategory of mining, being one of the more successful and longer-lived
mines of high desert country of Southern California in Joshua Tree National Monument.
Its history was all too typical of southwestern desert frontier mines. It brought death
rather than fortune to its discoverer, and its subsequent owner lost it to a financial
institution. Its operation was sporadic, but it occasionally offered up a pocket of gold
ore sufficiently rich to maintain interest in intermittent operation for nearly three
quarters of a century. It was associated with a notorious local outlaw. Its tunnels,
inclined shafts and shafts represent three basic types of mine approach which were
typical of southwestern desert mines, but the Desert Queen Mine was more productive and
far longer-lived than most of its contemporaries.

The above statement of significance is derived from the following sketchy and inadequate
historical data:
A, James discovered the outcropping of gold ore which he developed as the Desert Queen
Mine during the early 1890s; although one source claims that-the discovery was made in
1894, another cites 1893 as the year of James' death. The ore processed initially was
apparently quite rich, and a local cattle rustler named Jim McHaney decided to take over
the mine. He sent two cronies, Charley Martin and a man named Myers, to force James to
sign over the mine. James refused, so Martin borrowed a gun from Myers and forced James
to sign, then shot him. Martin was tried for murder, claimed self defense, and was
acquitted.
McHaney's first ore shipments reportedly netted him $27,000, but he spent it quickly
and then borrowed from a local bank against future production. When subsequent ore
shipments proved unable to keep up with his borrowing, the mine passed into ownership of
the bank. It was later owned by several individuals, passing into the hands of William
F. Keys possibly in 1917. Keys operated the mine intermittently until 1961.

Duff

Duff, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

I finally found the source of Duff Beer! It's NOT in Springfield but here, in Desert Hot Springs! Apparently Cabot Yerxa didn't only discover natural hot and cold springs but he FOUND the source of Duff Beer!

Now if you don't mind, I am going to attempt to run this particular well dry. You'll be able to follow my progress by the blurriness of my future photos.

View on black and I MAY share

for
113 Pictures in 2013: One Word

Am I A Duck Or A Moon?

Am I A Duck Or A Moon?, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

Am I A Duck Or A Moon?


On the road into Joshua Tree National Park, there is a cool little outpost that I just had to stop at ( I had two iced teas already ). I found the restrooms in the back, one on the left with a duck on it and one on the right with a moon. No picture of a stick person wearing a dress or a stick person with pants, just a duck and a moon. Legs crossed, my brain raced with what the meaning of them was. Am I a duck or am I a moon. Petrified I might moon a duck if I went into the wrong one, I made a decision. As I approached my chosen door, I noticed a sign. No Public Restrooms. With no other choice, I became the cactus.

By the size of the cactus, I am not the only one.

for
Our Daily Topic: Go ( I so could not help myself, I HAD to post this for GO )

Then Nobody Plays

Then Nobody Plays, a photo by hbmike2000 on Flickr.

Then Nobody Plays


I am horrible at games. Don't get me wrong, I love playing them but the only way I can win is to cheat. And quite frankly I am really bad at cheating so if I get away with it, it's your own fault.

I wanted to recreate what happened the last time I played a game, so I chucked Booby-Trap out the window. Unfortunately we are having 30 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 50 mph so I had to run two blocks down the street to take the photo.

View on black or I'll cheat the next time we play a game

for
Our Daily Challenge: Games