Traveling Through The Backroads Of My Mind

Bodie Diary Wednesday July 1, 2009

No word on State Park closures. Spent the day unpacking new books, coins, t-shirts, for museum. Helped Terri with membeership database and got supplies ready to go to Bridgeport for the Friends of Bodie booth. We had taco salds, which I provided, and sat in the office and ate and talked. We talked. Afterwards, I met Chris to do some research in old newspaper archives.

Things to bring tomorrow:
1. Water
2. hand held ham radio
3. purse
4. snacks

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This was the last entry in my pen and paper diary of my time in Bodie. July 2 - 4 were busy days filled with hurried activites at the Bridgeport 4th of July celebrations. Roger showed up on July 2nd around 3:00, in from Los Angeles with Norm Stump. A quick greeting, then off to play on a dirt road somewhere, while Terri and I ran the booth. The rest of the weekend... he helped us run the booth.July 4th, Terri and I dressed in our costumes in Bodieite Alice Dolan's historic house. Most of Bodie came down and we re-created the Nevada/California border dispute in the parade all decked in costume on the old Graham truck. Crowds filled the streets and kept our booth buzzing after the parade. Terri kept going to buy dresses in the booth across from us and finally talked me in to buying two. We must have made quite a site...the two blond Bodie girls in capris and brand spankin' new "Bye God We're Going To Bodie" tank tops shopping for dresses.... standing in long lines for Indian tacos.... eating ice cream .. and running the booth, giving histories, selling Bodie books, shirts, and more. When the day was over....we packed up for the last time and barely held back the tears as we said goodbye. That evening Roger & I spent a quiet 4th in front of the Red Barn eating deli sandwiches, and enjoying ice cream drumsticks brought in by the case by Mark L. as a special holiday treat. After the meal we made the rounds...saying goodbye to Jenna, Mike, Chris, Jordan, Randy, and more..... On July 5th we woke early, packed up the tent and my crib on wheels.....walked into Bodie for one last time. At the Miner's Union Hall where I had worked for three weeks...Jenna I shared memories, frustrations, and said goodbye and hugged at least 5 times before Roger could break us away from each other. Then...it was time to go.....

Sunday - July 26, 2009

Although I unpacked the majority of my things the week I came home....I couldn't completely let go of my Bodie crib on wheels. My son called this afternoon, the owners wondered if we were ready to bring the van home to them. Tomorrow... we said...and Roger spent the afternoon taking out the radios..... I spent the evening taking down my red white and blue flags, blanket, and more that had hung on the walls. I took down the picture of Rosa May that kept me company while I camped....and I sat down on the back of the van holding it...the tears streaming down my face. Roger snapped pictures of the sorrowful state I was in....then I took Rosa May and hung her back in the van for the owners to get to know her. I will print out my Bodie diary for the vanowners ...and give them a book and a dvd on Bodie as a thank you for enabling me to see my dream come true to live and work in Bodie. On August 3rd...Roger and I will pack the tent, and head back up to Milk Ranch for two weeks. I'm not sure he will be able to get me to come home with him next time. My heart is in Bodie now....with the staff and the spirits who became my friends......

I’m not impressed with your pocket book
Nor cooky cutter mansion with a pool
Your fancy job – sure ain’t no hook
And I don’t give a damn about your old tool

You can’t bribe me with a big boob fix
Or pushin’ up the one’s I already got
I like who I am and livin’ in the stix
And your kiss ass face can rot

I know you think this song is funny as sin
And it surely don’t relate to you
But take a look around and you might begin
To see what that middle age crisis did to you….

Be true and honest to yourself…
Don’t put airs on to impress me
You put your family and friends on the shelf
Now we’ll have to let things be…..

Life goes on and we’re feeling fine
We’re poor and we ain’t got much
But we never crossed that invisible line
Nor lost our honest touch…….

Life sometimes stinks like Dirty Sox
That hot spring oasis by the now dry lake
I’m pickin’ up the bucket, throwin’ out rocks
And looking for a new outtake……..

Bodie Diary - Tuesday June 30, 2009

Woke to clouds that quickly darkened the sky and dropped a few raindrops only when I stuck my head out of the van. I wore shorts for part of the morning, but quickly the wind chilled the air, so I changed to capris. I had a shopping date with Jenna at 1:00 so spent the morning completely cleaning both my tent which held an overflow of supplies, and my van that I have been living in. More room to breathe now and I can find things. Well... I can find most things - no sign of the two books I thought I brought - but I have purchased two new copies to replace them.

Just as I was preparing to go to Jenna's she appeared at Milk Ranch instead, and we loaded up and headed out. As we waved to Mark L. at the kiosk, he sternly pointed to us to turn back to Bodie instead. Back to the Red Barn, Jenna was relieved to find out that long overdue pay checks had finally arrived and she actually had money to do the shopping we had been on the way to do!

We followed a tractor grading the dirt road to Bridgeport out of Bodie undoing mild damage our June storms were doing on the washboardy old road. In Bridgeport we made a quick stop to the post office to check for Jenna's mail,then north on highway 395 through beautiful green meadows full of wild iris, wild roses, and more. The Walker River was full of rapids. I don't think I have sever seen it so full. Our first stop was the tiny community of Walker where we got burgers to go and ate them as we continued to drive through more green and beautiful country.

Gardnerville was our destination...and the place of choice for most modern Bodieites to do their errand shopping apparently. At the Raileys Market we got food supplies and Jenna's banking done, then we went to the local Farmer's market. The fresh lettuces and other vegetables they had on display were a delight to behold after my primary diet of canned foods and Lean Cuisines. Jenna bought a tomato and a strawberry plant to try in the green house she and Mike had built. Perhaps in August she'll be sharing the fruits with me. Bodie gardening is severely limited to sagebrush, hops, wild iris, and one rhubarb plant left over by an original Bodie family.

As we drove home, we distinctly smelled smoke, and could see it in the mountains northwest of Bridgeport. It was hard to calculate where it was actually coming from however. The weather on our drive was blue sky otherwise, and a breeze to keep the air from getting too warm. It was delightful! Even back home in Bodie the clouds had disappeared for the most part and it was a nice day with warmth back in the air again.

Jenna dropped me and my food stuffs off in front of my crib on wheels at Milk Ranch. I loaded everything in the back and headed to the Red Barn to put things in the refrigerator and freezer, and to trade out blue ice for my ice chest. Charlie, Rod and Laird were drinking beers and chewing the fat on the bench in front of the barn. Chris came out, Mark L. appeared, and more. The usual frisbee tossing was going on in the old dusty street and this is life for modern Bodieites after the tourists go home. I grabbed a #10 can of roasted peanuts that I had brought in with my original supplies from my Tujunga home, and offered to go with the beer. After I put my perishables away, I called Roger to catch up on the news and fill him in on life in Bodie.

Note: Rumor on state park budget was that IOU's were going to be handed out instead of pay checks and they are fighting hard to help keep the parks open. The deadline is midnight tonight. We will see what happens to morrow. We have a meeting in the morning at 9 A.m. to discuss Friends of Bodie day and the 4th of July parade in Bridgeport. Let's hope we don't get bad news delivered at the same time.

Note: This morning the little generator finally ran out of gas just as I was finishing drying my hair. I was worried about filling it up, but that was no problem. One tank lasted me 2 1/2 weeks of morning hair drying. It has gotten much easier to start as the days progress. ... I have more strength in my arms from struggling with it....starting generators is better than 4 hours of Tae Bo a day back at home. The generator was brand new when I got it, and the cold Bodie mornings made it difficult as well, but now it takes less tries for me to get it going!

Bodie Diary - Monday June 29, 2009

The morning was warm once again as I began my last day working in the museum. This is not my last day in Bodie...I will be here until the 5th of July...but my days will be filled with Bridgeport 4th of July activities and The Friends of Bodie booth.

As usual, the day started out slow, then towards 11 or 12 the crowds came in. The 11:15 video was mine today and it turned into an overwhelming crowd. A large group full of kids overflowed the theater in the Red Barn, much to my surprise. I exceeded the fire limit by three, but that was quickly remedied when a family of three had to leave because the little boy needed to go to the bathroom.

Following the video, a Belgian family came up to me all angry that they hadn't been able to get in. I checked with Mark and got permission for a 12:00 showing and got twelve other takers, including the family that had missed out, and one other woman and her husband that I had to turn down the first time. Everyone was delighted I had managed to accomodated them after all, and a few hurried to the museum to buy the full one hour DVD. Whew! A bad situation turned good after all!

Jordan was taking over in the museum when I got back. In a fast attempt to rescue her, I think I screwed up a couple of the cash register sales. ....not for the customers but for Jenna's end of day. The tape ran out, too, but Mark L. came to the rescue. The three of us must have been a spectacle, trying to figure out FOB discounts, mis-entered transactions, and the cash register tape all at the same time. Fortunately the ladies waiting to purchase their items kept in good humor.

Jenna came back and things kept busy. By this time I was nursing a "vision migraine" without the headache, and waiting for three Tylenol to kick in. Meantime, we swore in a few Jr. State Park Rangers and I made friends with a family from Redwood City on their first visit to Bodie. The younger boy told me all about his vacation thus far, which included his first trip to Yosemite as well. Memories of my own childhood vacations with twice a year camping trips to Yosemite came to mind as I listened to him tell about his and show me pictures on his camera. I tried to reach way back to the days when I took real vacations instead of being a tour guide for other people's vacations. The boy also showed me family pictures on his camera from home - his coon hound dog and his pet bunny. He was fascinated that I lived in a real live ghosttown, too. In fact that may be the most ask question one gets when they work in Bodie - "Where do you live and what's it like?"

We were busy, but somehow the day seemed to drag. 3:30 couldn't get here fast enough. At last Mark L. came to pick up Jordan and I and it was off to the Bodie bluff for a private tour! We saw the ponds and learned that in winter the rangers ski on them. Mark H.'s dog Cole occassionally goes for a summer swim, too. We didn't get out of the truck and into any buildings, but I had done the tourist version of the bluff tour years ago. Mark pointed out one building that had an adobe wall - the only one like it in Bodie. He pointed out the mines and mountain peaks at various stops - from Nevada to California. What a view of town we had, too! We saw many remnants of many mining attempts and then stopped and got out of the truck to throw a rock down one deep shaft. We wound up at 9,000 feet and a great overlook of Bodie. We tried to imagine what it all must have looked like when it was in full boom.

The wildflowers were everywhere, and even at 9,000 feet elevation, Mark showed us one cactus tucked away. We learned about the pika that play in the mine tailings and build six feet haystacks. We learned a little about animal droppings too, as Mark is a "shit" expert, as well. And the old railroad grade was pointed out to us, where the Bodie railway came in with logs from Mono Mills. Mark talked about what a greuling mountain bike trek the route is now, and I told him about our experience driving it in the old Blazer several years ago. From another view he pointed to the Geiger Grade and what an incredible route that is to barrel down on a Mountain Bike without breaks on, too. Currently, it's too rocky for fast no brake excursions though, thanks to all the storms we've been having. We also learned that the Bodie bluff is full of incredible Indian archaeology, but we didn't get to see any artifiacts today. Still, just imagining all the railroad, the water, the mining, and the ecology of the area - it was incredible time and we had a lot of laughs along the way.

We get back to the museum to help Jenna close out her day. I tried to call Roger to brag about my bluff tour, but he wasn't by the phone or he was out somewhere. So I reluctantly headed back to Milk Ranch to try to beat the inevitable early evening cloud build up. I barely got my meal cooked on my little two burner propane before the dropbs hit and the sky rumbled a few times.

Tomorrow Jenna and I will play, then Wednesday I'll get the van ready for Roger who will arrive on Thursday. If Terri's in town, I'm sure she'll have chores for us to do to get ready for our booth in Bridgeport and all of the 4th of July festivities.

I still pinch myself that I am living in and experiencing Bodie. It's fun to watch and hear the visitors from all over the world experiencing this old ghosttown and to help them understand what went on in it over the years. I marvel at people who have never before been a part of such a place and are learning things that just seem second nature to me after over twenty years of being a part of such places myself.

The sun is setting and darkness will soon take over. The air is dipping down to cool temperatures once again. With no particiular schedule until 1:00 tomorrow with Jenna, I think I will put down my pen for the night and hit the Bodie history books until my eyes grow tired and I fall asleep.

Diary of Bodie - Sunday June 28, 2009

The beginning of my last week, a glorious blue sky day, quickly heating to 80 degrees or more. Summer is here and thank God for being a voluntter as I get to wear shorts and don't have to wear a ranger uniform.

Once again the day started slow, but by my 11 :15 video, the museum was hopping. I had a full house for the early video but the 3:15 only had 8 takers. The barn retains the night's cold, but I couldn't even sell natures air conditioningg, let alone "Bodie Ghost Town Frozen In Time." The heat drained on the Bodie Staff, used to the cooler temperatures we've had. Imagine! Last weeek it was rain and hail and a few weeks before that it was 2 inches of snow on the ground.

Mark L. stopped me at lunch to invite me on a Bodie bluff tour tomorrow. I can hardly wait! Then as I slowly trudge back to the staff parking where my van is, I realize Mark has followed me up there to make a special point to thank me for my work in the museum and my knowledge of Bodie. I've had so much fun - I don't need a thank you - and I hate to think of this being the last week here!

Now I sit in the quilt lined white motel chair inside the van, the doors open to bring in the cooling breeze. I'm tired now, and my nose and throat are a bit tingly. Once a week someone has been coming down with the Bodie flu or something and been flat on their backs for two days. Mine is probably allergies...which I drowned in 1,000 mg Vitamin C, sudafed, and a bottle of Arrowhead Sparkling water. I have a chill once in awhile too..but it's probably nothing.

In a bit I plan to search my rubbermaid pantry and cook up a bit of dinner, then retire with a Bodie history for the evening, as I always do. What better way to spend an evening in a ghosttown when nothing else is going on.

Dang... I lingered too long banking on good weather. The wind blew in, the sky darkened, and the rumbling began again. Six inches of rain (6 inches between rain drops...or was that an inch between 6 raindrops?) The Bodie Bluff and beyond looked like it was getting the brunt of it. I tried to wait it out, then decided on cold canned roast beef and green bean salad for dinner..instead of struggling with my little propane stove outside on the picnic table with a storm overhead.

For a brief moment it looked like the clouds would pass Milk Ranch, then the wind kicked up once again. Temperatures dropped from 80 degrees to 60 degrees then 50 degreees. The skies grumbled a bit in the distance, and even now as I write this the clouds faintly argue with the sun.

If you don't like the weather in Bodie, wait a bit, and nature will offer you something new - at least here June 2009, the weeks I live in Milk Ranch.

A quiet and still moment or two and the woodpecker resident of the wooden shower building I am parked next to suddenly pops out of his hole and perches on the roof top, crying perhaps to the weather Gods. I notice, also, the field of iris I am camped amongst are now down trodden from intermittant heat and rain.

Now quickly, patches of blue sky overhead and silence, yet towards the ghost town of Aurora, I see more thunderheads in all their glory.

The woodpecker cries again, perched here on the shower rooftop. I've come to the conclusion the bird is protecting a nest. At one point I notice a smaller bird playing on the ground - perhaps a baby? Then I hear angry bird chatter and the larger bird is at the hole arguing with another woodpecker. It appears the larger bird has flown off now, and a head peers out of the hole on watch. The bird is aware of my presence, watching inside the van, and tucks away safely inside for a moment out of my sight, then a head pops out once again and resumes watch.

I am fascinated in this treeless land of Bodie, that a woodpecker is entertaining me in it's home in the Milk Ranch Shower building.

Bodie Diary - Friday June 26, 2009 and Saturday June 27, 2009

A gorgeous blue sky, warm day. The iris are blooming and the bugs are buzzing in Milk Ranch where I park my wheels. Today is Jenna's 21st birthday! I gave her a signed copy of From This Mountain Cerro Gordo, and hung out with her at the museum - helping out when it got busy. I did walk the town, and got in a leisurely two miles.

At some point in the museum, I was with Rod when the phone rang. Mark H.'s wife was trying to reach him. Some sort of hostage situation was going on by their rather remote house in Volcano, California. Strange situation for a town of 100 or so people.

Three o'clock I went with Jordan for the stamp mill tour that John was doing, then back to the museum to help with closing for the day. and off to Milk Ranch. Baseball or frisbee night in town - but I may just hang out at the van instead.

I asked around about my missing Bodie books. If I don't find them at Chris's place, I'm going to have to buy new copies. Dang - two most expensives books in Bodie - then you know they will magically turn up after I buy them. Oh well.. gotta have them.

Two weeks in Bodie, one more to go. I do miss home and Roger and my fur babies, but haven't allowed myself to think about it. The lack of internet and news is actually delightful! I shudder to think about going back to the 21st century and the mess California is in. The ghosts of the mines, the badmen and their ladies are much preferable to reality.

Saturday - June 27, 2009

As I get ready to head into the old mining town where I work, I realized the darned compost trucks (don't ask why they are there) had blocked the road to my camp site at Milk Ranch. Just as I prepared to walk the 1/2 mile to town, Mike came up in his truck and I hitched a ride with him. First stop, machine shop, then right to Red Barn - Bodie, California. Jenna was there and we walked to the old Miner's Union Hall, now the museum, where we work 4 days a week.

The morning was slow till the Hilton Ranch people arrived. Rumour had it Neil Armstrong was amongst the group - but we couldn't pick him out. Terri gave them a town tour, including a peek inside the Boone Store, then she got an invite to join them on a helicopter flight to a luncheon in a meadow complete with fine table cloth and tableware, and treament like a princess.

Meanwhile, Jenna and I took our lunch break at her house and a half hour computer fix for me. I was able to get on Facebook long enough to leave Roger a private message, then I spent some time on p.v. com to leave a message for my buddies there. Everyone else will have to get a report from me when I get back to the 21st century.

I decided to walk to Milk Ranch and get my van, my 2 meter handheld radio which I had forgotten, and something quick to eat. The compost trucks had moved so it was clear sailing and I drove the crib on wheels right into the employee parking lot and behind the sno cat.

It seemed to be the day for lost items. An Asian man lost his camera bag, but found it hours later thankfully. debbie turned in a Motorola handheld and I turned in a sun visor left in the Red Barn theater after i put on the 3:15 video. Mark H. called in a vehicle rollover on Cottonwood Canyon Road - no injuries apparently. That and endless sales of books, t-shirts, maps and more, as well as questions and answers on history, and the swearing of Bodie Junior Park Rangers.....made another day in the museum.

Following the video presentation, I came back to an excited Jenna. Lottie Johl's great granddaughter came to town! Awhile later, she stopped in the museum again and I was amazed to find her a dead ringer for Lottie whose picture hangs on the wall. Rosa, Pat Reddy and Lottie's relatives all in a few weeks, and while I am in town...imagine that!!!

I called Roger and talked for a long while then back to Milk Ranch for the end of my day. Chili and pita grilled cheese for dinner, a chat with my neighbor Laird, and some minor house cleaning chores, then time for pen to paper to record it all.

Lest I forget - the day was the warmest yet and at last - shorts and short sleeves. Advantage to being a volunteer - no uniform!! Only a volunteer vest...

Bodie Diary Wednesday June 24, 2009 & Thursday June 25, 2009


I slept till 8:00 A.M. in an effort to recuperate from the burning of Bodie the night before. I lingered over a Diet Coke and a bagel and cream cheese then spent a few hours housekeeping as my crib was becoming cluttered and needed some re-organization. The day was mine, I had no official volunteer duties, but I was glad to meet up with Terri and work on the Friends of Bodie membership database.

By 2 or 3, I was done and headed to the staff parking lot. There I sat inside my van and enjoyed pita bread filled with tuna. When lunch was done, I headed to the cemetery and spent a long time with the poor souls laid to rest there. I said a special prayer at Bobbie Bells grave, thinking of the bond Terri had with this man who shared his Bodie history with her. I lingered a goodly amount of time at Lottie Johl's grave, The Millers, and of course Rosa May's. I noticed the Rosa Elizabeth White grave in the distance from the Servante one...and pondered over that mystery. I was sure that grave had been taken down last time I was there.

The last hour before the museum closed I chewed the fat with other park staff, walked the perimeter of the entire town, then ended my day with historic chats with Chris Spiller, and a phone call to my 21st century home. I do miss Roger and my fur babies, but it's nice to be here tucked away between the 1860's and the 1940's in the Bodie Hills. The depression here fits me more than the modern of 2009 that hovers over my small family. Bodie State historic Park lingers also, in the shadows of the modern depression as well, but time will tell whether the shadows will close in on the old mining town or not. July 1st will be here before you know it....

Thursday, June 25, 2009

A quiet and lazy day for me as I am off once again. Following my leisurely bagel and cream cheese, and cup of coffee, I got dressed and started to head out. My keys were missing! After some panic I found them on the quilt covered white motel chair next to my bed inside the van.

Back in town, this day, I walked the old roads again, with a desire to find Mrs. Miller who I had portrayed on the anniversary of the Bodie Bill's fire. I discovered two of Mrs. Miller's boarding houses and lingered awhile to see what stories the ghosts could tell me. The larger of the two buildings appears to have an upstairs - an attic or more rooms? The back side has one window but the front does not. I ran into Mark Hoffman on patrol and queried him, but he had never been inside that pariticular building.

I strolled up and down the old Bodie streets, peering in and out of buildings. Pat Reddy's residence called to me and I examined as best I could for a connection to the one armed lawyer who also had left traces in Cerro Gordo, Darwin, Randsburg, and more.

Around 1;00 I headed back to Milk Ranch. Clouds hung around threatening. I grabbed a lunch and my books and sat inside my crib on wheels thumbing through them, reading pertinant stories to my mornings jaunt around the old town.

The clouds closed in and wind and rain pelted the van. About this I was in a panic trying to find two of my books. No luck, but I did prove to myself, I had them at some point. Perhaps I had left them in the Red Barn, Chris's, or Jennas.

I spent the rest of the day reading histories of the old ghost town, familiarizing myself once again with its characters, it's legends, lore, fact, fiction and more. The clouds hovered around Milk Ranch and the wind kicked up the dust on the road. Gusts occassionally rocked this strange crib on wheels that I have lived in for two weeks. The temperatures played back and forth from 80 degrees to the 40's. By 8:00, as I write this, the temperatures are dipping down to 35 or less.

I'm in my pajamas, a sweater for a top, and a laptop blanket on my knees. Perhaps at Mono Lake it is raining - the clouds are dark over that way. It should be an interesting night on the outskirts of Bodie. Emil Billeb and his Mining Camp Days will see me through the darkness until my weary eyes fail me and I drft off to Bodie dreams.

Bodie Diary Monday June 22, 2009

Temperature 20 degrees again on a clear sky Bodie morning. Following morning chores and simple breakfast of bagel and cream cheese, I headed into town. The Hilton Flying club flew over in a little plane and gave us an air show. I met them later in the museum. Mike & Jenna were cleaning the museum when I got there. The morning was slow and inspite of the clear skies and sunshine the wind blew chilly in the museum and we shivered. At 10:45 Jordan and I went to the Red Barn theater and set up the video with 32 in attendance.

By noon Bodie was booming and the parking lot was full. The modern Bodieites were tired and grumpy today. Perhaps our late girls night contributed to part of that. We did have lots of laughs, the four of us - Mike, Jenna, Jordan and I...so grumpiness didn't totally take over. We also met some really fun families that helped brighten our day. Mike was head Junior Ranger for the day and recruited many 7-12 year olds this day.

Towards the end of the day two boys came in with their paperwork completed and one irate father. "#7 on the questions regarding the stamp mill, should be elliminated!" he demanded, as they had gotten in trouble trying to find the answer by jumping over the fence and wandering the stamp mill grounds by themselves. WTF was he thinking?????? Mike turned the incident around and the boys got pins anyway.

Jenna had spent the day looking at her veggie cookbooks and Jordan and I were invited to enjoy dinner with her and Mike again. I had a mild migraine and my back hurt from standing all day. It was cold and clouds built up threatening rain again. I passed on dinner and headed back to my crib on wheels where I heated a can of chili with some monterey jack in it and holed up for the night. The clouds suddenly cleared as I finished my journal. It's 50 degrees inside the van and appears to be about 38 degrees outside with the wind blowing.



Tuesday June 22, 2009

A warmer day for a change. Worked in the museum with Laird today. Stocked books and t-shirts. Suddenly a surprise - Terri drives up to the museum with Rod Duff - back to Bodie at last after a bout with pnuemonia. He was weak and pale and walking with a cane, but happy to be back in town! We had a grand time welcoming Rod back!

Today was my first day starting up the video by myself. No problem at all and 30 some visitors enjoyed the half hour presentation of Ghost Town Frozen In Time. Afterwards, I was asked to meet Terri in her office and she trained me on the FOB membership. Just as I was getting settled a call came out over the radio for me. I had visitors!

Kris from www.panamintvalley.com and his wife and 3 boys came to Bodie as promised. I quickly saw the opportunity to turn the two older boys into Junior Park Rangers and guided them through town in search of the answers of the questions on the pamphlet. I included a few stories - of Lottie and Bodie Bill along the way. At the end of the tour while the boys were looking in the school house - I suddenly realized I was staring at another acquaintance - Cathy, the bookkeeper from Friends of Jawbone and the owner of Wimpy's in Cal City. Small world I live in!

The boys successfully completed the ranger prgram and the younger one earned a sticker for participating with his brothers, although his participation was mainly learning the numbers on the buildings we were looking at. I announced the new rangers to a crowded Miner's Union Hall who cheered at the news and the boys gleemed.

The museum was busy, so Terri and I wound up watching over things to give Laird and Rod a break. Soon it was closing time and June 23, 1932 was about to come to life.

Terri had picked out a 1930's style dress and hat to turn me into Mrs. Miller, the owner of the Occidental Hotel and a boarding house on Green Street. I showered in the clawfoot bathtub of the J. S. Cain House and began my transformation. I pinned my hair into a tight bun at the nape of my neck, curled my bangs, and a few strands of ringlets fell across my cheeks. Make-up and my John Lennon glasses - I was done. Terri was reminded of Ella Cain, she said, but tonight I was Mrs. Miller!

Terri and I grabbed the pan of lasagna she had heated for our potluck contribution, and we headed to the Red Barn, both of us in character. Following potluck, and a round of pictures, the burning of Bodie by a little boy who was angry over green jello, came to life. We each had our turn to tell our story and condemn poor Charlie Spiller who was dressed in overalls and chewed on a match, denying he did any wrong doing.

Our cast of players:

Laird: Mr. Johnson of the Sawdust Saloon
Jenna: Pretty Baby who worked for Mr. Johnson
Bodie Bill - Charlie Spilller
Bodie Billie Bob - Mark Langner
The Cow - The Hurdy Gurdy Cow - Lynn
Terri
Chris Spiller
Mike - the fireman
The judges - Rod & John
Bill's Mother - Debbie - accused of being a drunk and Mrs. Miller (me) discoverd a flask hidden in the back of her shirt to prove it

The evening was wild in Bodie style! Terri proved to have the best Deadwood language - who would have thought it!

Following the trial, costume judging, and candy prizes, Jenna and Mike's miniature Sawdust Saloon was taken outside and we burned it just as it had been so many years before. Lots of laughter and jokes as the poor birdhouse size building struggled to burn.

In celebration afterwards we watched Hells Hero's and ate green jello, of course. Hurrah's were shouted every time Bodie showed up in the old movie with buildings intact instead of old and in arrested decay. The scene with the hearse that sits inside the museum being pulled down the street by horses really excited us. Aside from Bodie much of the movie was filmed in the Red Rock Canyon area..so that was fun as well.

On my way back to Milk Ranch, the sky was sans clouds for a change and a shooting star was viewed from the windshield of my crib on wheels. Back at Milk Ranch the milky way hovered over the town of Bodie and I felt blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of it all.

Another absolutely fine day and night in Bodie!

Bodie Diary - Sunday June 21, 2009

Sunday! My most interesting day in Bodie to date! Sunny day, warm for the most part. It wasn't too long in the museum before a man came in while Jenna was out and I was lone in the museum. He asked me if we had oxygen - his friend was lying down in the middle of Main Street, Bodie, with breathing difficulties. I radioed Chris, who radioed Mark L. The man managed to get up and come into the museum, but was disoriented and panting. He asked me where the bathroom was and I suggested the outhouse which is closer than the flush toilets in the parking lot. I told him to wait for his buddy to go with him. by the time I got his buddy, he had disappeared. Fortunately, he had just wandered off the boardwalk to the side of the building. He appeared delierious and disoriented. At my insistence, he finally laid down on the bench in front of the museum and I talked to him. His breathing was labored and he was very pail, but he could talk. He obviously felt better lying down exerting no energy. He described feeling knots in his stomach, tingling hands, lightheadedness, and thought maybe he had food poisoning from the previous night's dinner. I told him even the nausea was signs of altitude sickness.

As the man felt better he began laughing outloud. The humour of his situation hit him. He had been at altitude many times, hiked, and more, and never had any symptoms before. The more he talked to me, the more he relaxed and felt better. At last Mark L. came and gave him and his friend a ride to the parking lot with advise to get to lower altitude, even possibly moving to Bishop instead of Bridgeport.

This seemed to set the tone for the day. We had reports of boys jumping the fence and messing around in the stamp mill. The jar of representing finely crushed rock used on the interpretive tours,turned up missing later on - only remnants of it's contents spilt on the floor. More than likely the result of the mischievious kids. Later in the day Chris caught more young boys inside the mill area and her shouts scared them so much they hopped over the fence and ran down to Main Street like scared rabbits. Reports were going over our radios like crazy, and we all flew from different directions to head them off at the pass. Jenna and Randy caught them near the Boone Store...and gave them a lecture which scared them to death. I guess they were too ignorant to realize they weren't supposed to be in the mine area even though the fences and signs tell them to stay away.

Some time during this crazy day, Jenna and I found ourselves busy with hoards of people in the museum/ Miner's Union Hall, when word came over the radio that Mike had cut his finger on a lathe and needed first aid. Mark L. wound up taking him down to Mammoth hospital where he wound up most of the afternoon and evening.

At Jenna's lunch time, Jordan and I manned the museum. A man and his daughter appeared at the desk and announced that they were relatives of Pat Reddy, the famous one armed lawyer of Bodie, and Cerro Gordo fame. We exchanged information, and I sold him a silver Seekers book by Remi Nadeau so he could learn more about Pat Reddy and the ghost town of Cerro Gordo, which he was not aware of. The daughter, Lilly, about ten years old, was proud of her heritage and enjoyed talking history with me. We will be in touch again. Jenna came back from lunch and handed them a Bodie resident form to fill out for Terri's research program.

It was Save Our State Parks Day and people were requested to wear green and get pictures of themselves holding signs. Jenna and I worked througout the day on a panorama version with different people holding a sign with one of the words Save Our State Parks. We stood in front of our favorite place in Bodie holding the word, then Jenna posted it on the SOS site later in the evening. During our photo session, we also played around with ghost pictures in the Miller House. The ghosts we saw looked a lot like Cecile & Jenna ;-)

At the end of the day, Jenna, Jordan and I decided since Mike was still down in the hospital at Mammoth having his thumb tended to, we would have a girls night. Jenna's housemate, Debbie, would join us. Debbie and I headed in my van to pick up Jordan at the Moyle House where she lives. But before we could get there we had to head off vehicles parked at the kiosk after hours. No harm done - just tourists getting pictures from a distance since they got there too late for a real visit.

Jenna lives in the Garrity House and while it is different, the warmth and friendliness of Jenna and Mike's presence in their reminds me of the Belshaw House in Cerro Gordo. Jenna and Jordan cooked corn chowder and pumpkin waffles. The four of us girls took turns munching on the waffles as fast as they could come off of the electric waffle iron. They were delicious! Chowder done, we moved to the dining table and enjoyed it and more waffles. We must have been a sight in our jammies, pigging out on waffles and chowder in the old house, laughing and talking. Jenna loaded up the pictures she had taken of us during the day, and we laughed over them, while Debbie watched Jeremiah Johnson on a small tv in the living room.

We were all ready to make a real girls night of it, and go to sleep and wait for the ghosts...when Mike suddenly showed up with his thumb bandaged from his run - in with the lathe. We fed him corn chowder and made fun of his thumb. With Mike back, Jenna wanted to go back to Milk Ranch for the night with him, and Jordan was already half way out the door and on her way to the Moyle house on foot in the darkness of the Bodie night. Debbie watched Jeremiah Johnson, while I loaded Jenna and Mike in the van and we headed back to Milk Ranch to call it a night at our individual campsites.

Just another Sunday in Bodie, California!

Bodie Diary - Saturday June 20, 2009

The sky was clear, the wind was light and chilly. I couldn't quite make out the thermometer but it was below freezing for sure. It never did warm up as nice as yesterday, but it was a pretty day with clouds occasionally dotting the sky. As I sit here tonight before the sun dips down, the clouds threaten once again to build up and close in on the mining town of the Sierras that I have called my home for over a week now.

It was a work day in the museum. I dusted the cases with collections from an era gone by. I sold books, maps, brochures, post cards & more. I folded t-shirt after t-shirt and put out for sale. Jenna was with me and we worked well together. We made friends with two puppies and their owners and yearned for our own fur babies left behind. The town was full of dogs it seemed, who walked beside owners curious and peering in and out of century old buildings left in arrested decay.

At break, I consoled a disturbed co-worker and realized that some things probably haven't changed all that much in the modern century. Human nature has tendancies hard to grow rid of.

Jordan and I tried to learn how to run the video in the Red Barn Theater upon instruction by James, but proved electronically challenged, particularly me.

Back at the museum we sold more items, gave out more information, and calmed an unhappy man who felt he had not been given enough information on a stamp mill tour. We got him on Debbie's 4:00 extended tour and he was still upset over things, Debbie in particular. Seeing potential for more problems, I horned in on the tour, chatted with him before it started, and walked back to main Street with him afterwards. Whatever damage had been done at the kiosk when he entered Bodie, was forgotten by Debbie's excellent tour. She may not be completely catching on at the kiosk but she certainly has the stamp mill and history talk down.

Back at camp in my crib on wheels - I tried wireless for the first time - with as little luck as I had at the Red Barn. I took to my pen and paper to tuck away the days journal and gave up on the computer altogether. My friends back home surely are wondering what happened to me. Ah modern techonologies in an old town.

Bodie Diary - Thursday June 18, 2009 & Friday June 19th, 2009
Thursday June 18, 2009

Headed into town just as the kiosk announced the Red hat Ladies were arriving, so I hooked up with them and took Terri's wonderful tour. Highlights: the town jail, Lottie Johl's, the rangers residence being restored, and the cemetery. Absolutely wonderful tour! There will be some kids talking about the ghost of Lottie preventing them from opening an unlocked door - gee - I wonder who that was?

The red hat Ladies were delightful locals from Coleville and such who were full of their own tales of old buildings and antiques and history. Terri did a great job of tying in Bodie's history with the area these ladies live in: 12 mile stage and freight stops through their areas which supplied many of the needed goods that the old mining town couldn't grow in it's harsh high desert climate.

Following the tour with the Red Hat ladies - I had a little lunch in the office with no luck hooking up to the internet. Frustrated with that...I grabbed my Poag Town Guides and looked over closely the section of Main Street near the Miners Union. I was particular fond of the building that housed one of the newspaper offices. And I loved the covered outside staircase!

I noticed James hauling tables towards the red barn so offered a helping hand at setting up for the small community of Bodie's first Deadwood night. A little ghostly conversation afterwards with James, Terri, and Chris, then back to Milk Ranch just for a bit before going back in to town for the night's fun and food.

No rain today. This is the warmest we've had since I arrived. It did rain last night however and things are quite wet and buggy. No see-ums have come out with a vengance. Hopefully they haven't discovered me.

Tacos and Deadwood at 6:30 in the Red Barn. Great to have some real food instead of canned! Little bit of fun and meeting before watching Deadwood, of course. We picked Indian names for each other, talked about FOB day and Fourth of July. Watched half of Deadwood's first show. I think it was the only one I had ever seen, so when Chris left I asked her to walk out with me and make sure my van lights worked before taking off for Milk Ranch and my crib on wheels.

Friday June 19th, 2009

Woke up with the sunshine around 6:30 A.M. No clouds in sight, what a blessing!! Tended to breakfast and my morning chores around my little camp, then off to town. Checked in with Jenna to let her know I was not going to be working with her after all today. then off to the staff parking lot where I met Chris and we headed into Bridgeport.

We stepped into the archive vault at the Mono County Court House and back in time. Finding the right record books took some doing, but at last we did. Excitement at finding Rosa may, Ernst Marks, Eli Johl records for properties and taxes. No death records for Rosa. In the Mono County Museum, however, we found record of Rosa in their archives. Chris took pictures of everything and we took notes as well..

Lunch in Bridgeport - hamburger for me and fish taco for Chris. Stopped in the store but they only hadiceburg lettuce, so we passed on that and got drinks and cinamon rolls for breakfast.

Back in Bodie once again, Chris took me to her house where we chatted about our days find, then decided to look at the two cribs north of town that have been melded together into a larger cabin. We had the wrong keys with us, so had to make the trek twice, even then the chain to the door gave us a bit of trouble, but we finally got the door open just enough to squeeze through. It was dark, and yes, ghostly inside, but we made out the rose wall paper and layers of more designs on the walls. We looked for doors and windows to compare with Piatt's book (pictures). Not totally convinced they are the same buildings, but you never know.

I ended my day with Chris and trekked back to my van. At Milk Ranch Jenna and Mike were bbqing and I offered my salmon for the feast. Mike had made a mango teriyaki sauce for tofu. I asked him to brush the sauce on my salmon as well and it was quite good. Good food, new friends, fun and laughter in "The Bodie Projects"

Now the evening darkens the wind brings the temperatures down and I sit and record my day. Rosa, Ernst, and Eli are real and I am happy to have the opportunity to meet them at last!

Bodie Diary - Wednesday June 17, 2009 & Misc. Notes

The clouds burst off and on through the night making for a wet morning. The Bodie weatherman and weatherlady, Laird and Terri G. are way off the mark once again with their predictions. Following my 1/2 a cinnamon raisin bagel and cream cheese breakfast I head into town for a day off on my own - no particular schedule. Bodie time is 4 days work 3 days off...and I'm off....

As I head down muddy roads towards the Red Barn, I hear Chris calling for me on the radio. I meander down towards the kiosk to see what's up. Chris is quite excited - one of her first drive up visitors may be a missing link in one of our red light lady histories we are working on! What are the chances he would come in to visit Bodie when I am up there! We have his contact info! And when I met him on his way out of Bodie...I agreed...there definitely is a family resemblance! This could possibly change history as we know it!!!!

After the rush of people coming in to Bodie today, I walked with Chris back to town and then took off to Virgin Alley and Maiden Lane. Along the way I stopped at Lottie Johl's house and wondered over her somewhat tragic ending to her life. Lottie is one of the many red light ladies Terri, Chris, & I have a fondness for and are researching...but no it wasn't her relative that drove in to town today.

Wildlife Notes:
6/16/2009 A.M: Gull engulfs a belding ground squirrel behind the barn. I watched as the poor belding bulged down the gulls neck just like a snake eating a mouse. Nasty gull!

6/17/2009 Afternoon: A family of 8-10 belding ground squirrels poked their heads out of a burrow in the ground between Jenna's house (The Garrity) and the remnants of the Fouke House. A few brave ones run a foot away from the burrow then come back - very brave! But if I got too close they'd all pop their heads back in the hole until I froze in my tracks. Then suddenly as if one had called "All Clear! one by one the baby beldings would peer back out and wonder at the big bad world around them.

6/17/09 A deer romps on a path from the cemetery cautiously watching the visitors - then continues on it's journey over the hill - also saw two deer one night over the weekend when Roger was here. They were not far from Milk Ranchwhere I camp.

6/15/2009? Jenna notes a falcon flying over Main Street in front of the Miner's Union Hall aas she and I are talking during a quiet moment when no tourists were keeping us busy in the museum.

* Innumerable bunnies here and there all over town.

* Jenna said she stepped on a small (baby) unidentified snake on her way back from her house at lunch. Awfully cold for the little buggers!

* Innumerable birds all over town making nests in the overhang of some of the old buildings. Swallows! Particularly at the Wheaton Hollis! Woodpecker likes the wooden shower building that my crib on wheels is parked next to at Milk Ranch.

* A few cows watch us in the distance on the other side of the road from Milk ranch

*So far the evenings are quiet - no coyotes, wolves, flamingoes or bear sounds just occasional rain or hail and when Roger was here over the weekend.....S N O R I N G!!!!!

Communications:
No internet thanks to intermittant cloud cover
No cell phone service in town or Milk Ranch
Use office phone after hours - buzzing sound in background but able to talk to Roger for first time on 6-17-2009 Also called Mom.

Misc:
Dinner the first night was with Jenna and Mike in their house and an excellent veggie lasagna!
Third night dinner was at Laird's Rv.
New friends - Jordan, Terri E., Randy & James!

Monday & Tuesday June 15th & 16th Milk Ranch - Bodie, California

Monday June 15th

The gentle rain has stopped as I at last sit by battery lantern curled in my white "motel" chair all comfy and cozy inside my crib on wheels. The temperature reads 48 degrees inside. The darkness of the evening has set in outside forbidding a view of the chill outside my windows. No mind - here between quilt and blanket, long underwear beneath my favorite pajamas, and knitted vest over thermal top, I keep the chill at bay.

My trip began on Thursday, following a Bon Voyage given the night before at Yellow Cottage. just tonight, I finally have time for cinnamon apple tea and pen to paper. It is my first night at Milk Ranch by myself and I revel in the solitude.

Tuesday June 16th

From my van window the clouds hover over the Bodie Hills once again. Thunder could be heard echoing across the bowl earlier this evening and obvious rain to the south of us, perhaps at mono Lake or Mono Mills where lumber was harvested for fuel for the mining town. Little water rained down on Bodie today, although it remained cold and cloudy most of the day once again, and a brief hail storm pelted the boardwalk of the Miners Union Hall during the afternoon.

The first day of official work at the museum today. Thanks to training by Jenna, I felt comfortable enough to let Laird take off once in awhile. A Grahm Car Club came in to tour the old town and filled the Miner's Union during the hail storm, keeping us crazy busy. The day was full of tourists - Canadian, British, French, German, Netherlands and more. One man from the car club came from Tujunga and we shared hometown histories as well as Bodie's.

Near closing time for the museum James Watson author of "Bodie High Sierra Town" stopped in and talked with Terri G. He was gracious enough to linger awhile so I could retrieve my copy of the book from my large collection inside my van parked in the employee parking lot. We chatted about Rosa May a bit, and I gave him info about my website.

Back at Milk Ranch after my days shift, I did a little house work, then dined on pita bread stuffed with cheese and lunch meat, then picked up Terri's book hot off the press, and marvelled at pictures I had never seen before.

As the clouds cover more of the twilight sky, my light fades and I struggle to see my handwritten word. The Standard Mill, prominent in the distance, is barely recognizable amongst the high desert sage and the tailings from the mines nearby. Soon a light or two will appear from the unrecognizable board structures that house modern day Bodie residents employed by the California State Parks.

There's not a lot of meter but there's a little bit of rhyme.....
sing this with a crusty voice in a tune that knows no time and it won't matter..;-) this is the first thing I've really had any gumption to write about in a month or so...better than nothin I guess.....


Can I Undo The Damage
by Cecile Page Vargo

[]


Can I undo the damage
Of a century or more in time
Snow, wind, and ravage
Ore no longer worth a dime

I wander down the dusty road
And hear the voices cry
I see the humble wood abode
Where a lonely miner die

The lady beside his bed
She held his weakened hand
She had no respect, they said
But she met the man’s demand

And in the end the town
Is all that's left to remain
Tattered and torn around
And rusting with the rain

The sun rises in the night
The moon sets in the day
A topsy turvy world of miner's blight
What else is left to say?

Bury my weary bone
Beneath the sagebrush land
Pick and shovel all alone
Leave me to the sand

As the coyotes howl
The winds will blow
Bury the silenced jowel
In a land refused to grow

It’s a lonely life in the mining town
With ghosts the only life
But the story that remains around
Is worth all the strife……

The children run around
Laughing on a warm summer day
Playing on the hallowed ground
Where the lonely miner and lady lay

Their voices haunt the very hill
Where the ore was pulled out of the hole
But none are quite aware of the will
Of the depths of the buried soul

The tourists come from countries
Far and wide around the earth's globe
Staring at leftover sundries
And a lady's abandoned robe

But few can really feel
What the miner and lady did
And they go home with a lost ideal
That time and history often hid

It's my job to preserve it
For some morbid sense of past
I've got to keep the candle lit
Before the last shadow is finally cast

Cecile

Well behaved women rarely make history....Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Explore Historic California www.explorehistoricalif.com

Brandy Murtha Wondering why I am here, as in on this planet, in this body, living this life? What is the point of it all?

Cecile Vargo at 10:15pm April 4
You are here because it's better than living on mars and you can breathe the air here. You are here because you have two little boys that you created that love and need you. You are here because Your Dad, Roger & I love you! The point of it all doesn't make sense all the time...but the world is definitely a better place because you are here!!!!! I Love You!!!! Cecile Vargo at 10:23pm April 4
You are here because several years ago your Daddy brought you & your little brother to my house and I immediately fell in love with you...you made a big difference in my life at a time when I needed to know why I was here ;-)

Got Sunshine - a crazy song to chase the blues away


We've Got Sunshine
by Cecile Page Vargo


We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away

Your mood will glisten
With the rain drops
Even when they
Come and go
Life will be good
You’ll be dancin’
And the flowers
Will bloom and grow!!!!

We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away

Sing the blues now
And claps your hands
Tap your feet
And dance to tune
You’ll find the blues
Have turn to yellows
And the crying…
Will turn to smiles….

We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away

There ain’t nothin’
That a little sunshine
And the bright moon
On that darkest day and night
Can’t bring your feet to
A Little Dancin’ And a song
To make your blues
Turn to sunlight

We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away




Now tap your feet now
And sing it with me
One more time
And then again
I want to see those
Lonesome frown lines
Turn back into
A Big old Grin

We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away

One more time now...

We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away

And one more time yet again...

We’ve got sunshine
We’ve got moon shine
We’ve got all times
Bad and Good

Let the sun shine
Let the moon shine
Let the cloud times
Blow Away

whooo.....hooooooo... y'all feel better now don't ya?

Cecile

You Are My Sunshine
By Cecile Page Vargo

Life got tough for a couple of hours and she couldn't explain it away. She grabbed her friend Eleanor, the beauty with the faint moustache that made her smile and teased the men at the gambling tables....and together they headed out of town on foot. Not too far out the muleskinner with his great freight wagon and his large team of mules offered them a ride. That evening they camped at his wagon.

It was a balmy night with a hint of summer in the early spring air. The sky was pitch black and moonless...but the logs on the campfire lit just enough. The desert wind subsided for the evening, but the strains of the mule skinner's sad and lonely fiddle playing permeated the air. The girls sat across from him holding each other and singing an off key:

“You Are my sunshine my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know dear how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away……”

to go with his sad version of the song. The coyotes howled in the distant mountains in mournful unison.

When the sounds stopped the girls had a tear drop, one in each dark eye. They held each other tightly, staring into the campfire watching the flames through a blur. The muleskinner stood up and poked and prodded the fire just a bit then poured himself a cup of strong coffee from the old spackled pot. While he slowly sipped his coffee Eleanor remembered the cards she always kept in her pocket and brought them out for a game. The girls gambled for stones until the muleskinner picked up the violin again. The strains were lively this time, and soon two sets of female feet began moving in time to it. Before you know it, they were gathering their skirts and rising from the sandy ground. They took each others hands and began spinning each other around and laughing hysterically. As they spun, the muleskinner fiddled all the faster, occasionally bellowing a loud “Gee haw!”

The frenzy went on till the moonlight finally peaked. As the darkness disappeared the fiddle stopped and the girls plopped down on the ground their petticoats flying in the air for a brief moment as they did so. Eleanor reached in her pocket once again, and took a silver flask to lips for a long hard swig. She wiped the dribble from her chin, and passed it on, the friend and the muleskinner took turns and did exactly the same.

The muleskinner picked up the fiddle once again and began the sour notes of his original song once again in an even more somber tune than before. The girls listened, again with a tear in each dark eye, as his sorrowful voice accompanied his own fiddling:.

"The other nite, dear,
As I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms.
When I awoke, dear,
I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried.
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.
I'll always love you
And make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me
To love another
You'll regret it all some day;
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.
You told me once, dear
You really loved me
And no one else could come between
But now you've left me
And love another
You have shattered all my dreams;
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.
Louisiana my Louisiana
the place where I was borne.


As the last verse was completed, the flask went around one more time. The muleskinner wobbled to the wagon and tossed out a bedpack which he gave to the girls. He took a jacket for a pillow, and soon was passed out on the still warm sand. The girls shared the bedpack until just before sunrise…then slipped back in to town before the muleskinner opened his eyes. The song remained in the hearts of the girls and the sad off key version became the favorite with the men who’s eyes they caught the fancy of night after night. The muleskinner woke to a solitary campfire breakfast then hitched his mules and went off with his freight to the next destination with nary a tune in his head, and nary a memory of the dancing and sunshine in the dark of the desert night before the moonrise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lruZz91_anQ

What a weird night I had. I dreamed Roger & Tim Gardner from Facebook & I drove up to Bodie. We were up in Terri's office sitting at her desk with a couple of folders of history we had found and wanted to share with her. But before we could give her the folders she had a huge pile of folders she threw on top of my folders with history she wanted us to go through. There was incredible stuff in those folders, we were all just drooling over it. Then suddenly Tim's wife and daughter came up and joined us out of nowhere...except these people didn't look like his real life wife and daughter which sort of confused me, because this dream was as real as if it was happening. The wife was silver headed with a page boy cut, and the daughter was 16 or 17 with red curly hair. We went downstairs and everything was decked out with red black and white and silver - balloons, cloth tablecloths, etc. Terri was getting ready for a black tie fundraiser. People were at the door lining to come in and they were all dressed up. It was strange seeing the streets of Bodie full of people dressed formally and all the women in high heels. We had to go back to our motel and change into our victorian costumes and come back. Next thing I remember I was in the back of the 4-runner waking up out of a dead sleep. Roger & Tim and his family were in the front and we were back at the red barn again. I thought about all of those files we were going through and I was really confused...it was so real..but now it appeared to be a dream. I asked everybody what was going on and they said I was really tired and had gone to sleep, but yes, it had all really happened, and I was just amazed and couldn't wait to get my hands on those files again. We went through the crowds of fancy dressed people and back upstairs to your office. This time Terri handed me a huge stack of thank you card size envelopes all addressed to her I can plainly see Terri's name in handwriting on each of those envelopes. I was starting to go through those and find out what they were and why in the heck Terri wanted me to go through her personal mail..when another couple came in. I was trying to tell them about all the folders of history and what I had seen, while going through those little envelopes, and how I had fallen asleep and thought it was all a dream, but wasn't. They were interested, but they were also too busy with each other ...they were eating oranges and making out... That was about the time I suddenly in real life woke up out of the deadest sleep and realized the whole damned thing was a dream. I dreamed I had a dream...which made sense but was really disappointed because up until that couple started making out and eating oranges this was as real as life to me. Sure wish I had those folders with all that history. I can still see them..just can't make out the words and the pictures...they are fuzzy, darn it!

In the darkest hours of the wee early morning I wake with grey clouds wafting through my brain...threatening their doom and gloom. I toss and turn with troubled as the storm begins to brew. How will we get through...what will we do? I sit up full awake and gather all the thoughts, then wander through the house checking on Madame who is safe and secure in her furry bed on the bench underneath the oak kitchen table. Another cat or two stirs, and follows me as I make these restless rounds. A peek outside the window and it's still as dark at night...and way too early for even the early birds to be singing their morning songs. With cumbersome feet I shuffle my way back to bed...squeezing in the tiny space that is left after 95 pounds of dog has suddenly taken over next to my husband. 20 pounds of white Darwin cat invariably jumps on me and cuddles half on me and half on the Ho dog.

I struggle with the denim comforter disturbing the animals, as I twist and turn some more to get settled. The Ho Dog finally gets the message and moves to the couch by the closet which is hers. Darwin fights with me a bit, then settles with a purr as I eventually settle myself. I close my eyes, and struggle some more with the dark grey clouds that threaten. Just before they burst into storm, I find myself magically transported to a remote mountain top underneath the Jefferson pine in the tiniest of dome tents. I'm there by myself, curled inside my heaviest sleeping bag.

The pine trees hum with the turbulent breeze in the atmosphere above...occassionally...a gust or two threatening to flatten the tent around me. The clouds begin to cry in tiny droplets that pitter patter on the rain fly, which protects me from their tears. I concentrate on the darkness and the rain now turned to hail. Nature's turmoil sheilds me from the storm within myself....and a I drift off to sleep for a few more hours until the sunshines through my bedroom window here at Yellow Cottage. I am refreshed at last, and ready to start a new day.

BODIE MINING CAMP GONE TO THE GHOSTS



MARCH WWW.EXPLOREHISTORICALIF.COM

CHECK IT OUT NOW!!!!!