Nipton, California

Each year I briefly visit a town called Nipton. Briefly can mean anything from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. I have never found a reason to stay much longer. It is located in the mountains outside of Las Vegas and it is a railroad crossing, basically. The drive from Havasu to Vegas is around two hours, and if you're like me you typically want the road less traveled. Well that would be Nipton Road.

It is beautiful because of the Yucca trees. There are millions of them, all along both sides of the road.

Once you get through the mountains, you begin a quick descent and the landscape changes into barren desert. Just when you think it couldn't get emptier, you run into the town of Nipton.
It has a few old buildings, a general store that's never open when I drive through, and some railroad tracks. Shay and I stopped one morning as we headed home from an off road race in Nevada and took this photo there:

And we took this one just down the road, to show how empty and desolate the highway is....

Someday I'll figure out what kind of people live in Nipton. I suppose the type of people who do not enjoy neighbors.

The McClymonts

Last night we hurried thru dinner because there were free concerts down at the Windsor State Park. At 7pm, Steve's brother's band Mojo played. Then at 8pm, the McClymonts took the stage. They're an Australian act with three sisters who can be compared to the Dixie Chicks ( but better, I think ).

They were backed up on the stage with band members they just began playing with this month since getting to the U.S.--and they really only identified them as some guys from Nashville. But after we asked around we learned that one of the musicians was Jason Aldean who has a Billboard hit at number 23 with a song titled, "My Kind of Party," and then there was Luke Bryan who's got a song titled, "Someone Else Calling You Baby," which is number 28.

Good Morning, Sunshine

It was 77 degrees, slightly breezy, and the sun was bouncing off the little clouds. Nice morning!

The Sheriff and I

Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan is one of my buddies, but you'll have to pardon me if I promote Pima County Sheriff Paul Babeu for a little bit. ( oops, Pinal County--someone wrote and corrected me)
Pinal County is in Southern Arizona--thus putting it near the Mexican border. Paul has been on national news quite regularly, asking for support from the Federal government with the illegal alien and drug smuggling problem down there.
Of course the Federal government doesn't seem to be listening to him.

Last week I drove three hours to get to the opening celebration for the 2011 Dodie Londen group. This is the educational series that I graduated from back in May.

Well, Sheriff Babeu was there as well! And he seemed to recognize me from Facebook. Either that, or he very easily read my huge SHAWNA THORNTON name tag.



I don't think I had a point to this blog posting, other than to brag that I got a photo with the Sheriff. Hmmm....