Death Valley; Part III
"Make sure you folla' the park rules. No letting pets off leashes, no wandering off the roads, no feeding the wild animals, no collecting or disturbing rocks and bones, and absolutely, positively no harming or killing the animals. I s'pose that last part goes without sayin, don't it?"
I had already broken two of Ranger Tom's rules by wandering off trail and feeding the crow. I was a bad, bad Death Valley visitor. I felt as if I let him down. He was closer to me than my own surviving grandparent, and I'd only known him a day. Seriously. But I wasn't too worried about breaking more of Ranger Tom's rules, for I had declared today a nerd day. Maybe you don't know this, but I'm horrifically nerdy. I'd rather go to a history museum than a strip club. Shameful, I know.
The girls and I toured several places of great geological repute. We explored a bonafide ghost town, some popping hot springs and the spot--hold on to your seats, folks; this is so fuckin' exciting--where Cottonball Borax was discovered in 1912!
Later in the day, after a fifteen-dollar sandwich, it was time for the girls and I to drive down to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in all of North America, 282 feet below sea level. The basin was mostly crusty salt, an uneventful place. It was so boring I let the girls off leash (sorry Ranger Tom), and we three played in the salt till it started to hurt the puppy pads. Before we left, Maxie planted an evil idea in my head. She said, "Mommy, we're in a very famous place, the lowest point in all of North America, the spot you put your finger on in the World Book Encyclopedia all those years ago with such fascination."
She had piqued my curiosity. "Go on with your evilness, Maxie."
"Why don't we take a...memento...or three?"
And I was met with such a quandary. This would be rule four I'd broken, and Ranger Tom seemed like such a nice Grandpa. He explained that taking one or two rocks seems harmless, but if every visitor that ever came to Death Valley all took two rocks back out with them, the place would be changed, and that wouldn't be right. Ranger Tom certainly had a point, but...'look at all this beautiful sedimentary rock...hmmm.'
Sorry Ranger Tom. It was Maxie's fault.
The next day, I was genuinely depressed to leave. I picked a different route to drive out, instead of the Dr. Who one I had taken in, for I wanted to see a few more ghost towns along the way.
I must admit, that from the start of this mini excursion, I felt contented and at ease. Maybe it was the quiet, the lack of mass populace, or the fact that I had no cell and was thus totally unplugged. I felt I had only Death Valley to thank for contentment, and thank it I did. I said aloud, "Bye Death Valley. Thank you!," as we rocketed down the longest and straightest stretch of road I'd seen since west Texas.
There were flocks of tiny birds doing maneuvers in the air like the jets. Sparrows, I think. They seemed unafraid of my car, and I thought, because I was into thinking at the moment, 'why should they be? They're creatures of the wild, unihibited, deftly moving through life with a confidence that escapes the grasp of we humans, we mere voyeurs. They move with nary a worry and...'
Thud.
At the next rest stop, a decrepit shithole called Trona (where there is, incidentally, NONE of the comforts of Furnace Creek) I found the remains of a bird in my grate. I must admit, I teared up. I left him in the grate for the remainder of the trip, mainly because he was so wedged in there that only my screwdriver, from my toolbox in Glendale, could remove him. But when his body was finally free, we named him Corky and laid him to rest in compost bin out back. I sang Amazing Grace while Max and Murph rolled in the grass, oblivious bitches.
So that was how I cleaned my slate, got some fancy nature, broke five rules, and was a very, very, very bad Death Valley visitor. Turns out I didn't save Death Valley from anything; it needed to be saved from me. Sorry Ranger Tom.
Comments
Alright, I expect a picture with every future update.
Posted by: HalfNelson ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.thebunnyblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 19, 2006 02:03 PM
Aw, Maxie looks so regal in that picture.
Posted by: supervixen024 at November 19, 2006 07:45 PM
Poor Maxie needs a trim. She must be mortified you posted her picture looking like that.
Posted by: TheTrixie at November 20, 2006 06:42 PM
my beef with the rock rule is 1)There's roads, trails, and parking lots full of disturbed dirt and 2)underneath the ground is what? more damn rocks.
Don't feel so bad about taking a rock* and feeding the crow; they're scavengers anyways. Corky would of ended up as crow/coyote/fox food in the long run, then poop, and then plant food; this way corky get to feed your plants (also plz be cremated when you die, it dosen't poison the enviroment like embalming fluids do).
* they really do hold ancient history
Posted by: xercess at November 21, 2006 04:40 AM
Bunny, my Mum always says "take nothing but photos and leave only footprints."
Posted by: nat robbo at November 22, 2006 06:29 AM
I know you would want to know about this site and day Bunny, it's Global Orgasm Day, and its' destined to improve the energy of the world (if you believe that crap!)
Posted by: Run4DaRose at November 22, 2006 12:25 PM
Bunny!
I need another entry here, please.
Heart you so hard!
Posted by: CumDumpsteR at November 28, 2006 01:56 PM
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