FRIDAY "ELEVEN ELEVEN ELEVEN" HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY! "Thank You" to our Heroes!

The most important thing today is our Veterans!  I hope Americans everywhere have the type of heart to stop and think about how important our Veterans are to America's history!  Thank You, too, Chili Bob!  

These flags were flying at 'Da Slabs'!  I think they both fly most of the time, kind of like a 'landmark' when you are trying to navigate yourself around, and use the flags as a point of interest to 'get back'!!

Uncle Pat - My Hero
"Thank You for serving our country!"

On the right is a photo of my Uncle Pat, my dad's younger brother.   Uncle Pat was a pilot and flew jets!  He was recently interviewed for an article on Veterans for our local hometown paper.   When I was a little girl, he took his jet 'off course' and flew over my grandparent's house during one of his trips.  He flew so low that the wires on the telephone poles were shaking!   I was always 'his girl', too, and he made my childhood as special as it could ever be!   I didn't realize then that he had been serving our country when he was 'gone flying'!   Now, he has a great collection of model airplanes he enjoys showing to his grandkids! 

I hope today's parents and grandparents are instilling a sense of reverence for those Veterans of past and future wars that have given so much for our country! 

 

BACK TO 'SLAB CITY'!

Slab City truly is a real community and many people are deeply involved with their own mission(s) to make Slab City a better place for the people who live there fulltime, all the time, some of the time, and those who have no where else to go through the worst of the hot summers!   

Others work hard to make Slab City a better place for those who come there on their vacations each year.   Some people join forces and work together to open and provide meeting places for people to hold organizational meetings, have church services, provide entertainment, and even provide some necessities for those who have had a streak of bad luck. 

  

Many clubs and organizations have built some type of 'sub-division' within Slab City where they can come together and meet when possible.   Many of the clubs and organizations don't operate fully during the extreme heat of the summers, but hundreds will drift 'back to Slab City' when the daytime grows tolerable and the nights are beginning to be chilly.  

Slab City is land no one else wants to care for, ..... no organizations or responsible people!   I was told that (some type of) a teacher's organization owns part of the land, but has shown no interest, and the other is BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) where people can (pretty much) do as they please without any problems.  There are no 'street lights', electricity, running water, no public toilets, and no ammenities provided in the area by any legal organization, so each person is responsible for their own welfare and personal hygiene.   Yep!  THAT'S RIGHT! 

Each person is responsible for their own needs, and except for the helpfulness or generosity of others, it could/would be a lonely and desolate place for many to survive here in the desert.   Some don't survive, but such is true in the cities, also.  Some people in motorhomes or large travel trailers let their dirty grey water (bath & sinks) drain into the parched desert.  Some dig deep holes to drain their black (potty) water, into the desert, too ..... but I only 'heard' about that, and didn't see any evidence.   Other's keep all of their waste waters, both black and grey, in their tanks until they are again in an area where they can dump and clean their waste water tanks "properly". 

And, some will have no respect for the land, dumping any and all refuse either onto the desert dirt right where they sit, or else throw it into one of the many piles of refuse found in various places.  

 The person who owns this trailer (above) has some examples of how people provide for themselves when living at Slab City.    The trailer in the photo is obviously partially unpacked, probably having already unloaded a 4-wheeler, bikes, outdoor grills, firewood, tents for shade, building supplies, outdoor furniture, and other 'outdoor toys'.   They may have a tow vehicle they use to take the trailer back and forth into Niland to get fresh water, dump waste water, and run errands,  but you can see the fuel cans, two blue plastic 'tanks' to hold fresh water, or to tote waste water to a better location for disposal, and the large container possibly used as a tool box, or some other purpose to enable them to survive for longer periods alone in the desert.  

People in the larger motor homes and trailers can go for several weeks without needing fuel, fresh water, or having to 'dump' their black water (potty) or their grey water (bath, kitchen, sinks) if they are frugal in their habits.  

Sometimes people from Niland or surrounding areas will 'show up' in Slab City with 'fresh water' firewood, or propane for purchase, but I was told it was mostly only in the busiest season when there was more chances for making money.  Also, there is sometimes a person with a 'honey wagon' who will take your sewage and waste water away for you.   Things may have changed for this up-coming season, but only the coming months will reveal what will be available! 

 

Some people, (most of the ones I know personally, but not all) have some type of RV (recreational vehicle) with them, where they have most, if not all,  of the basic ammenities of a 'stick house' in a city, and sometimes they have a few more ammenities than they might have had at home, even some fancy things in their trailer, such as chandeliers, fireplaces, and ice-makers!  Most have sufficient propane to run their refrigerators, stoves, water heaters, and furnace for a long period of time.  Most use very little gas/diesel to run their generators, so a 'trip to town' isn't necessary very often. 

I photographed the two motor home set-ups above because I was fascinated by the multiple solar panels, extra "toy hauler" trailer covered with 'tilted' solar panels to follow the sun, the TV antennas, 'other' antennas, and the windmills to generate power on the two rigs above.   Hopefully some photos in my future posts will let you see some of the ways people have found to help them create the power and resources they need while boon docking in the desert!

 

Others have less elaborate set-ups, such as truck campers or small trailers originally meant for the week-end camp-out, the fisherman or hunter, but is now being used by someone who, for reasons of their own, want to be 'at the Slabs', possibly for a season, or a lifetime.   Some people have only the most basic of needs, a portable toilet, an ice chest, and possibly a bicicyle or a small generator.   It would be really hard to know by the expression on their face what type of bed they will be sleeping in tonight.  "Happiness" or "creature comforts" are not evident in the faces of those who gather around your campfire in the evening, or those you meet while wandering through  the 'sand streets' and bushes of Slab City!  You may never know where they are camped or any details about their life unless you ask, or they offer.  

Sometimes it's fun to guess what brought the various people in their assortment of 'living quarters' have in mind when they come to Slab City.   Living/visiting Slab City is, by it's very nature, an education in humanity and human interaction, a collage of lifestyles, a small peek into the lifestyle choices of another, and sometimes a huge test of your patience, tolerance, and compassion for other people.   In my opinion, living at Slab City is a big 'equalizer' among the residents.  No matter if you live in an expensive big rig, an inexpensive rig, a school bus, or a van, or a tent, ........when you live among a big variety of people, everyone has to adapt to environment, other residents, and be happy with their own company!

Everyone has their own personal perception of people, places, and things being  'rich, poor, needy, friendly, clean, nasty, beautiful, tolerable, helpful, funny, interesting, annoying, insane, creative, artistic, innovative,  and maybe, otherwise 'unusual'.    I saw a lot of examples of the human traits listed above each time I visited Slab City, but ....... I saw the same things when I saw them in the people who lived in Mesquite, Texas, too!   When you visit Slab City, your perception of what you see and experience will rarely match the thoughts of everyone else experiencing the very same thing as you are seeing.   Slab City is just like any other city in many ways, because you will find many different communities, clubs, hobbies, 'homes', lifestyles, religions, interests, and a huge variety of people, each with their own agenda!

YES, you can find 'danger' in Slab City, too.   (I suspect that's true, but I haven't experienced it.)  I have never seen any danger, only heard about it.   I've heard that you shouldn't leave anything valuable outside, but I don't do that at my home in Texas, either.   I've heard that you should keep your doors locked, but I do that at my stick home, also!   I've heard that there is sometimes violence at Slab City, but I've read about it in the newspaper in my home town, also.    I am careful when dealing with strangers in my own hometown, and would behave the same way in any other situation.   

I saw that the sheriff from Niland drives through, fire trucks respond,  and emergency services respond when asked for help, just as it would in my home town.  So, it's been my experience that if you stay in the proximity of your friends, social groups, and other known areas, you will be fine!    If you tuck away your expensive items from your outside area and lock up your rig when you leave, it's probable that everything will be fine when you return.  

If you are offended by people who are, in some way, 'different' from you, it's best if you mind your own business and stay away from anyone who makes you uncomfortable.   One thing to remember about the residents of Slab City is that a person's living conditions, clothing, actions, and attitude  are probably just a result of some bad luck, poor retirement planning, a small retirement income/pension, or their own way of dealing with some of life's unexpected situations  However,  if you take the time to get to know them,  you will most likely hear how some unfortunate circumstance has landed them in a place where they can find a place to lay their head at night, and a kind soul that will feed them a decent meal when it's been a long day and ++

Because this post began discussing our Veterans, let me be sure and assure everyone that there are many Veterans camping, living, or somehow just 'existing' here in Slabs City, so many of those who have honored us with their service in our country's armed forces, are still struggling to have a good life.   I hope God will bless and keep each one of them safe.