Some People Can Sleep Anywhere

In February 2004 we went to Jordan with the Qatar Natural History Group. Late on Day 5 of our adventure, we arrived at Camp Jabal Rum which is near Wadi Rum, the most famous valley in this area of desert lowland and craggy peaks.

‘5 Star Accommodation’

We were told we would be staying at a 5 star accommodation, so were surprised when our tour bus pulled into a walled-off area of  refugee style tents. We filed off the bus in disbelief. Near us was a building with a large ‘W.C.’ chalked on it, a Bedouin style tent made of goat hair, and a small shack which said “Bar Coffee.”

The Beer and Coffee Bar

Tentatively we explored our home for a night. The good news was that there were flush toilets and beer. The bad news was there was no hot water or towels and the toilet paper stock wasn’t going to last long.

The cold of the evening drove us into a Bedouin tent where a wood stove was producing little heat but much smoke because of a poorly fitted metal chimney. As we waited for food, some decided this was as good a time as any to find some cheer in way too much beer.

By the time the belly dancer came out to provide the after dinner entertainment, many were quite jovial – though not jovial enough to listen to  very loud Arab music for long. We headed off to our tents for a 10 PM bed time. We rationalized that the sooner we got to sleep, the sooner it would be morning and we could visit the desert.

It was a beautiful, if cold night. The hill behind the compound was lit with pinpricks of light from small lamps. The stars were awesome. When The Car Guy and I got into our tent, we noticed more spots of light – coming in through the holes in the tent ceiling. We hoped it wouldn’t rain!

We decided to sleep with our clothes on (we hadn’t been told we would need cold weather camping attire). Each of our single canvas cots had a narrow heavy quilt that was covered in some sort of really slippery material. We crawled into bed and hoped for the best. Soon a snoring chorus assailed me from both sides – The Car Guy to my right and whoever was sleeping in the tent to my left, which was about 6 feet away.

As the temperature continued to drop, I got increasingly cold. I pulled up the hood of my jacket, then hauled my cot closer to the snoring Car Guy’s cot, hoping to catch some of his body heat. The slippery quilt slid off me every time I moved. After sleeping fitfully for some period of time, nature called… just about everyone. As we stood in line waiting our turn to use the W.C. the topic of discussion was “got any extra kleenex”? The toilet paper was long gone.

Morning came none too quickly. We mustered to any patches of sunshine we could find, then tucked into a breakfast of coffee, hard boiled eggs and cold pita bread.

Of course this is safe – inshallah…

Then, old open jeep-type vehicles appeared in the compound. We piled into these for our tour of the natural splendors of Wadi Rum. The landscape was dramatic and pristine. We stopped often to take pictures – jagged mountains, rounded hills, rock carvings, and an oasis. Oh, and a chance to take a short ride on a camel.

The Red Rock Wilderness of Wadi Rum

All in all, it was the worst camping experience ever, but one of the best adventures ever.

How about you – have you had a worst/best adventure too?

Blanche Russell Rock Houses

A few years ago, after a visit to the Grand Canyon, we drove east on Hgw 64, then north on Hgws 89 and 89A. We crossed the Colorado River on the Navajo Bridge, and were on final approach to the Vermillion Cliffs when we were surprised to see some mushroom shaped rocks that looked like a group of Smurfs had built houses under them.

We stopped to investigate  and quickly realized they really were ‘Tiny Houses’. A worn and badly damaged sign nearby told the story of  Blanche Russell  and her husband William (Bill), whose car broke down in the area in about 1927 (or maybe 1920)…

The pair took shelter under the mushroom rocks over night. Blanche liked the area so much that she bought the property and built permanent structures. She lived there for about 10 years and operated a business.

When I looked online for more information about the Blanche Russel Rock Houses, I found a number of  ‘folklore’ stories on several sites:

“Around 1927, Blanch Russell’s car broke down as she traveled through this area. Forced to camp overnight, she decided she liked the scenery so well that she bought the property and stayed. The stone buildings under these balanced rocks were built shortly after that in the 1930’s.”
– arizona untraveledroad/Coconino/HouseRock/56SSign –

“The Old Cliff Dwellers’ Lodge (Blanche Russell Rock House) is located on 89-A in Marble Canyon, AZ…  Blanche built a meager lean-to against the largest rock of many… and gradually built a life by serving food to passer-bys visiting the Grand Canyon. Guests of particular interest included Mormons traveling the nearby Honeymoon Trail to the temple in St. George, Utah.”
– zdziarski –

“Blanche Russell was a successful dancer in a series of sophisticated theatrical productions called The Ziegfeld Follies. Blanche left the limelight when her husband Bill was diagnosed with Pulmonary Tuberculosis… They immediately purchased the land and constructed a unique rock house which they later converted into a roadside trading post. The structure was built with stacked rock against a large fallen boulder… The original home remains on the property today… They started serving food to travelers and later found themselves running a full-scale restaurant, trading post and even selling gasoline. The area became so popular, travelers began to refer to the area as Soup Creek or House Rock Valley… After a decade, the Russell’s grew tired of the desolate desert and sold the land to a rancher named Jack Church, who later turned the restaurant into a bar. It wasn’t but three years later when he sold the establishment to Art & Evelyn Greene.”
–  theproperfunction –

“According to author Kay Campbell, who wrote a booklet about the Cliff Dwellers lodges, (Cliff dweller’s old and new: A history of the rock “village” on Highway 89A near Lee’s Ferry – 1998) the Russells sold water they took out of nearby Soap Springs and also sold pigeons out of a coop they kept at the site.” (This booklet is listed on Amazon, but is not available for purchase.)
–  azcentral –

“By the 1930’s, their full-scale restaurant evolved to include a trading post, both of which are just a stone’s throw further down the road. The little settlement, known as Soup Creek or Houserock Valley, included several attendant outbuildings.”
– frametoframe –

“Jack Church, who added his own personal touch by turning the restaurant into a bar during World War II. In 1943, third owners, Art and Evelyn Greene, purchased the land. They kept the old dwelling, which then consisted of eight buildings and a gas generator.”
– kitchensaremonkeybusiness –

In 2001, Sandy Nevills Reiff interviewed Evelyn Greene for  the Northern Arizona University. The Greene family established trading posts, restaurants, and motels in the region. Evelyn’s recollection was that  Blanche Russell and her husband had come from New York in about 1920 or 1921. (She says the exact dates are in their archives, which are at ASU.) Evelyn says that Blanche and her husband set up a small business by the road side. Since the husband couldn’t do much in the way of helping, they would ask their customers to help them lay blocks and rocks to  make the buildings.
– archive/transcripts/greenetranscript –

The only verifiable source facts I could find about the Blanche Russell story were  William Russel’s Death Certificate and the Patent for the land:

According to an Arizona State Board of Health’s Certificate of Death, William Pat Russel of Soap Creek, Coconino County, died July 27, 1936 of chronic myocarditis and mitral regurgitation. He was born on May 10, 1864 in Boston Mass, and was 72 years old when he died. He worked at a Service Station. He was married to Blanche Russell (nee Dodge) of Cameron Arizona. His father was Wm. Russell Sr. and his mother was Mary Sheets. He was buried in Flagstaff.
– genealogy arizona –

The Bureau of Land Management holds the document that shows Blanche A. Russell, the widow of William Russell, was issued the Patent for 400 Acres of land on 1/11/1939.

The Bureau of Land Management also shows that Art Greene acquired 40 acres of Blanche’s property (039N – 006E SE¼SE¼ 28) on 4/21/1955.
– glorecords –

The Arizona State University Libraries Archivist was kind enough to look through the Greene Family Collection for me. The only relevant item he found was a negative photostat copy of a 1930’s application for homestead by William Russell for the land Cliff Dweller’s Lodge occupies. (That application was denied by the federal government.)

Google Maps for the area:

Google Map – Blanche Russell Rock Houses (Cliff Dweller’s Stone House)

Google Map – Blanche Russell Rock Houses (Cliff Dweller’s Stone House)

So many questions, so few answers about a woman, who by all accounts, was a remarkably resourceful and adventurous person!

Wouldn’t you love to know ‘the rest of the story’!

Bourton-on-the Water

Bourton-on-the-Water is a village in the Cotswolds Area of Gloucestershire, England. The houses and shops in the village are constructed of the yellow Oolitic limestone that is found in the surrounding hills. Cotswold stone is easily split into blocks and is quite weather-resistant.

The Cotswold hills cover an area that is about 40 miles across and 120 miles long. It is an extremely popular tourist destination.

A peek over just about any hedge or stone wall will give you a glimpse of why at least 117 buildings within Bourton-on-the-Water have been listed as Grade II or higher. This designation means the building has ‘special architectural or historic interest’. The building’s owners have to apply for consent to do most types of work that affect their home.

A peek inside this wobbly hedge! I sure wouldn’t want to be the one who keeps it trimmed.

In old age, and having been sprained by the weight of snow over the decades, the hedges now wobble along, imperfect, but full of vegetable dignity…
– Description of Walmer Castle Hedges, Heritage Magazine Issue 48 –

A peek at the house behind the Ivy. English Ivy is the most prevalent self-clinging climber found on walls in England, though some ornamental ivy types are also used.

In 2010, English Heritage released the results of a study to determine whether Ivy was beneficial or detrimental when it grew up the sides of buildings. Their research suggested that as long as ivy was not rooting into the wall, there were numerous positive benefits.

Arizona, BC, Germany – Looking at Bridges

Bamberg Germany, Old Town Hall

Bamberg is an beautiful example of an early medieval town in central Europe. It has a large number of surviving ecclesiastical and secular buildings. It is crisscrossed by many rivers, winding canals, and bridges. Some of the bridges are old and famous and some, like this one, are more modern, but don’t detract from the architecture of the surrounding buildings.

Deception Pass Bridge, Washington

Deception Pass Bridge is the common name for two, two-lane bridges that connect Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island in the U.S. state of Washington. Pass Island lies between the two bridges.

Navajo Bridge

Navajo Bridge – The original Navajo Bridge was completed and opened to traffic in January 1929. Prior to the building of the bridge, the only way to cross the Colorado River and its formidable gorge was at Lee’s Ferry a short distance upstream. Construction on a new, wider bridge began in May of 1993. The old bridge became a walking bridge.