Saguro Cactus in Bloom

.

Before we left Quartzsite it was getting very hot and the saguro cacti were starting to bloom.  The pretty white flowers that pop open are favorites for the bees and hummingbirds.   By the time we left Quartzsite the town was getting pretty desolate with everyone leaving.  We found almost a gram of gold while we were there which about covered the cost of fuel to go dig.   

When we got all hooked up and ready to leave we realized that our camera monitor wasn't working.  A wire had broken and there was no way of fixing it at that point so we had to drive without being able to see the 4wheeler behind us which was unnerving.  We got close to Kingman and heard a loud hissing noise coming from the truck.  A day at the ford dealer and our leaky exhaust hose was replaced.  Jim was disappointed because he had planned to go to the Kingman airport cafe for breakfast and instead got to spend his time getting the truck fixed.  
w 

Quartz veins

 On the left side of the hole you can see a large hunk of white rock.  That is a part of the quartz vein some old prospectors must have been following.  The tailing piles around the hole are littered with smashed quartz.  Sometimes gold follows along the quartz vein.  The hole is deep enough that you would have to go down in it to see how far back it goes but that is very dangerous to do let alone illegal.  I can't imagine anyone wanting to check it out with scorpions and snakes waiting for you in there.

Speaking of snakes -- a sidewinder (a kind of rattlesnake) parked itself under an rv here in the RV park we are staying at in Quartzsite.  The fire department was called to come and get it which they did quite promptly.  One morning I noticed a coyote laying down right outside the back gate looking like someone's pet dog.  He was resting while waiting for a quail or rabbit to come by and be his breakfast.  Other people have seen a large bobcat cruising along the back fence looking for a meal.  The back of the park is up against a large wash where the wildlife feel safe to roam even though it is in the middle of town.