CAMPING for CHRISTMAS

“Going camping is the perfect reminder of 

how great life is when you are NOT 

camping…” -unknown

I must reiterate how much I LOATHE camping. (Shudder). That being said, it reminds me of one Christmas in California. Students. Nowhere to go during the holidays. “Let’s go camping!”  “In Death Valley!” Cheers all round.  Except for  me. “Woo Hoo,” was my lame reply. 

Dorms were closed . So we trundled off to Death Valley. You remember Death Valley: snakes, scorpions, Spiders, Sand,Heat, Cold etc.I had visions of a  fire back home. Christmas music, treats,  nothing that slithered.

Death Valley was hopping. Trailers, tourists, Us. In that order. We visited Badwater. Home of the Ultramarathon; extreme running thingy.  Right now it was just flat and salty.You could taste the salt when you tried to breathe. I reiterate “tried” to breath…it was warm.

Someone got the great idea to see Zabriski Point before sunrise. Bears the name of one of the first gold rush pioneers, Christian Zabriski. “Woo Hoo”, was my reply. We saw “Manly Beacon” . Before dawn it was dark and cold…..freezing.  You could still taste the salt. 

We were getting a bit bored.  Limited everything and the salt was relentless. One of our gang got a bright idea. Her cousin lived in Lake Arrowhead.  

We were all invited for Christmas Eve dinner, if we could make it by 5:30pm. “Woo Hoo!” I was much more enthusiastic.

The next day we packed up. Threw ourselves in the car and off we toodled to Lake Arrowhead. Only 357 kilometres from Death Valley. 

But no sweat. We’d make it. Five hours of driving. We left at noon, after trying to pack up the tent which blew away at one point.

Two hours later found us at a gas station, the car overheating. We found a hose and poured water into the tank. Poured water on ourselves as well. We were dirty and sandy and salty. 

Christmas Dinner beckoned. Onwards we  went.

A little while later the back car door kept falling open. We stopped at a  one pump gas station. Bought shoelaces to hold the door closed. Off we went again. Realized we left one person back in the bathroom. 

Turned around. Traffic. Went back. Gas Station man was trying to find the key to let her out. She was banging on the locked door.

Off we went again. This time is was after 6pm. But  “Woo Hoo” Anything was better than camping I thought. We made it as far as Victorville.  Expected about five thirty. We were late.  Decided to take a short cut through the village on the mountain. 

The rain started below and turned to snow as we reached the summit.

Stopped at the local diner. Found out where to take the back road. Four of us in a low to the ground Honda. Dirt road. The snow  didn’t let up.   “Woo double Hoo” we were stuck in the dark, on a muddy, snowy,  dirt road.  No light. Nada. It was almost 8 pm.  

Pulled everything out of the car. We jiggled the car. It didn’t budge.  Just in time, a huge truck came careening down the road.  They pulled us out. Back to the diner we went. It must have been 9:30pm. 

No cell phones, remember. We borrowed the phone in the diner. And were told that dinner was delicious, what a shame we didn’t make it……reminded me of that I Love Lucy Episode where they were late to dinner……….

The Diner sold us peanut butter sandwiches for the road.Since we couldn’t go back to the dorms, we decided to go back to Death Valley. Out of the snow and the mud. We managed to get some groceries  and gas, at a convenience store still open on Christmas Eve. 

I think we maxed out a credit card or two. Then we took turns driving, while someone held the back door closed since the shoelaces broke. 

We were just in time for sunrise at Zabriski Point. We sat on the rocks and watched the sun come up on that Christmas Day. 

We all  yelled Merry Christmas  a little louder than each other, to hear it echo off the rocks. We were all silent  with the dawn, as it opened up and spread through the sky. I never thought a  peanut butter sandwich would ever taste so good, on that amazing morning…..

“Such magic there is in Christmas to draw the absent ones 

home, and if unable to go in the body the thoughts will 

hover there….” Caroline Fraser

 

A LORIMAR CHRISTMAS

"Eggnog. Good tidings.  Holly Greens. Sing rum-pa-pa-rum- pum......" -R. Raphe

A tub of eggnog. Actually, make that TWO tubs of eggnog.  The size of  tubs.  Eggnog . Looked like ranch dressing, with sticks of cinnamon floating on top. First thing we saw when we walked in.

It was a long time ago and far way. Lorimar studios. Christmas party. We were not guests. We were THE entertainment. String quartet and harp , if I recall.

The harpist handed out her music  cards all night long. Weddings. Funerals. Parties. That sort of thing.

Work crews had started at 4pm. When we arrived. A huge, bare, empty space. The tubs of eggnog churned. Attentive stewards, in crisp whites stirred the tubs, like witches on Halloween night. 

One batch spiked with run. One without. The one with rum went down a lot faster over the night.

Lights. Camera. Action. Circus performers. Card tricks Illusionists. Face painters. Magicians. And others I have forgotten. The place was full of entertainers . Scattered round about the tubs of eggnog and poinsettias. 

White lights hung in profusion from ceiling tiles. White lights strung across the eggnog , curtains, bare birch trees were strung with them. Servers in tuxedos. Silver trays with white gloves and white cloths. A party. For the production crews of Lorimar Studios.

We played  and played . We played carols, we played Bach. I think we were a little boring. We were students. But we worked hard.The harpist played perfectly. 

We were envious. Guests stopped to talk to her. To take one of her cards. She schmoozed. The people kept coming. The eggnog flowed. We sawed away . 

Then HE walked in. He stopped by briefly, without saying much. Larry Hagman. Dallas, I Dream of Jeannie. Major Anthony Nelson (drool)……He went on to the card illusionist booth. He laughed. Someone brought him eggnog. He laughed some more.About 7 years later he died. But that night he was very much alive. We craned our necks for a glimpse.

Years later it reminded me of a military mess dinner. The kind where you are expected to attend.  Too bad we never had any circus contortionists twisting  around the Christmas trees,like at Loriomar.

One actress, from the show “Dallas”, stopped by. She really liked the harp. She took a card. We were envious again. We should have had cards. We asked her about Larry Hagman. She smiled and told us we were really lucky. We  could do what we wanted, when we wanted.  She liked the harp and requested a song. She said Mr. Hagman only gave out autographs if we played  or sang a song. So we obliged. Can’t remember what we played. The lady took another card and whisked away in a  shuffle of blue chiffon. We never asked her name…….

By the end of the night , the harpist had handed out most of her cards. We were still envious. When we packed up, most of the people had  left. Full of eggnog and shrimpy things on toast. 

The tubs of eggnog were left somewhat depleted, but not by much. The stewards drained them out with a hose. The eggnog burped and spluttered its way into oblivion. Decorations were taken down in moments, stuffed into bags. 

The Lorimar logos put away till the next shing ding. All those people trying to be entertained. Trying to be jolly. I think Larry Hagman, though, was happy. We could hear him laughing 

At the end he sauntered by and nodded at us…….he dropped off a cocktail napkin with his autograph on it. I think we dropped it somewhere. 

And the  eggnog remains blurped and squelched in the distance. Our Christmas was complete…

Photographs 2021
 

FLAME

"The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it is always young.The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair,and its soul FULL of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung." -Phillip Brooks

FLAME (original song 2021) The beauty of Christmas yet to come...in a flame of joy ...

The moonlight it was dancing, on the waves out to the sea

I heard Your voice come call me, in a flame of smoky light.

I will not fear the thunder, as it rumbles on the sand

A voice from down the ages, so haunting in its song.

For not my place to wonder, as the sky does weep with tears.

In you there is no darkness in the silver silence here.

I see the great clear twilight.........

and hold it in my hand.....

I feel your love beside me

A flame that burns so bright.

A voice from down the ages,

so haunting in its song.

Before the everlasting, you lift me in your arms.

A thousand years will pass here, a thousand stars will fly.

**Then soft  His thunder murmurs, a flame of joy is mine......

                                ** (Ey shun a Hunna hunder is lom-sa lasha hasha)

Photographs 2021