Desert Lady Diaries

In this final episode of the Desert Lady Diaries podcast, Susan Henry (Ep 146) steps in as host and queries Dawn about her first experience with desert, the inspiration for Desert Lady Diaries and her shoppe, Soul Connection.   Born & raised in New Jersey, Dawn Davis was drawn to the desert after lengthy careers in banking, project management and media. After 14 years in the corporate scene, she spent more than 20 years as an actor, voiceover and producer.   Dawn moved to the Mojave in the summer of 2016.   Dawn is an award-winning actor and for the last four years has hosted and produced the 'Desert Lady Diaries' podcast. This month she will celebrate two years as the owner of Soul Connection, a gift shop in Joshua Tree.

Laurel Seidl's first experience with desert was hitch hiking from Carson City to Las Vegas in 1966. In this episode we learn Laurel has quite a bit of hitch hiking experience.         Laurel moved to the desert in 1982. Her parents lived in a homestead cabin on property at the edge of Twentynine Palms, near Wonder Valley. Laurel and her future husband at the time decided they would purchase a piece of desert property in the same area – ten acres off Amboy Road - as a wedding gift to themselves. It wasn't until they came to Twentynine Palms for their wedding that Laurel learned her parents' property was up for sale. She and her new husband bought it.   The property has been a farm, where Laurel and her husband raised rabbits commercially, as well as housing goats, livestock, chickens, geese, ducks, cats and dogs. After a few years, a rabbit disease made its way through the rabbit sheds, then an earthquake came and Laurel decided the animals weren't doing well, so her husband picked up gun smithing for the local Sheriffs and California Highway Patrol officers.   Laurel held a number of jobs in the area: as a cook on the base and local nursing home, school bus driver, and bartender. After a few years of this, Laurel found her health was declining and she was no longer able to work. This is when she decided to return to her art. Laurel painted saw blades, feathers, rocks, spoons… none of which had a desert theme. She felt there were plenty of other artists in the desert that were doing that well. She says, “They could even paint the air pink.” Laurel became a member of a local gallery, but because her work did not depict desert scenes for tourists, her work was not shown. Looking starting thinking about the buildings on her own property and hired a cowboy who was renting a trailer on her property to start making the buildings into art galleries and after 18 months, Laurel had her first gallery room.   Laurel suggested a gentlemen who'd helped with the construction – and created art – be the first show at the gallery. Eventually, Laurel started asking artists if they'd like to have a show and many were surprised to learn there would be no gallery fee or commission on their work. Laurel had only three requirements of the artists: advertise the show, furnish food for the opening reception and gallery sit on the weekends. These days, there are only two requirements: the artist's do their own advertisement and furnish the food – Laurel sits the gallery, welcoming visitors and talking with them about the artists and their work.   The gallery has also had its ­ share of mentions as ‘odd' places to visit in California – most of the time Laurel discovers this by word of mouth or by talking with visitors, as she does not have a computer or cell phone.   We also learn the inspiration behind the actual glass outhouses – there are now two.   In addition to showing the work of artists from the Morongo Basin, work has been shown from artists as far away as Chicago and Kentucky.   Prior to beginning the renovation and creation of the new gallery rooms, the list of artists booked to show in the space ran all the way to 2024. After a messy encounter with someone she'd hired to do the concrete work for the new galleries, Laurel found herself deep in a financial pit and ended up taking a loan and using a credit card to get the galleries completed. Laurel makes it clear, "The gallery is not a non-profit, nor is it 'for profit'. If after hearing Laurel's story, you are so moved, please go to the fundraiser on Go Fund me and make a donation. Here is the link: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-arts-alive-in-wonder-valley Join eight artists alongside Laurel and Frank as the new galleries open on Saturday, September 11, 2021 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Born in in Kingston Ontario Canada, near Syracuse NY, Robyn Lewis made her way to California with her first husband – he was moving back to family and Robyn was excited to be near LA to continue her acting career.   Robyn describes herself as a shy kid who took some acting classes in Canada to try it out, which lead to doing extra work on films when she moved to Los Angeles. On set, she enjoyed the camaraderie of the other actors and talks about some of the pitfalls of being a newbie in Hollywood.   While living in the Los Angeles area, Robyn had a friend with a place in Pioneertown. Robyn, and her then husband, would come up to visit for a change of scenery, wandering around Mane Street, which at the time was mostly residential. They'd wander into Pappy & Harriett's - with no reservations - and were wowed by a young lady who would stand near the jukebox and ‘rocked the place' with her amazing voice.   Robyn and her then husband decided to purchase a place in Johnson Valley and moved to the desert. Robyn quickly realized this location was too remote for a young mother with two young children. To meet people and give the kids some social time, Robyn found the parks in Yucca Valley, picnicking with the kids several times a week, meeting other moms and kids. She also discovered a Mommy and Me group where she found herself teaching several classes. Eventually, Robyn rented out the Johnson Valley house and moved to Yucca Valley.   Robyn says at that time the Morongo Basin was a pretty quiet place. There was no Starbucks, no Applebee's. Just a Kmart and two grocery stores. Robyn confesses to not spending much time in the National Park until meeting her current partner.   If you've been to Crossroads Café in Joshua Tree, Robyn may have taken your order. She recently made the difficult decision to leave the Cafe after working there for over ten years. In this episode, Robyn says the crew she worked with was truly like a family and she met so many wonderful people, visitors and locals alike.   In all her years here in the Morongo Basin, she feels this is the largest and longest influx of people that she remembers moving to the desert. She's asks new residents and visitors respect the place, the silence and clean up after yourself.        

Alisha Moreno was nine years old when she experienced the desert for the first time. Her family moved from Orange County, CA, to a condominium in the hi-desert, owned by Alisha's grandmother. Alisha's father, a single dad to three children, was looking for a change and moving to the desert felt like the right move.   Alisha says driving up the Yucca grade was like taking a step back in time. The town of Yucca Valley was basically just Highway 62 (Twentynine Palms Highway). But there was a big difference from how we know the highway today. There were no street signs, no traffic lights, no stop signs, no movie theatre, no Starbucks. There was a Walmart on the west end of town, as the super one hadn't yet been built.   Alisha has lived in the Morongo Basin for over 25 years and says it's been quite something to watch the small quiet, sleepy town expand so tremendously.   Alisha described the transition to a new school and meeting new friends as ‘easy'. With her siblings close in age, they shared friends in common. And Alisha immediately found a great friend who lived two doors down – they are still friends today. With a lack of formal activities, Alisha describes what she and her friends and siblings did to entertain themselves in the desert. In this episode, she also shares a story about her first extremely memorable experience in the Monument, now know as Joshua Tree National Park.   As Alisha approached her high school graduation, her thoughts turned to attending college back in Orange County. Having grown up in the desert, she found herself feeling a bit of culture shock at college. She worked two jobs to pay for school and rent and found it wasn't just the economics that were unreasonable, but she missed her friends, her family and the stars. After a year, Alisha returned to the desert.   Currently, Alisha is wrapping up her senior year at the University of Redlands and applying to PA (Physician's assistant) programs. Alisha's interest in the medical field began at age 16, with a part time job as a receptionist for an oral surgeon. She also has a keen interest in helping people.   Even with the demands of being a mom to a teenager, working, schooling, volunteering, Alisha has time to run her business, Soy Good Candles. What started as a little hobby kit to make candles for herself has turned into a full-blown business. You'll find Alisha's candles and air fresheners in a number of shops in the Morongo Basin – including Soul Connection. Or look for them on her social channels:   Soy Good Candles on Facebook Soy Good Candles on Instagram  

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Rose first experienced the desert on a camping trip w/friends. They tent camped in the Black Rock Campground in Joshua Tree National Park and she found it enchanting, beautiful, wild and fun. It was the first time she’d seen a coyote in the wild.   Later, while living in Los Angeles, Rose would come out to the desert to produce photo shoots. She says of that first time back, "The wide open spaces really grabbed me".   We talk about the harshness of mother nature with respect to weather and humans bumping up against the natural environment and witnessing the the circle of life happening up close and in person.   Rose says her decision to move to the desert was two-fold, part of it was the enchantment with the desert and the other part was a personal challenge to see if she could live here.   In this episode, Rose admits second guessing herself after the making the move. Ultimately, she ended up becoming inspired to pick up her camera again and make prints.   Rose got her first camera at the age of seven and her first ‘shoot’ was at a zoo, capturing all the wild animals. The appeal was immediate and Rose found herself taking photography classes as electives in junior high and high school, along with graphic design. After attempting traditional junior college classes - with all the math, history and English - Rose left and attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco to study photography. A class project turned Rose on to the development of magazines, which she found very satisfying. Upon finishing school she took an internship at Detour Magazine and was eventually hired on full time. Rose continues to work in entertainment magazines - it's been 27 years.   Prior to moving to the desert, Rose had begun to reacquaint herself with some photographic printing techniques and her medium of choice became the cyanotype (or some might know it as sun printing). Rose explains the process and if you’re interested in learning, you can sign up for her classes from her website.   The first summer here Rose's skin was so affected by the dry heat she wanted to find something natural to sooth and replenish her skin. Rose discovered how Native Americans used the beloved creosote plant to create healing balms and she began making her own hand balm. You can find the hand salve, body butter, candles and other treats created by Rose at her Etsy shop: Joshua Tree Desert Rose.

Born and raised in the East Coachella Valley, Lorraine Salas has a lifetime of experience in the desert. "When most folks hear ‘Coachella’, they think of the annual music festival, but Coachella has a rich history in the United Farm Workers Union."   Lorraine is a special education teacher and like her grandmother and her father before her, she is also an environmental and social justice advocate.   Her spirit for environmentalism started while spending time on her grandmothers ranch in Coachella. Lorraine remembers finding seashells, adoring the plant life, the coyotes, which left her with a feeling of amazement that still fills her today.   Though her grandmother passed when Lorraine was only eight years old, Lorraine has heard about the work her grandmother did for the community. An initiator of one of the first Voter Leagues in the City of Coachella. grandmother was also a farm worker and a carpenter, participating in group builds, constructing homes for fellow farm workers in the East Valley. Grandmother was also involved with the United Farm Workers.   In this episode, Lorraine talks about the changing economic and demographic landscape of the East Coachella Valley with it’s new million dollar homes and ‘beach clubs’.   Lorraine’s time in the hi-desert has mostly been for her advocate and activist work, attending rallies and protests for the environment and racial justice. Lorraine enjoys going to these type of events to see what’s happening, pick up any literature and listen to the speakers. Lorraine feels the rally experiences are also educational and will sometimes change ones perspective on issues. One of her most memorable experiences has been attending meals and meetings of Food Not Bombs .   Lorraine was one of twelve delegates elected to represent the 42nd District of the California Democratic Party and was a national delegate, voting for Bernie Sanders to receive the national endorsement at the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and 2020.  

Valcine Brown remembers trips to Las Vegas with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins as her first experience with desert.   Valcine describes a recent drive through the Mojave Preserve and what it was like to witness the destruction of the 2020 summer wildfires up close and personal.   Valcine moved to the lower desert in the 90’s. While thinking about leaving Los Angeles county, her husband at the time received a timely promotion that brought them to the low desert. Some time after moving, the couple divorced and eventually Valcine came up to the hi-desert looking to purchase her next home,   Having lived in both the low and hi-deserts, Valcine shares her perspective on the differences between the two places.   Valcine didn’t really know ­anyone when she moved here, but when you love to sing karaoke, it’s easy to find friends in a place filled with musical talent. One night at karaoke, a woman who enjoyed Valcine singing approached her, gave Valcine her phone number and introduced her to Lisa Rae Black (Ep 95) who invited Valcine to join hi-desert band, The LP’s.   Valcine grew up singing, starting in her church choir at the age of 15 and participating in the opera theatre in college. Valcine says her perfect life would be teaching during the week and singing on the weekends.   6:22 Saloon – karaoke   In this episode, Valcine talks about transitioning to teaching online during the pandemic and the challenges around building a rapport with new students when the school year began in the fall of 2020.   A self-proclaimed nerd, Valcine has earned two MFA’s, and is currently working toward her Doctorate.   Valcine discusses her independent publishing company, La CrisaAnd Productions, and her inspiration for starting it.    

Jessica Bennett's first desert experience was a program in her Washington State high school called ‘desert school’. Growing up in lush Seattle presented allergy challenges for Jessica and she immediately took notice of a change while visiting the eastern Washington desert climate.   A series of bachelorette parties brought Jessica to Palm Springs and some of those trips found her coming up to the hi-desert to experience Joshua Tree National Park. The more time she spent in this part of the desert, the more she found to appreciate. The landscape, the ‘hippie vibe’, the people inspired her to continue exploring.   After continuing to visit and spending money on vacation rentals, Jessica suggested to her husband they just get a place of their own here in the desert. Like many, the house was purchased site unseen, with a friend from Los Angeles riding out to perform due diligence. After the purchase, Jessica and her husband experienced some of the challenges new property owners in the desert inevitably face. Break ins, theft and contractors who misrepresent themselves or fail to show up.   As an aspiring journalist, Jessica left Seattle, attending college in Boston -interning at the Boston Globe - then heading to NYC to pursue work in journalism. While interning in NYC, she also 'did time' waiting tables. Having grown up on the west coast, raised by a father who was raised in NYC, Jessica didn’t realize how much of his ‘city attitude’ was embedded in her until arriving in NYC and feeling like she’d found her people.   Jessica landed a staff job at Newsweek and she’s been there ever since. Jessica explains her role as gender editor with the NY Times and why the role is necessary in today's journalism landscape.   In this episode, we touch on the toxicity of the new ‘cancel culture’, the future of analog magazines and newspapers and the vital role of local newspapers.   Jessica also shares the inspiration for her two books, 'Feminist Fight Club' and ‘This is 18: Girls' Lives Through Girls' Eyes'. We also talk about her inspiration for championing women and how her role as a journalist gives her a platform to speak out.   Learn more: Jessicabennett.com Twitter: @jessicabennett Instagram: @jessicabennett  

Elena Yu started making trips to the desert with her pre-school classmates and their climbing dads.   She recalls loving their regular trip to Coyote Corner to pick out rocks. Placing them in a little velvet back made it seem like rocks were something important to collect.   A competitive swimmer in her youth (discussed in the Diary Unlocked portion of the interview), Elena studied various mediums of studio art at UCLA from 2012 to 2016. After graduating in the spring of 2016 with her summer internship in the arts ending, Elena came across a job listing to work for Joshua Tree non-profit High Desert Test Sites (HDTS) and artist Andrea Zittel in Joshua Tree. As a one year paid internship with housing, Elena felt this would be the perfect way continue her work in the art world and to re-connect with Joshua Tree and explore it in a deeper way.   All of the sudden, she was in a house in 29 Palms w/out any neighbors and a mountain for a backyard. At that moment, she never expected she would have stayed for four years - and has no current plans to leave.   In this episode, Elena gives us a brief overview of HDTS (a non-profit formed by artist Andrea Zittel and others), A-Z West, Andrea Zittel’s personal practice and the roles Elena continues to play in the various organizations. Early on in her first year, Elena recognized that though she had a great deal of interaction with the HDTS resident artists, she hadn’t really inserted herself in the local community. After about a year, Elena said she started to feel a bit lonely and began to make a conscious effort to reach out to folks in the community who were pursuing similar interests to form deeper connections.   One of those activities was rock-climbing. Elena recently had the opportunity to go out and climb again with some folks she hadn’t connected with in a long time. The art and climber community doesn’t typically intersect in the desert. This recent experience has motivated her to reach out to a few folks she knows in the arts community that do climb and perhaps tag along with them to renew her skills and make more intimate friendships.   We also talk about the economic advantage of living here, particularly for folks in her age group who also work in the arts.

Born and raised in South Orange, NJ - in the shadow of NYC - Merilee Kuchon’s early life was very suburban and urban.   Merilee was about five or six when she had her first desert experience. Aunt Franny and Uncle Pete, who lived in Encinitas, put Merilee in the VW Bus and drove down to Anza Borrego. Merilee says, “It blew my mind.”   In 2004 Merilee was working at High Times Magazine in NYC. Though the job had some perks, Merilee was tired of sitting behind a desk. Having experienced 9/11 up close and personal, she realized that experience had not only changed NYC, but also changed her.   Merilee convinced her then boyfriend to quit his job and go with her on a year long road trip of the Southwest and Mexico. Before heading out on that trip, a former punk-rock friend from Jersey wrote Merilee, inviting her to come visit him in Joshua Tree while she was traveling.   Merilee stayed in JT for about a month – back and forth to Mexico, playing music, eating and playing poker.   She made her way back to NJ, continuing to make trips back out to Joshua Tree in the four years that followed. While back in NJ she met her love, Doug. They lived in Texas for five years, playing in a band and operating a co-op deli before making the move to Joshua Tree. Life in Austin was not fulfilling.   In making the decision to move to Joshua Tree the first time, Merilee knew she needed to work and decided it would be cooking. Years earlier, while still working at High Times, Merilee went to French Culinary Institute on the weekends just for fun and to learn. After getting settled in Joshua Tree, Merilee put a 'private chef' resume up on craigslist and immediately got a response from a drug and alcohol rehab facility down the hill in Indian Wells. While in Texas, she had a job as a deli manager for a food co-op, adding management skills to her culinary training. This all worked together to help Merilee – and her business partner Rosa Ficara (Ep 128) - to open Roadrunner Grab + Go deli in Joshua Tree.   In this episode Merilee shares the experience of applying for the deli space- adjacent to the Joshua Tree National Park Visitors Center - preparing to open, the menu, the staff and the good feeling of being able to employ local folks.   Follow Roadrunner Grab + Go on Instagram: @roadrunner.grabandgo

Michelle Castillo is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, educator, and community organizer living on Cahuilla Land, also known as Coachella Valley, CA. Michelle founded the feminist creative collective, Wyld Womxn and socially engaged food + art + memory project, Lola's Kusina, and is one of the co-founders of Bayanihan (buy-uh-nee-hahn) Desert. Through social practice, alternative spaces, and meaningful exchanges, she uses the arts as a tool to cultivate, bridge, and create more inclusive communities. Michelle uses her leadership and voice to serve and uplift marginalized communities. In 2018 Michelle was honored as one of six female community leaders by Palm Spring Life’s ‘Women Who Lead’, women who benefit the community and serve as role models in business and life.   In this episode, Michelle talks about growing up close to extended in an inter-generational household and how that inspired her Lola's Kusina project. We also talk about the inspiration for Wyld Womxn, which began when Michelle returned to the desert, having left to grow and find an arts and culture community, as well as a community where the leadership was more diverse. On returning to the desert Michelle found many of her peers, who had also left for similar reasons, seemed to also be finding their way back to the desert, to give back to the community and make the spaces they'd experienced that weren't yet available in Coachella Valley.   We discuss the importance of honoring those who came before us in this desert, the indigenous peoples whose land this was before the white man came and colonized it and taking time to understand who those people were and educating ourselves about their culture and customs.   Michelle shares her experience with micro-aggressions, macro-aggressions and provides some guidance around what white people can and should do to encourage and lift up marginalized minority voices.   Michelle also provides some advice for folks who are multi-passionate and shares suggestions on getting all those projects in their heads and hearts up and running and out into the world.     Engage with Michelle:   www.instagram.com/lolas.kusina   www.instagram.com/wyldwomxn   www.wyldwomxn.com   www.instagram.com/bayanihandesert  

With turtle as her spirit animal, Supinda Sirihekaphong says wherever she is, is home. She was in awe of the colors and the sky on her first trip to the desert.   Born in southern California and raised in New York City, Supinda has also lived in Thailand, Philadelphia and studied abroad in Australia. Supinda says living in all these different places has helped her learn to appreciate wherever she is, allowing her to put down roots and call where ever she is home.   While living in the Bay area, Supinda worked in the sphere of higher education. A change in the leadership of that institution, left Supinda without a job after 10 years. Supinda interviewed at many other institutes of higher education. Interviewing without new offers coming her way, Supinda began to think perhaps her time in the academic world was over. She thought about what other paths might be interesting to her, eventually giving it up to the universe to bring her a sign. The next morning she awoke from a dream in which she was supporting someone in labor. She called friends – those trying to get pregnant and those not trying, and none of them were.   Supinda took this as the sign she requested.   While continuing to interview for roles in higher education, Supinda completed a doula training program. While in the program, Supinda was getting opportunities to support doula clients. When all three of her clients went into labor on the same weekend, Supinda was able to support each of them.   Looking for a yoga class over the last Thanksgiving holiday, Supinda walked in to a local studio, Instant Karma. The studio owner happened to be there that day and Supinda introduced herself as a registered yoga teacher, who could perhaps fill in for the studio's regular teachers during the upcoming holiday. Supinda was invited to do a yoga demo and was brought on board to teach. When the studio was forced to close for Covid, Supinda was able to assist the studio in putting classes online without skipping a beat.   In this episode, Supinda says even while serving as a doula and yoga instructor, it's important to her to be involved the community. Which is why running for a Trustee position with the local community college appealed to her. Supinda believes her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Social Justice is particularly useful in this role at this time.   Follow Supinda's campaign on Facebook: @supindasiri4cmccdtrustee   Donate to Supinda's campaign: https://www.crowdpac.com/c/drsupinda4cmccdtrustee   Volunteer for the campaign: https://forms.gle/C1s3VGfJT1g3wiQT6

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Karen Harper came west at the urging of a friend. Looking down at the landscape of the Reno, Nevada desert from a hot air balloon, Karen loved it.   While in Reno, Karen was accepted in the Job Corps  vocational program where she tried her hand at welding and culinary arts. Upon graduating, Karen started work with one of the local casinos and thought her cooking skills would take her places. Karen left the casino kitchen for institutional cooking in skilled nursing facilities where she found less pressure.   Karen was introduced to 29 Palms by her sister, Carrie, who lived there running a cleaning business. Carrie would invite Karen to visit, but as Karen tells it, she would end up helping Carrie at her cleaning jobs instead of just 'visiting'.  On one of those trips, Karen made a decision to move to 29 Palms. She applied for a job, bought a home- now she owns three of them.   Karen leaned on her culinary skills while attending school to become a teacher. By this time, Karen had a family and the 12 hour days in food service didn't provide enough time with her family. At one point, Karen also left the desert for Georgia and Virginia, eventually returning to 29 Palms.   After being approached numerous times by various women in difficult circumstances, Karen and her sister Carrie realized they needed to create an organization that would give these women a place to be heard and receive direction. Women of Color Global 29 is a non-profit, women’s empowerment organization, headquartered at Jeanine's Beauty business,  Jeanine's Beauty , in 29 Palms. They were inspired to start the organization after being approached by women in their community who were looking for work, having trouble making ends meet or managing their children. The non-profit serves as a resource to build women’s confidence to get the help they need.   If you or someone you know (under the age of 23) are interested in the Job Corps program, google ‘Job Corps’ and the largest city near you.  (ex: 'job corps southern California') to find a program near you. Or visit their website: jobcorps.gov, linked above.   Find: Women of Color Global 29   Karen and Carries business, Jeanine’s Beauty Supply is located at 6470 Adobe Road, 29 Palms. They are open Monday-Friday 11-630, Saturday 10-530. The are closed on Sunday.

Originally from New Jersey, Melissa Grisi was living in San Francisco and working at Ameoba Records when she got into listening to alt-country.   She and her boyfriend - now husband, Ben - were digging the music and history of Gram Parsons. So, before moving back to the east coast in 2002, the pair decided to make a pilgrimage to Joshua Tree - to visit where Gram had partied with the Rolling Stones and would ultimately die, at the Joshua Tree Inn.   In this episode, Melissa describes what the area was like in 2002 - an undiscovered, gritty haven with an eclectic mix of artists, criminals, Marines and desert folk.   There was a fifteen year journey between Melissa's first trip to this desert in 2002 and making it home in 2015. During that time, there were numerous trips back, including their honeymoon in Wonder Valley. Purchases at the Sky Valley Swap Meet ended up in their Rhode Island backyard, creating their own desert oasis on the east coast and tiring their friends with their constant talk of Joshua Tree.   The idea of moving to the desert became a reality on one of those trips when Melissa found a classified ad for a social worker at the local hospital. Melissa eventually landed a therapist job aboard the Twentynine Palms Marine Air Ground Combat Center and she and Ben bought a home in Twentynine Palms over the internet, which Ben has renovated to make their desert home, including a pottery studio for Melissa.   Coming from a family who values being of service, Melissa just opened her own therapy practice in 29 Palms, Blue Sky Therapy, offering private therapy appointments, trauma informed yoga as well as training and consultation.   Blue Sky Therapy   Check out Melissa's pottery on Instagram:   @wildhopehandmade   Melissa's work is also available at Soul Connection in Joshua Tree.

Twenty years ago, Jennifer Jungwirth was just wrapping up her college education when she got a call to interview for a teaching position in Baker, CA. Then, the Morongo Valley Unified School District called. Jennifer came out to Yucca Valley and after 45 minutes of what Jennifer assumed was just friendly, casual conversation, the folks at YYHS offered her the job - and she accepted. This was Jennifer's first experience with desert.   In this episode, Jennifer says her friends thought it was 'cool' that she was moving to California, though Jennifer had not let on that she was moving to the Mojave Desert.   Of her first years in the desert, Jennifer admits, "I didn't get out much. I kept my head down honing my teaching craft".   Eventually adopting a dog, Jennifer started to make her way into the national park and then slowly became a faculty advisor to a number of clubs at YVHS, like ’S’ club – (Soroptimists), AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and Gay Straight Alliance True Colors. She also joined in community service with the Morongo Basin Humane Society – no-kill animal shelter – leading her to develop their dog-walking program. After attending a meeting of Transition Joshua Tree and hearing about community gardening, she became involved with their monthly Community no-waste dinner and food program - currently on hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.   Jennifer admits there were a few times early in her career at YVHS she considered moving on from the desert. Now, 20 years later, Jennifer says she has learned to appreciate the desert's subtle seasonal changes and though she enjoys leaving the desert to travel to faraway places, she says, "it always calls me back".    

Janis Commentz is a southern California native who grew up near the coast and began drawing and painting early in life. As the daughter of an artist, she was surrounded by art materials and enjoyed trips to galleries and museums, as well as seasonal trips to Laguna Beach and Carmel. Commentz moved to the Mojave Desert in 1977 to teach art and English at Sky High School, now Black Rock High School. At the University of Redlands, she earned a B.A. in art and English and studied printmaking with John Nava, well-known for his tapestries at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. She holds an M.A. in Education from California State University at San Bernardino, facilitated life drawing in Joshua Tree sessions in Joshua Tree for nearly a decade and teaches art classes at the 29 Palms Art Gallery, field classes for the Joshua Tree National Park Desert Institute, and painting retreats at the Campbell House in 29 Palms. She has exhibited at Gallery 62, Joshua Tree Art Gallery, the Purple Agave, Rainbow Stew, and the 29 Palms Art Gallery in the Morongo Basin, T.E. Studios in Riverside, and the Redlands Art Association, Redlands. Commentz participated in the Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours (ten seasons), Joshua Tree National Park Juried Art Exposition (six years), Joshua Tree National Park Spring Art Festival, Art Faire at California State University at San Bernardo and Art For Heaven's Sake, Redlands. In 2013, she helped create the “Pop Up” Art Gallery in Joshua Tree, Six Chicks, which evolved into Gallery 62. Commentz served as Gallery Director for Gallery 62 during 2016.  She has been the featured artist at the Glass Outhouse Art Gallery and the 29 Palms Art Gallery. Janis Commentz blogs on her website at https://www.janiscommentz.com/  

Bobbi Fabian's first experience with desert was with the Warner Brothers Roadrunner cartoon. Growing up in Melbourne Australia, Bobbi made her way to America looking for more opportunities as a photographer, finding she felt more at home  in the U.S. than in her home country. Bobbi moved to the U.S. in 2003, settling in Los Angeles. With an MA in Photography Bobbi was a freelance photographer and educator for most of her working life – commissioned by brands like Timex, Penguin Books, Audi and other household names.   On a road trip through America, while working on a project, she and a friend made a point to go through Death Valley and Joshua Tree. Staying at the Amargosa Hotel, they felt so at home, they decided to meet there every Christmas following that visit.   Bobbi's friend was unable to make it to their annual holiday in 2014 and Bobbi decided to go anyway . There she met a women and her friend who had moved to Death Valley Junction to perform Mara Becket’s original (dance) pieces.  During that trip, Bobbi sensed good things would be happening in Death Valley Junction and decided to make another trip back sooner than her annual holiday visit.   It was February 2015 and the Opera House was having a special event dinner and performance celebrating Valentines Day. The Dancer and her friend, charged with making dinner for the patrons, had gotten into an argument. Bobbi stepped in to help the friend finish the dinner preparations. The following morning, he told her the Cafe was in need of management and Bobbi should consider taking the job. Bobbi dismissed the idea, but couldn't let go of the thought the entire ride back to Los Angeles.   A month later, Bobbi was back in Death Valley Junction sharing her ideas for the Cafe with Marta Becket, who said yes to all of them. On June 10, 2020, Bobbi celebrated five years in Death Valley Junction.   In this episode Bobbi also shares some of the history of Death Valley Junction, how dancer Marta Becket came to be the caretaker of the town and how this place with 268 acres, population 3, survives today.   Now, as the general manager of the Cafe, Hotel and Opera House, with the support of the non-profit's Board of Directors, Bobbi describes her day to day: working in and hiring for the cafe, overseeing the maintenance for all three buildings as well as sharing the history of the Junction with it's curious visitors.   We also talk about Death Valley National Park, what drew her in so closely to that part of the desert and her disappointment with folks who treat the desert as a wasteland.   There are a number of videos available on YouTube telling a deeper story about Marta, her journey to Death Valley and her revitalization of the Amargosa Opera House. Just google 'Amargosa YouTube' or check out the documentary 'Amargosa' available online. It was such a documentary that inspired Desert Lady Diaries guest, Shana Rhodes, to make her own move to the desert.   Take a look at Bobbi's photography here: www.bobbifabian.com   Visit the Amargosa website:  http://www.amargosaoperahouse.org/   And, if you can and are so moved, please donate to the go fund me campaign to help the non-profit maintain the property during this time of Covid-19 closures:   https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/amargosaoperahouse  

Born and raised in the Tri-Cities area of Detroit, Michigan, Marylee 'Boo' McIntyre grew up gathering bushels of berries, apples, apricots and what ever other fruits were in season with her siblings to be used in the creations her grandmother and mother would bake from the day after Thanksgiving through the December holidays. Over the years, baking became a way to relieve stress and get grounded.   Marylee's first encounter with the desert was visiting neighbors from Royal Oak, MI, who had a place in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Marylee and her then husband loved it so much, six months later they were living there. A lake in the middle of the desert was fascinating to Marylee. At that time, the largest employer in town was McCulloch Chain Saws and neither Marylee or her husband were able to find solid employment. Then his employer invited him back to Michigan and so they left the desert.   During this tumultuous time in the finance industry, Marylee worked in a number of roles in finance. At the last job, after being asked to train her replacements, Marylee left and found her way to the desert. A man she'd met online lived in Joshua Tree and Marylee thought, 'What the heck? Might as well give that a try."  Unsuccessful in her attempts to find work in finance here, Marylee turned to baking and was making treats sold by a local Joshua Tree cafe.   After about five years, Marylee began to visualize having her own bakery - and so, it is. Boo's Organic Oven opened it's doors in July 2019, offering sweet (pies, cookies, pastries and cakes) and savory (pot pies and hand pies).   We talk about business challenges during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic (Winter/Spring 2020) and of unfortunate incidents of racism that Marylee has had confront to protect her employees.   A self-described city girl, Marylee likes to hike in the desert, but prefers not to go alone, "The trails in the desert are not as well-marked as those in greener areas... I sometimes find myself getting turned around." The night sky, the silence and watching sunrise and sunset are Marylee's favorite things about desert living.   A grandmother of 13, Marylee says one of her granddaughters back in Michigan has the family baking bug, though she hasn't yet made the trip to grandma's desert bakery.   And, if you want to know how she got nicknamed 'Boo', you'll have to listen to the episode.   Check out Boo's Organic Oven here.   Follow on Facebook and Instagram

After 20 years in Los Angeles and a career in the film industry, Jody Curtis was guided to the Mojave desert in 2008.   A seeker of deeper spiritual understanding from an early age, her first experience with desert was visiting her Mom and step-dad during one of their annual stops in Slab City. Taking several days to wind down from the stress of the city, Jody often found she didn’t want to leave the desert to go back home.   Just after leaving her job at NBC, Jody was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. A defining moment for Jody, her first thought was 'I have to get out of the city and get back to nature’.   By this time, her Mom had settled in Landers and so, Jody moved to the desert, having purchased a home sight unseen.   Traveling back and forth from this desert, Jody often passed the Institute of Mentalphysics and wondered what the place was and try as she might, was never able to locate information online. After moving to the desert, that curiosity remained, Jody telling her mother, “I think I’m supposed to work at this place.” One day she decided to just walk in and talk to the Director and a few months later, Jody, a web designer, was working there, combing through historical documents and records to create an online presence for what is also known as the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.   During her ten years working at the Institute of Mentalphysics, Jody became a Reverend and teacher of the breath work.   In this episode, Jody also shares the background and history of the Institute and of Founder Edwin Dingle, named Ding Le Mei by his eastern teachers.   Jody is now putting the Mentalphysics teachings into the world through her online classes and is also Founder and creator at Empower House Productions sharing audio and video affirmations and guided meditations to heal and empower body, mind and spirit.   If you're interested in checking out the breath work class, currently every Wednesday at 11 a.m., dial in using Zoom conferencing, Meeting ID 882 7880 8645 and use the password: Wellness.   Follow Empower House Productions on Facebook, click here: https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerHouseProductions/  

At the age of six, Rosa Ficara had her first experience with desert - her family had just moved to the desert from Waterbury, CT. Rosa doesn’t recall much about the move other than the fact that the desert was much warmer than those Connecticut winters.   As the first-born of Italian immigrants, Rosa spoke Italian (two dialects) before she spoke English. At that time, this area of the desert wasn’t extremely diverse and in school, Rosa found herself befriending schoolmates in a similar situation – one was Japanese-American and the other was Korean-American.   At 17, Rosa was ready to leave the desert and explore, heading down to University of California Riverside to study language. In addition to two dialects of Italian, she also speaks French, Spanish, and English.    While at college, Rosa sometimes brought friends or roommates back to the desert to visit and was surprised to hear how cool they thought it was that she grew up here. Rosa says, “I started to appreciate the desert through their eyes.”   In this episode, Rosa describes a few of her global experiences while still in college, then in a work program, working for a bank in Switzerland, among other roles and locations.   On her return to the U.S. she settled in Culver City – near Los Angeles – where she discovered Salsa dancing, which has become one of her greatest passions.   While in the LA area she felt the urge to change her career path and enrolled in the California School of Culinary Arts Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. She thrived in the program until she was injured in a car accident the day of her baking final. Attempting to complete the final with a cast on her right arm proved impossible and though she made it to the International Cuisine curriculum, never officially graduated from the program.  If you’ve ever had the opportunity to enjoy Rosa’s cooking, you know she’s put her education to good use.   Rosa and her business partner, Merilee Kuchon will soon open Roadrunner Grab & Go, a cold kitchen situated adjacent to the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center.   Having returned to the desert in 2004, Rosa has gained an appreciation for the grounding nature that is right outside her door and finds herself now enjoying the bounty it has to offer. And now she photographs the snakes, instead of running away from them.   Follow Roadrunner Grab & Go on Instagram.

    Born and raised in San Diego, Shaney Jo Darden's first experience with the desert was traveling to visit her grandparents who lived in Palm Desert. About ten years ago, Shaney Jo started coming to the hi-desert to visit a friend, who owned Rimrock Ranch in Pioneertown. Rimrock became a place for Shaney Jo to bring her staff for annual employee retreats: learning about new programs, receiving training and enjoying some off-site downtime hiking, taking in a sound bath at the Integratron or having a social night out together at Pappy & Harriet’s.   After a number of trips to the hi-desert, spending more and more time here and meeting the community, Shaney Jo began to realize this was a special place for her. Having spent nearly 10 years in Los Angeles, Shaney Jo was ready for a change and recognized moving to the desert would not only change her surroundings, but would also be the place to fulfill one of her big dreams: to build a wellness center for cancer survivors.   Shaney Jo is the Founder and Global CCO of Keep A Breast . The organization empowers young people around the world with breast health education and support and sparks conversation around prevention, early detection and self-checks for young women. This includes art and education programs as well as programs for survivors. In this episode, Shaney Jo takes us through the formation of the organization, from it's humble beginnings as a fund-raising art show, to the international organization it is today, celebrating 20 years of good works (2020).   Last year, Keep A Breast was part of the annual local Highway 62 Art Tours, breast casting nearly a dozen local women whose casts were painted by local hi-desert artists and available for viewing during the third weekend of the tours.   With their new headquarters completed and staffed in Yucca Valley, Shaney Jo is looking to offer the KAB lounge space for a cancer survivors group to form and is now turning her attention to the development of the wellness center of her dreams. Actively in the planning stages on property in the Rimrock area, this achievement will bring Shaney Jo’s desert journey full circle.   As Keep A Breast began to rapidly grow and change, Shaney Jo found herself looking for help to responsibly guide the organization. She found it in the form of a book titled, ‘Let My People go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman‘ by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and one of the founders of 1% for the Planet. Shaney Jo recommends this book to anyone running a business or non-profit who is looking for a better way to lead their organization and take care of its staff.   Prior to founding Keep A Breast, Shaney Jo worked in the apparel industry - another lifelong dream realized - with designers like Tommy Hilfiger in NYC, before returning to the west coast to work in the surf/skate apparel industries – Shaney Jo’s fabric of choice is denim.   Check out all the links and, if you're inspired, make a donation to this worthwhile organization.   https://www.keep-a-breast.org/   https://www.nontoxicrevolution.org/   https://www.fit4prevention.org/

Forty years ago, stifled by life in a small Michigan town, Jacqueline Guevara's vibrant, fun-loving mother loaded her 1972 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and hit the road with her teen-aged daughter for a new start in Palm Springs. Driving into this desert oasis was Jacque's first experience with desert.   In this episode, Jacque describes working in the Palm Springs hospitality industry in the 1980's and the life skills she acquired in those jobs. A change in ownership lead to a subsequent lay-off from her job at the Palm Springs Country Club leaving Jacque jobless for the summer. With her sons out of town visiting their dad, Jacque wasn't sure what to do with the time on her hands when a friend teaching ceramics at Desert Arc invited Jacque to come and volunteer. Jacque was immediately hooked with the idea of helping people and suddenly found herself in a career in social work and, eventually, non-profit management.   Some of those positions required Jacque to travel frequently between Los Angeles and her home in the Morongo Basin - her description of  the feeling of 'the day coming off you' as she climbed those grades will be relatable to those familiar with the route.   Jacque describes herself as a new and 'accidental conservationist' in her work with Mojave Desert Land Trust and eventually in  her current role with the Joshua Tree National Park Association, where Jacque leads teams carrying out a number of initiatives from staffing the park's visitor centers to providing adult education opportunities through The Desert Institute. Jacque also gives us some insight into the the Association's role at the National Park, specifically where they take their cues and direction from and the part that plays in park operations, particularly shut-downs of the park.  

Cathy Snodgrass was born and raised near Galveston, Texas. Her first experience with desert was watching western movies.    In 1976, driving through what was then Joshua Tree National Monument, Cathy rounded a mountain and found herself looking down on the 'quaint' town where she and her then Marine husband would be stationed. Cathy knew immediately this was home and made it a condition of her second marriage that they never leave 29 Palms – that was 40 years ago. Cathy will tell you, “I’m very heart bound to the area”.   Describing a time she went back to Texas to visit, she says she couldn't wait to get back to the desert, feeling "smothered by all the green."   Over and above her love of the desert landscape, Cathy loves the people and the camaraderie and community that comes through being involved in the 29 Palms Historical Society or those days she helped to organize the annual Weed Show.   Cathy describes her ‘super power’ and how she used it and other skills in her Civil Service roles on the Marine base. She started as a C4 clerk typist and worked her way to GS11, becoming one of the first civilian paralegals in the Legal Assistance Office, then taking an early retirement at 50.   An author of a plethora of award-winning romance novels (under the pen name Caitlyn Willows) Cathy says, “The writing gods decree that you will write – and you do." Cathy started writing in 1986 and was writing while working full time on base, each day rising early and writing two hours before heading off to work and then again for two hours in the evening, before bed. She describes the life of a dedicated writer, locking herself away on weekends - in addition to her weekly morning and evening writing - didn't leave much time for fun or friends.   Without any formal writing training, Cathy just began writing, later joining an organization that taught writing where she says she learned a great deal about the process. Even with that, it took Cathy 13 years of writing before she was ever published. Cathy provides a cautionary tale of sorts about what her life as a writer was like, taking a step back last year to regroup. In doing so, or to quote Cathy, ‘letting the universe have it’s way with me” and says she has found she is now happier than she’s ever been.   With more time in her schedule now and feeling no grieving after leaving her writing career behind, Cathy works creatively in mosaics and pottery. She has also become a reiki master and has obtained a degree in spiritual healing.   Check out Cathy's Creative Soul Facebook Page featuring her books and mosaics.

Artist and founder of Earth House Studios, Sharon Davis creates colorful art and installations at her home in Morongo Valley.   Sharon and I bonded as two Jersey girls, so you might get hungry listening to the beginning of this episode.   Sharon left NJ for the first time in in 1974 and came to California, landing in Huntington Beach, moving on to Moreno Valley, then Palm Springs. After that she's moved between the east coast and Texas, Virginia and Maryland, with a few stops back to California in between.   Her first desert experience was in Palm Springs, which Sharon found to be way too hot. When she did decide to come back west, having some pretty specifics requirements for her property, she thought she'd land in Pioneertown, but found the perfect place in  Morongo Valley - a place she feels doesn't get enough credit and notice in the basin.   Sharon has always liked art and being creative, dabbling in many different types of art from drawing to sewing. As a kid, a woman came to her parents house to buy a couch, saw some of Sharon's art and invited her to come apprentice with her husband, who worked for Tiffany's. Sharon spent one Saturday with the man and another young artist, learning how to inlay enamel with toothpicks.   After have her kids, Sharon set aside her creativity and art, only using it to work on projects she typically gave away as Christmas gifts.   She finds herself very inspired by the desert and the night sky and tells a story about her high school art teacher, with whom she re-connected with many years later. We also hear a bit of history around the Morongo Valley Art Colony.   Being part Cherokee, Sharon tells us a bit about ceremony, sweat lodges and a recent art installation event she hosted at her home to bring awareness to the disappearances of over 6,000 missing native American females – women and children.  

Like the roots of the honey mesquite and creosote, Robin Kobaly's desert roots go deep. Her immediate family moved to Morongo Valley when she was 2 years old. At six, Robin had an extraordinary experience with desert wildflowers - an experience she was hesitant to share, being part of a scientific community, fearing her work would not be taken seriously.    In her studies of plants, Robin also came to appreciate the ways in which Native Americans used plants dyes for basket-weaving, textiles and ceremonial paints and tells a story about the dye found in prickly pear cactus.   Studying plants with her mother in the Morongo Valley, they would collect and sometimes serve them for dinner. "My brothers were always petrified about what they were going to eat the next night".   Having spent time as a botanist for the federal government, her life has been dedicated to try and protect plants and the desert while educating people to do the same. Robin is the Founder and President of The Power of Plants as well as serving as Executive Director of SummerTree Institute.   In this episode, Robin explains how much more alive the desert is than it appears, what is happening underground, how the plants are partnering up to survive, and the value the desert provides in naturally removing carbon from the air.   Robin's recent book, 'The Desert Underground', began as a scientific 'white paper' of sorts to assist the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to understand what happens to the desert when it is prepared for thousands of acres of industrial solar fields. With a number of folks asking for a copy of this 'report', Robin decided to turn it into a book. The book was extended to large display boards, creating expositions, which Robin is now developing for a traveling exhibit and along with her husband, Doug. If that wasn't enough, they are also creating a documentary on the subject, to educate even more people about the importance of the desert.   Robin was the 2018 recipient of the Minerva Hoyt California Desert Conservation Award, presented annually by the Joshua Tree National Park Association. "The Minerva Hoyt California Desert Conservation Award recognizes annually individuals or organizations that have worked to further Mrs. Hoyt’s legacy by making notable achievements in the areas of leadership, protection, preservation, research, education, and stewardship of California’s desert lands. The award seeks to recognize an individual or persons whose efforts lead to a significant and lasting contribution on behalf of the deserts of California."   When things slow down a bit, Robin is looking forward to hearing the flowers talk to her again.    

Carol 'Dusty' Seddon's first desert experience was in and around the Mojave near Apple Valley in the mid-90’s accompanying a group of friends from an Orange County college, who were coming out to perform archeological digs.  Dusty immediately fell in love with the feel of the desert – the dry air, the quiet and so much different than what she’d know in the suburbs. On these digs they mostly found tools, stones used in cooking, and maybe bits of pottery.   In October of 2005, returning from a Mitchell Caverns trip, Dusty was looking for a more adventurous route back home to Orange County.  She pulled out a map and found a route that would bring her through Amboy, to a place she’d heard of called, Joshua Tree.   As dark fell, Dusty found a camping spot at Indian Cove and on exiting her tent the next morning, looking around at the colors, boulders, textures, says, “It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced”. In this episode, Dusty tells about a gift from the Park Ranger who showed up to her site in the morning.   Dusty made it a point to return to Joshua Tree within a year. Those trips continued, becoming every six months, then more frequent – sometimes camping, other times staying at the Joshua Tree Inn. Just seeing the landscape along the highway seemed enough - three years after her steady trips out, she finally went into Joshua Tree National Park and was pleasantly surprised by what she discovered.   As much as she loved coming to and recharging in this special getaway place, Dusty felt she could never live here with the extreme summer and winter temperatures and then, there was how figuring out how she would make a living.   After ten years of visiting, Dusty met and began dating someone who lived in Joshua Tree. He pointed out how stressful her life in Orange County, CA was and suggested she give a move to the desert some serious consideration. Dusty admits she did not possess the ‘blind faith’ others seemingly had when making their journeys here. Sitting in her car in public parking lot one day on a lunch break, Dusty saw a moving truck and took that as a sign to make the move - and continued to ponder what she would do when she got here.   With a love of clothing since her early teens, Dusty shopped often in local vintage, resale and thrift stores. Her sense of the owners of these shops was, 'they had the life'.  While still working full-time, she often wondered how she might make a go of selling clothing on the side, but with most of her energy going to her full time work, she just could never see it happening. Having brought all the clothing with her to the desert, as Dusty was unpacking it, she began to realize what an exceptional collection she had and thought she needed to begin selling them.   A chance encounter at the local Punk Rock Sewing Circle accelerated Dusty's dream and soon after, she was opening 'Dusty Deserette' in the Sun Alley Shops in downtown Joshua Tree. Dusty celebrated four years in business on February 13, 2020.   Though Dusty didn’t set out to have a vintage clothing shop, she has found that much of what she has sourced for the shop is vintage and she continues to learn more about the various facets of that fashion genre. She calls her shop 'a fashion shack of eclectic clothing for guys and gals'.   Dusty says she's found life in the desert to be more fulfilling and authentic and is currently is renovating a camper she'll stock with clothing to travel to flea markets and do pop-ups on the road.     FB: Dusty Deserette IG: @dustydeserette

First trained as a painter, artist Mary Addison Hackett also practices in photography, video and other time-based projects.   Mary Addison first experience with desert was on family vacation – three of them – from her hometown of Nashville to the Grand Canyon, Tucson, Mexico and other natural desert wonders along the way.  Even then, Mary Addison had a camera and to document her trips.   Though impressed with the natural and cultural aspects of these desert trips, Mary Addison doesn’t recall having any aspirations of moving to the desert.   Mary Addison’s next desert encounter came in the late 90’s while working for a post-production house out of Chicago. A project with a director in Santa Monica, brought Mary Addison west and during some downtime, she decided to make a trip to Joshua Tree and admits the place made no particular impression on her at that time. Later, after getting married in Palm Springs, and having by this time moved to Los Angeles, she remembers weekend getaways at the 29 Palms Inn and other camping trips where she used the coin operated showers at Coyote Corner.   Mary Addison made the move to Joshua Tree after five years back in Nashville caring for her aging mother, then sorting through three generations of belongings and selling her childhood home. The political climate had changed and, feeling uncomfortable in Nashville, coming back west, near her artistic Los Angeles, peer group felt like the right thing to do.   Researching and communicating with a realtor via the web, Mary Addison found a home and made the move.   Here in the desert for about two weeks, a friend from Atlanta texted, suggesting she immediately –that very moment – drive to an event at the Joshua Tree dry lake bed for what turned out to be a High Desert Test Sites event. Mary Addison also attended an Artist Tea at Joshua Tree National Park (which she now directs) and the opening of the Joshua Treenial – a trifecta of events at which Mary Addison began to establish roots in the artistic community.     Mary Addison believes the desert has elevated her consciousness around being a more responsible human, doing her best to reduce her footprint by taking her trash to the dump, rather than opting for trash pick up and chopping her own wood, used to heat her home.   Not sure if the desert is her last stop, Mary Addison says she wanted a rural living experience and right now, the desert is affording her that opportunity.   Mary Addison has exhibited domestically and internationally, is a film editor, arts educator and freelance arts writer.   Check out Mary Addison on social:   www.maryaddisonhackett.com Instagram: @maryaddisonhackett @painting_is_a_verb

 Born in New Jersey and raised in New York's Hudson Valley, Cynthia Marie loves to drive cross-country - she's done it six times.  On one of those trips, she found herself nearly out of gas and calling Roy's in Amboy, CA, asking them to keep the pumps open for just a bit longer so she could gas up and make it to Joshua Tree for the night. As is the desert way, the obliged.   Still working in graphic design, Cynthia went to art school to study Printmaking. The school required their sophomores to take one class that felt out of their comfort zone - Cynthia chose metal fab(rication) sculpture and fell in love. Cynthia has worked in both the artistic and production sides of welding. Starting making furniture and then moved over to the production side which found her working on huge entertainment sets in Hollywood and Las Vegas and even to Rio de Janeiro building the NBC stage for the Olympics. In the episode she talks about the challenges of working out of the country, which included some difficulties getting clean laundry.   Once in the desert, Cynthia quickly found herself meeting local folks through volunteering with the Desert Institute, where she continues learning and experiencing the desert up close and personal.   Photo credit: @hidesertshredder CHECK OUT CYNTHIA's WORK ON INSTAGRAM:   @hotsteelwelding

Here we are at the start of another new year where, as with life, change is the only constant.   And it snowed in the desert!   A quick 15 minute episode welcoming you back and highlighting what to look for as the podcast launches into it's third year.   Happy 2020!

For this episode of the podcast, listeners were invited to send in one question they wanted me to answer.  Here's a sampling of some of the questions answered in this episode:   "What makes Dawn Davis produce the Desert Lady Diaries?"   "When and how did you become a voice over artist?"   "Would you talk about the process of how each episode gets made from start to finish?"   "Why do folks here keep the hood of their car raised while it's parked?"   "Did you move here to be close to the park?"   And several more. I hope you enjoy it - and if you ever have a question, you don't need to wait for an episode like this to get it answered. Send an email to desertladydiaries@gmail.com and I'll answer.  

On being in retirement bliss   It was a lunch hour trip to the California Museum of Photography in Riverside, where Julia first experienced Joshua Tree. The exhibit was the result an annual photographic expedition to Joshua Tree National Park. Finding out it was an annual event, Julia put it in her heart to attend and take photos the next year - and she did.   During that weekend, Julia says her soul shifted and, “I felt really connected to the area for reasons I couldn’t explain.”   After a number of trips back and forth to visit from her home in the Corona area, Julia moved to the desert in 2010, at a time when the local housing market was in decline. She and her then partner found a three bedroom, two bath house for $50,000. The downsides were Julia was still working in Riverside and continued making the two-hour commute for five years. As well as dealing with a squatter at the property next door.   This past summer Julia took a trip with her daughter to see family in the northwest and two weeks after returning home, Julia found herself going back to Washington state to provide additional support for the family after her sister was diagnosed with throat cancer.     In this episode, Julia talks about the bliss of retirement, blurring the line of time, allowing herself to do things when she feels inspired and not looking at the clock. She describes it as allowing herself to just ‘be’, starting new projects in the moment.   On her summer family visit Washington state, Julia signed up for a drumming class and talks about making and using different drums. Julia drums at home and finds it transformative, with hours going by as she is just 'being'.    Julia is also an artist, painting and using the solar eco- printing process to make one of a kind items for her wardrobe.   We also cover some of the changes she’s seen in Joshua Tree, the inspiration of community and attending the very first Transition Joshua Tree meeting, as well as the reduction in vacant homes, squatter issues and the increased park and vehicular traffic.

Cheryl's first experience with desert was in the early 80’s, driving to Palm Springs for Spring Break with a friend - and her friend’s grandmother drove them around Palm Springs to see the sights.   After that, Cheryl started coming out to the desert on her own, not really knowing about Joshua Tree until a former boyfriend suggested they visit a place he used to rock climb. On arrival, Cheryl was so taken with the place, she asked him to stop the car, so she could get out and take in the unique landscape and wide open space.   Eventually, LA traffic and other factors began to wear on Cheryl and she decided to come out and try living in the desert for a year.   From an early age, Cheryl was told she was creative and remembers always working on craft projects. Just out of college with a BA in Illustration, Cheryl expected she'd be working on the commercial side of art and also recognized the role computers would play in the future of some art disciplines. In this episode, Cheryl says she didn't set out to start her own embroidery business. Moving to the desert and creating in a digital medium showed her she could work from anywhere and her many embroidery business contacts helped, giving way to her business, Stitch Art Studio.   Not knowing anyone when she moved to the desert and being a business owner, Cheryl got involved in the Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce and shares memories of Turtle Days and Coyote Days and meeting her husband, while serving on the Board of the Chamber.   Her community involvement didn't stop at the Chamber. Cheryl talks about finding the Morongo Basin Arts Council, which expanded her community to the many creatives in the area. Cheryl served as a volunteer and in executive capacities with the Council and also presented her work as part of the Highway 62 Art Tours for many years.   The Joshua Tree Music Fest has also become a tradition for Cheryl and her husband.   After a 2018 trip to the Four Corners, Cheryl and her husband started talking about a side trip to Sante Fe, for a visit with friends. They quickly found a house outside of Albuquerque, which they are actively remodeling to prepare for a Spring 2020 move.  

    Kathleen Lowndes is proof that attitude is everything.   Kathleen's first experience with desert was on a family move from Upstate NY to Inglewood California via the infamous Route 66 – Kathleen was eight years old. She recently found a black and white photo from 1955 of her family under a Joshua tree in Kingman AZ.   After Kathleen's mother died in 1998, Kathleen grieved for a year - sitting in bed, knitting and crocheting. After grieving, her roommate had a stroke and decided to take their recovery in their homeland of Sweden to take advantage of the lifetime healthcare.   Having been invited to stay with friends in Banning, California, Kathleen gave up the apartment in Laguna Beach, put her things in storage until she decided how she wanted to move forward with her life.   With a plan to take day trips, try to get her old job back, get her things out of storage and move on – Kathleen says her car had other plans, bringing her regularly to the hi-desert. Kathleen entered the park, where she explored places she'd previously visited in the park and after two or three weeks of this routine, Kathleen decided to get all her things out of storage and found a house to rent in Joshua Tree.   In this episode Kathleen talks about the medical condition – that she later discovered ran in her family – that began to present itself in various ways, until finally taking her down in July of 2003, which lead to a diagnosis putting her on a journey to her enormous medical miracle: a surgery that could potentially rob her of her abilities to think, walk and talk.   Kathleen says she went for the miracle because she couldn’t stomach the thought of becoming permanently disabled and says, “I trained for this surgery like an Olympic athlete trains for a gold medal".   After successful surgery and months of physical therapy, rehab and a short stint in assisted living, Kathleen found her self at home in the desert silence, where she says she experienced an onslaught of ideas. Kathleen says she is pretty convinced it was the silence and the solitude that really helped her recover and that she was somehow positioned in this desert for all of this to play out as it did.   Since having the surgery, Kathleen is thriving, doing all those things and more including writing a book about her experience. The only thing left to do is get back behind the wheel of a car.   Kathleen's book, 'Facing the Ultimate Fear: A New Future', is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and locally in the desert at Joshua Tree's Space Cowboy Books and in Yucca Valley at Cactus Wren Book Exchange and Rainbow Stew.