Viva La Difference

Tucson is a completely different scene to Quartzsite. We've moved from a desert town to a city and the difference in the location and patronage of our show are extreme.

At Quartzsite we can see for miles around us with the mountains way in the distance. Our booth stands on gravelly grey dust that, when it is windy, is picked up and sprinkled indiscriminately, leaving a layer on our beautiful polished rocks, clogging our eyes, and sticking to our hair. That's the desert for you!
Quartzsite is the type of place where the rockhounds can gather, talk 'rock' and buy those small pieces of rough rock that will make that perfect cabochon or arrowhead.
Smart buyers make the effort to come to Quartzsite before Tucson so they are first in line for large amounts of rough rock.
Above us in the Quartzsite sky we often see micro-lites floating gracefully across the sky above us and occasionally, hot air balloons.
It wasn't a quiet town, however; we could hear the roar of 'Interstate 10' constantly; twenty-four hours a day. It's one of the main US east-west highways.

Here in our Tucson booth we stand on tarmac surrounded by buildings.

There aren't many high rise buildings in Tucson but one of the few is adjacent to our show at 'Market Place'. It mainly houses people on state benefits and many of them come to browse around our show. Many of them, when chatting to us, point to the building and say that's where they live and that they come for a look each year. One man who lived up there made walking sticks for a hobby, from interesting pieces of wood that he found. He was holding one that looked remarkably like a snake - a cobra, in fact, with the wide head. It even had a tongue. If he hadn't spoiled it by sticking fake diamonds down the back of its neck it would have been quite attractive.

Rather than graceful thermal-seekers in the sky, in Tucson we see loud, fast military air craft passing overhead due to there being an air force base nearby. Every day, constantly, they fly over in pairs, maybe fours; jets, Hercules, all on various missions, no doubt.

Quartzsite was full of dogs, patiently walking with their owners, or being wheeled in some sort of cart. Here in Tucson it would seem things are more 'tropical'.

The weather, however, is not tropical! We have just had a real cold snap. The last three days or so have been bitterly cold. (Much colder than normal winters.) Not only was it uncomfortable to work in as we have no shelter but it keeps customers in the undercover and indoor shows. We did, however, make some sales. (At home in Perth it is swelteringly hot!)

Today, the clouds cleared, the sun shone and I even shed my jacket and woolly hat!! With the nicer temperatures and conditions the people were back on the circuit of outdoor shows and it was a busy day. And that's what we're here for!!