Tag Archives: Mohave Valley

The Age of Earth

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

February 24, 2024- Four men in a vehicle, traveling for three hours and thirty minutes each way, can spend that time in a variety of conversational styles, from silence or one-word-dialogues (No thank you, to either of those) to elevated discourse. It’s best if the latter steers clear of politics, and today’s conversation did just that-focusing on the geological features through which we were passing.

Our planet came together, as an entity, 4.543 billion years ago. This is also called the accretion of Earth. The first known continent was Vaalbara, which formed about 3.6 billion years ago. Africa, the oldest modern continent, came into being 300 million years ago, followed, 100 million years later, by North America. The other extant continents’ formative dates were: South America, 225 million years ago; Asia, 66 MYA; Antarctica, 34 MYA; Australia, 10 MYA and Europe, 5 MYA.

This information, and the views that we enjoyed, traveling between Prescott and Mohave Valley, this morning and afternoon, were fodder for observations about the varied topography and geology. One may enjoy Ponderosa pine forests, that seem to go on forever, chaparral stands, Joshua trees, relatively barren desert, and rock formations from 1.84 million years ago-which are known as Vishnu Schist-this last, being close to the Colorado River, and the oldest layers of rock seen at the Grand Canyon.

As it happened, it was the Cerbat Mountains, a rugged, but rather low-lying range, in and around Kingman, which drew the greatest interest from the three men with whom I was riding, to and from the smoke alarm installations. Rocks have, over the past few decades, have achieved their due, both as scenic features and as backdrops for more extensive recreational activities. The Cerbats are mini-hoodoos, in spots, and have their share of fans, including the residents of Chloride, about twenty miles north of Kingman. I visited that old mining town a couple of times, most recently on the way back from a Carson City jaunt, in the summer of 2021.

The rest of the drive provided reminiscences of drives along a segment of Old Route 66, from Kingman to Peach Springs, and on to Seligman. The small villages, Grand Canyon Caverns and the various little restaurants and gas station coffee shops all have their adherents. My personal favourite is West Side Lilo’s, in Seligman, followed by Hualapai Lodge, in Peach Springs and Seligman Trading Post.

It is the scenery, though, that keeps me grateful for the chance to drive out to places like Mohave Valley (where we worked with the local Fire Department, installing smoke detectors). There are no boring places-at least not to me, or to those with whom I worked today.

Alarm Bells

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Historical, impediments, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 16, 2024- The three of us went in the front door,at the main Fire Station, in the small, sprawling community of Mohave Valley, east of Needles. We were there as part of the “Sound the Alarm” program, by which the Red Cross, acting in concert with local Fire Departments, first leaves flyers for an upcoming smoke detector installation, in a given neighbourhood, then returns, 1-8 days later, to install the detectors, where requested.

The event was scheduled after two recent house fires in the area. The first claimed the lives of a pregnant woman and her baby,as well as her in-laws. The second, in nearby Bullhead City, claimed the lives of five children. I walked by the ashes of the first house, this afternoon. Workers were clearing the debris, with the aid of a bulldozer. The eerie silence resonated, broken only by the barking of ubiquitous guard dogs, who seemed to be in every yard in the five-block area. I can only imagine the heartbreak of the surviving son, husband and father, going on alone.

Looking for the Chief and his Captain, we were informed that it was lunch time. So, we ourselves went off to Bonanza Cafe, where we found good quality diner fare, served with a smile. The smiles broadened, when we told the server why we were in town. A patron named Kevin, sitting nearby,paid for our lunch as he and his wife left the restaurant. . People tend to like those who take interest in their community.

Once back at the Station, we planned out our canvass of the five-block neighbourhood, a mix of new homes and mobile units. We focused on the mobiles, as building codes have mandated hard-wired smoke detectors, over the past ten years, or so. The task was made very light, actually, as we were joined in the canvass by an engine and an ambulance, which were thankfully not called away during the activity.

Thus did my brief “hiatus” from Red Cross volunteer service come to an end. It turned out that this interlude was brought on by an AI glitch, not by the fit of pique that I had noticed, at our last meeting. Microsoft marches to its own drummer, and doesn’t much care about who is getting along with whom. We three got along just fine today, and the software that interferes with our collaboration will be fixed soon.

After, the canvass, we were taken on a tour of the Fire Station, by Captain Tim. He explained that much of the new equipment we saw had been purchased with grant money. The Wildland Firefighting equipment came in handy, earlier this winter, when a blaze broke out in the rough country along the Colorado River. The hills above the nearby tourist town of Oatman are also constantly at risk. A Rehabilitation Vehicle is also on site, courtesy of a grant. This unit serves as a place for firefighters, particularly Wildland staff, to rest in shade, rehydrate and get snacks or solid food, during the exercise.

During his remarks, I thought of the southern Arizona community of Bisbee, which had experienced a major fire, yesterday, in its historic downtown. Bisbee’s water lines are 100 years old, which doesn’t help when an event like that happens. Two buildings were damaged, and the rest of Old Bisbee needs urgent attention, to ensure that the community doesn’t become another Lahaina. Captain Tim spoke of Maui, in stressing the importance of grants for fire fighting, in stressed communities. He also noted that networking, across several communities, has been a hallmark of firefighting, even before the concept became in vogue for society at large.

With all that in mind, we visited two families, one in Bullhead City and one in Kingman, so that our team lead could process their claims from recent house fires. The first was having a yard sale, getting rid of as much excess as possible. The second was at his extended family’s home, three blocks from the fire scene. In each case, Red Cross helps with small cash allowances for short term accommodations, meals and replacement of some personal items, such as clothing, while the victim(s) await insurance settlements.

It was a fourteen-hour day, from the time we left the Red Cross office, here in Prescott, until I was finally dropped off at Home Base I. No matter-it was a fine resumption of the service that gives me affirmation. The day had started with a message from my Beloved, and ended in the knowledge that there is far more love than hate or indifference, in communities large and small.

The Road to 65, Mile 256: Desert Wildfire, Day Two

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Posted by on in Assistance, Social

August 11, 2015, Mohave Valley-  When a crisis overtakes a community, many people come together and work to address the challenges that have arisen.  There are a few outliers and conspiracy theorists who show up, and stage drama.  Then, there are the grifters, who show up and just want, and take.

We had all three types of humans at the  shelter, yesterday.  Several people, who had lost everything, including pets, came, stayed until the evacuation order was lifted, and left at that time.  Others stayed until morning.  Two who felt the world was against them, stayed the night and left at least with the feeling that our corner of it was not so out to get them.  Two others came in, filled their duffel bag with food and toiletries, and left around 10 PM.  (They were technically eligible to stay with us, but chose to go back to their powerless, water-less house, for the night).

Today, I was part of a three-person tam that went out to the neighbourhoods of Mohave Valley and took stock of the damage.  I was the spotter, assessing the current state of the properties.  Another man had computer images of the properties, as they were before the fire.  By comparing the two, we were able to make a realistic assessment of actual damages. These will be useful, when claims are filed.  It may sound like we’re insurance adjusters, but Red Cross uses these assessments to determine how much in emergency aid should be given.  Most people are just grateful that somebody cares and is there for them, at a very bad time in their lives.

It’s hot here, very hot, though the cloud cover from a northern low pressure system mitigated the temperature a bit.  We were glad to let the few who remained this afternoon, stay and rest.  A couple of people were comforted by the staff and made to feel more human than they had in quite a while.  Some ladies helped a badly-shaken young woman, who was disabled, to have a mini-makeover, which probably made her year, not to mention her day.

This is the true depth of what we do- to let people know that, at their core, they are important, and valued.  The fire is mostly out, and the first responders are on hot-spot duty for 48 hours.  Tomorrow noon, we will head back to Prescott, and the local team will continue helping the fire victims, in their recovery process.