May 31, 2004 - Las Vegas, NV

Some things are worth doing several times, and this used car lot is one of them.  Besides, after talking to son Doug I had to come back to get some shots of a rally car for him.  He's got a mostly 1972 'Vette that he runs in local rallies and does pretty well with, considering it's a 'Vette and not a "proper" rally car.  But anyway, I've got this deep seated love for Jaguars (the old "real" ones) and so does Barb it turns out, so back here we are.

My late brother Bill, who was four years younger than me, bought a 1953 XK120 from a guy who said it needed an engine because it was running so rough.  Turned out it was a pretty special car.  Called a Silverstone Jag I think.  The frame had all been punched out like an airplane frame, it had two filler caps for the fuel, and some other oddities.  Anyway, I took a look at it for him, we replaced the timing chain and it ran like a sweetheart.  He'd lost his license and couldn't legally drive it at the time, so I had a ball being his chauffer for a little while.  He sold it shortly after that for a handsome profit.

Yeah, it's not one of the originals, but it's still sexy, eh?  And wicked to drive, too, I'll bet.  I had to shoehorn myself into them back then, and can only imagine what it would be like today!  And then the car that turned out to be our favorite.  Well, my hands down favorite.  Barb has a bit more trouble with the selection.  Ten years old and still beautiful, in our eyes.

Yeah, the rocker covers say Jaguar.  Took this shot through that tiny window behind the drivers window.  This car looks fast sitting still.

Ah, yes.  True love.  All three of my brothers owned Jaguars at one time or another, but never me, and I've loved them ever since I was 14 and we lived on a fairly busy street in Sacramento, CA, (Eastern Ave and Arden Way) and at night I'd lay in bed listening for one to leave the stop sign at the corner.  No car before or since has sounded so sexy in stock form as the XK120/150's.  I've never heard this XJ220, so maybe it's better.  A close second would have to be the Ferrari V-12 engines.  And then, of course, the distinctive sound of a V-Twin motorcycle engine like this Indian's competitor, the Harley-Davidson.  We only grow old on the outside, don't we.

Ah, yes.  The switch from one form of beauty to another.  We've come to like the Las Vegas area.

YIKES!  Look what happens when I turn Barb loose with the camera while I sit in the air-conditioned Jeep!  She nails some pretty fun shots, like that flower with the bee totally engrossed in being a bee and ignoring her.  She peeked in the culvert, but no critters greeted her.  Thank goodness!  I still had on my sandals at this point and wouldn't have run down to see anyway.

Well, I had to include a red rock in here someplace didn't I? 

The contrast of the rocks in the bottom of a wash was interesting.  That depression in the ground between Barb and me is called an Agave Pit because the early people made these doughnut shaped depressions to do their major cooking in.  We read there were lots of bones in these pits throughout this area, but respected the request on the sign and didn't go digging around for ourselves.  Looked like a pretty big pit for a cook-out to us!  The grayish rocks all around the pit showed evidence of having been in the fire.

This poor rock looked like it has a bad case of acne, or maybe even the chicken pox!  If I didn't know better, I'd think it got this way as it was cooling from volcanic activity, and the escaping gas made these little craters.

Barb spotted this "elephant head" here on the left.  Told me it has both ears (small ones), an eye, a head, and a nice long trunk pointing straight down.  After trying hard, I had to agree with her.  Sort of.  Can you see it?  Well, the unique bar at "Old Nevada" in Bonnie Springs has a display that's unmistakable.

Yup, it's money.  Dollar bills signed by their ex-owners and stuck to the rafters.  For what reason I have no clue.  And Barb's trying to get her finger shortened by one of the local residents in a pond next to the bar/restaurant where we'd stopped for an ice cream there in Bonnie Springs.

Swans look graceful no matter where we find them.  That low-lying building houses the bar and restaurant.

For $10 we could have parked the car, ridden the train into town, seen three "shows," and had the run of "town."  We opted to park the car for free and spend our money on ice cream.  Cutesy little tourist trap anyway.

The train station, and here comes the train.  Powered by what sounded like a quiet running Briggs & Stratton gas engine.  The cars parked on the other side of the train belonged to people like us, who opted not to park below and ride the train in.  They had a pretty good sized motel there as well.

Barb wanted a picture of the lizard on that rock (the little one up front), but before she could get the camera out, it ran off.  But then I spotted this one off a bit further on the bigger rock.  She said it was too far away, but I assured her I could blow it up for the website, so she shot it.  And when I blew it up it turned into a ground squirrel!  Cute little guys were all over the place, but never close enough to get a good picture, and they really hustle when they run, too.  The surprises we get with this lifestyle never end!!

Wild burros live in the area and we spotted some at Bonnie Springs, but they were too far off for a picture.  But on the way to Blue Diamond we caught this one by the road.  Drove through Blue Diamond, but other than guessing there may have been a mine here at one time, we couldn't see any reason for the people living here who, apparently, have a good sense of humor.  Both Bonnie Springs and Blue Diamond were places we knew nothing about before seeing the signs and just poking around to see what was there.  Is this a great lifestyle or what?