A short drive through green fields of produce, from Yuma, into California is the tiny town of Bard.  Home to the Imperial Date Farm.  Dates, healthy, full of fiber and protein, taste like sugar.  We could not resist the deal on the eleven pound box.

We leave Yuma and set up for the next show:  The Gold Show in Quartzsite, Arizona.

We make these pendants from 1,000 year- old Indian pottery shards collected years ago on private land.  Shaped into squares and set in silver pendant trays they show the classic “red on buff” style of pottery done by the Hohokum Indians of Southwestern Arizona.  Better named the early Sonoran Desert people, we celebrate their awesome existence, allowing them to live on in these unique jewelry pieces that we proudly make, here in the USA.

Today we wind up at the bluegrass festival in Casa Grande. Next weekend renaissance fair in Yuma.  We hope your week is blessed.

We walked where they walked and viewed the ruins of a four-story building they built centuries ago now called Casa Grande.  The Hohokam Indian culture ended before Columbus sailed. Thousands of people living in these adobe villages, farming in the desert, building miles of irrigation canals leave only these crumbling buildings and many unanswered questions.  

Sherry and I visited the Casa Grande National Monument this week.  While only a one square mile preserve, it was impressive.  Today starts the 32nd bluegrass festival here in Casa Grande and we are looking forward to being part of it.