Ya can’t make this stuff up. And yet, the messages—whatever they may be—seem more relevant than ever.

I’ve written about (and then forgotten about) Slab City before—along with neighboring East Jesus, Salvation Mountain, The Salton Sea, and other freaky places near Palm Springs I visited in 2017. Yet when this picture came along today, the memories bubbled up fresh as a cold Coke. I’d say more, but the picture is worth 10,000 words, and I don’t have time to write that much today.

If global warming is a hoax, are the wildfires also?

Those crazy Canadians are sending us their wildfire smoke again. But it can make for colorful skies. This here sundown over the boathouse is from last Sunday evening—with no edits or filters!

How are sundogs made? Magic!

I just spent a week in Portland for my daughter’s college graduation, staying in a favorite old inn on nearby Lake Oswego. Now, usually when I’m in that area, the weather makes sure I’m wet, cold, and missing Minnesota. Not this time! Summer was in full bloom, even in the skies. The elements in the atmosphere applauded with this celestial magic!

A goat’s head. Crabhouse menu. Beaded sunshine. They all came home with me from far away, and make my house a beloved museum of memories.

My property is packed with mementos from travels worldwide. Big tip: Select small souvenirs (art, okay?), as they are easier to schlep in your luggage, and you can fit MORE of them in your home. My sauna is lined with small, exotic masks. Carved human forms in indigenous garb stand atop the bookshelves. Painted scenes from Grenada to Stockholm line the sun porch walls.

One problem (and another Big Tip): Sometimes, the memory blurs about what came from where—and some (especially carved masks) can look rather alike. So…Go ahead and write a short Sharpie provenance on the back. As the years go by, that’ll kick that memory in!

As a friend once said, “Moments make memories.” So do these many precious keepsakes.