For those who've not read part one: 30 friends and I are visiting the Infamous Slabs intent on a bold experiment:
Effie leads this morning---cross country to the Northeastern edge of this square mile where Container Charlie lived and built his quirky museum. A few months ago he dropped dead of a heart attack. We want to know what happened to his art work. His family had no interest in it we were told.
Luke (always out front) enters first.
Well this is something new---wasn't there last year---nor the "flash" car on the left.
And this is new---Charlie loved to half bury things
A mammoth made of tires---it's been tweaked a bit.
A bottle wall---that's new also. Someone, it seems has taken up the mantle of quirk and is wearing it well.
Many of you will remember this buried bus---good story of a group on a mission---that ended right here. (too long to tell)
Someone moved into it and made it livable by constructing a level floor inside.
Remember this? It's called XANADONT--a play on XANADU (Shelly poem)
Ah---we meet the new caretakers---Even a quirky museum abhors a vacuum. Meet Penny--the new, cheerful docent who welcomes us---invites us into the inner sanctum.
Where we meet the entire caretaker community. Meet "Kat" and company.
Of course you want a closer look at him---as I did. Amazingly, he was undefensive (a trait I wildly admire) about his odd tattoos
Shows off one of the t-shirts that Charlie made to generate revenue. He called his place "East Jesus".
Prepare yourself for the backside......
Now you get some sense of Charlie's ----Humor??
His kitchen---being put to good use---I presume.
When they learned that I had written Charlie's memorial poem---they offered to show us his remains.
We are led into an alter- like cove.
They honor me with a baggie inverted over my hand---allowed to dip in and get a pinch of Charlie as a keepsake. (I will do something interesting with you charlie)
Now here's the spooky part. As I left---on a whim---I turned and snapped a shot of him. Do you see what I see? That's not my reflection in the mirror----I swear to you it looks like Charlie---in the flesh.
Wait!----I'll go get a shot of him--so you can judge.
Charlie--adressing visitors 2 years ago.---See what I mean?
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: Oh I'm not superstitious in the least. If there were such things as ghosts--I would make it a point to enjoy them. When I noticed this surprising image I flashed on the strange lady I photographed peering into Lido's Ballroom in Tierra Amarillo: http://mobilecodgers.blogspot.com/2011/08/last-dance-at-litos-ballroom.html
I think what we've learned today is that our doings---our beings---have momentum. Charlie's life and vision persist----and inspires. And yours will too---for good or ill. A Better legacy than fame or riches is to have set something in motion.
P.S. Haven't forgotten the "walking stick story"---it's up next.
This place fascinates me. What a unique lifestyle Charlie had. I'm so glad someone is protecting all of it. I think Charlie has something to do with this.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting photo of him in the mirror. I'm a skeptic but... could be.
thanks to you and your blog, Randy, I saw the slabs yesterday with eyes very different than what they might have been without you. We aren't staying there, but didn't want to miss it on our day trip around the Salton Sea, again, thanks to you.
ReplyDeleteAmazing photograph of what definitely appears to be Charlie.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this with us.
Even though my visit there was good, I still hope to return with you as a guide. I'm enjoying this series of posts. There are ghosts.
ReplyDeleteExcept from what I can tell from any pictures I've seen of him... He doesn't have a tattoo on his arm like the mirrored man.
ReplyDelete