The Janbruary 2017 Joshua Tree Tortoise Telegraph

Who will be king - of the hammers?

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he New Year is bringing two major events to the hi-desert—the Ramos Bros. Circus returns to Yucca Valley, February 2-13 with an all new, animal-free, Vegas style family show, then King of the Hammers arrives from February 3-11, bringing more than 400 off-road racers, hundreds of venors, and an expected 30,000 race fans to the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area.

King of the Hammers has grown from an idea that was first implemented on a trial basis in 2007. Now, it has become our area’s largest annual event, and the largest off-road race event in North America in terms of both competitors and spectators. It combines desert racing and rock crawling, and has expanded from a single race to a series of five races held throughout the week.

“KOH 2016 was our biggest and most successful King of The Hammers to date. We look forward to continuing that momentum into 2017.” said Hammerking founder, Dave Cole. ...continued on Page 7

Stay in touch with the Tortoise! www.jttortoisetelegraph.com Photo: Spidertrax Off-Road.

In this issue: artist snake jagger continues his true life story in the fifth installment of becoming snake jagger do you Zulluu? from south africa to the hi-desert february’s events to read about while you’re stuck in line waiting to get into the national park Keep it real: help stop vandalism and theft in our national parks - put the NPS tipline# in your cell phone: 888-653-0009

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Tales from the tortoise ?

do you zulluu from south africa to the hi-desert

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by Steve Brown

waZulu, South Africa, is the home of the Zulu. It’s a very long way, geographically and culturally, from Sam’s Pizza & Indian Food in Joshua Tree, where I’m having tea with someone who has somehow found his way from the highlands around Eshowe, overlooking the coastal plain of Zululand, to the currently rain-soaked hi-desert.

John Zulu, leader of the band Zulluu, is meeting with me on this otherwise gloomy winter’s day. John’s quite an interesting fellow on a number of levels, a passionate hiker and outdoorsman, with a band I have really come to enjoy. I caught them performing during the holidays at The Living Desert’s Wild Lights, and realized I needed to catch up with John.

John’s wandered a long path to get from Zululand to Joshua Tree, from South African farm boy, to modeling and acting in Spain (where he met Kari Rose, his wife, who joins him onstage to sing and dance), to running his own business in the hi-desert. His musical career didn’t begin until he arrived in the desert around a decade ago.

When you talk about the cultural history of Joshua Tree, one location has been central to its cultural development throughout the past two decades: The Beatnik. As a musician and performer, John’s come a long way from his solo beginnings at Beatnik Cafe open mics. He and his band Zulluu are taking world beat rhythms with African roots and blending them with Euro-pop dance beats, vocal arrangements in English and Zulu, original, often socially conscious lyrics, and an upbeat live show that includes the Zulluu Girls singers and dancers in wildlife-themed costumes.

“Historically I come from a place in Zululand, a place called Eshowe,” John said. “It’s up from the coast, you can see the sea from the mountains, 30 miles or so directly to the sea, you have the coastal plain and some beautiful hills, very forested, and Shaka [Zulu] chose that for his royal kraal. Shaka was basically the father of consolidating all of the fragmented tribes into one Zulu nation.

“I lived part of my childhood, near Bushmen’s River. My mother was pretty much fluent in Zulu. As a farm boy you’re brought up colorblind, which was marvelous to have had that. It allowed me to have insight into ways the Zulu people think and relate to things in a simple descriptive way. The traditional Zulu is such a lovely person.

“I was very lucky to have lived surrounded by traditional Zulu. It’s rubbed off, like where you go to a [traditional Zulu] wedding. There’s always lots of drum beating and sound.

“To an average American, it could get boring after a while. It was used almost to bring you to altered states, very connected to calling up their ancestors. They get a lot of advice through their ancestors.

“The harmonies were always terrific. In more modern times they had a guitar or something. But very few instruments. The young ones would learn to sing with the family, it’s a very family inclusive thing.

Grandma’s singing, dad’s singing, the little kids are singing. The harmonies are just terrific.

“My roots are strongly connected to that. I, as a kid, remember some of the Zulu people walking up the road from the sugar plantations in the area there, singing and just playing various piccolo kind of guitars.

But I never ever pursued music until I came to Joshua Tree. I’m kind of a musical virgin in a way.

“It started with me when I was at The Beatnik,” John continues.

“When I first played, honestly, it was so terrible people would leave the 2

room and go and smoke in the back. Only one person, a young lady, she would sit there in the front and at least be nice. I had one audience—exactly one.

“I did start singing a little bit in Zulu, just a few words, and after that, there were a few people who liked what was going on.”

Things grew from the Beatnik, until John and his band began performing for hundreds of people, from exclusive private events in the hidesert to Coachella Valley locations from The Riviera to The Living Desert.

Now, Zulluu has a new album coming out, Do you... Zulluu, and it’s a fun romp that takes you on a bit of a historical tour of John’s evolution as a songwriter and musician. He’s still growing and evolving musically, and you can trace that growth on the album.

I naturally lean toward the songs with the most African influence— Leopards, NgiCela, Bamba, Rhinos, and Ngiyalandela. Zulluu is at their most appealing when they blend catchy African rhythms with Clive Wright’s tight guitar-driven melodies and vocal interplay between John and the Zulluu Girls. Live, you can add in a lot of dancing and African-inspired theatrics that keep the band-audience connection strong.

“I’ve always been a very theatrical person,” John points out over tea. “Very animated. Maybe it’s the African culture?

“In the very new songs I’m doing, I’m trying to include a lot of vocals,” he adds, noting he has to balance the amount of Zulu language lyrics he includes in his music to keep it accessible to western audiences. “In my songwriting, I look for smatterings of it that describe something, but they’e got to fit in. It has to fit in with the passage of the melody. I have a large percentage of it in English, but there’s all these pieces with Zulu words in them, and when I started to write that way, people took notice.”

People are continuing to take notice of Zulluu as the band has evolved. With a vibrant and contagiously energetic live performance, infectuous African rhythms and catchy melodies, and John’s songwriting that meshes the music with pressing contemporary issues through songs like Rhinos, a passionate plea to save the rhinoceros (being driven toward extinction for their horns that are alleged to have medicinal purposes), Zulluu is both relevant and engaging, a fun and entertaining band with a fascinating leader who is still growing as a songwriter and performer.

“I’m still at that point of trying to stamp what is that Zulluu sound.

I think you learn a bit more, play a bit more,” John explains. “I’ve been exceptionally lucky to be surrounded by exceptional musicians.”

That he has. Looking at the album credits, names like Clive Wright, James East, Andy Fraga, Esjay Jones, and Gene Evaro (who helped mix some of the album) are representative of the high level of musicianship involved (all of the musicians on the album turned in quality performances).

I’m looking forward to seeing where the journey of the lad from KwaZulu goes from here.

Parade of Homes Returns in February to Benefit Reach Out Morongo Basin Star Ranch

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he 13th Annual Parade of Homes, benefitting Reach Out Morongo Basin, is set to take place Sunday, February 19. The annual event, which sees supporters from across the hi-desert open their homes to curious visitors, is the program’s long running fundraiser, bringing in thousands of dollars in ticket sales and sponsorships every year to support it's services to senior and disabled residents of the Morongo Basin.

13th Annual Parade of Homes benefitting Reach Out Morongo Basin February 19

Some of the homes to be featured on the 2017 Parade of Homes include: Magic on the Mesa. The home of Mike and Cindy Fagan is a beautiful and rustic homestead that has been artfully decorated by the owners. The home features the original wood plank walls, vintage furniture and artwork from many local artists. Walk the paths of the outdoor garden areas, swing on the large wooden swing and enjoy the opportunity to visit with the owners’ herd of rescued alpacas, including newest additions Sebastian and Cusco.

Bohemian Chic. The home of Angela Korens Leggett will be the second home featured on Yucca Mesa. Built in 1956, this ranch style home showcases the owner’s love of color from the artful interior which uses many non-conventional materials to the glass yard-art sculptures handmade by the owner that dazzle the eye. With 360-degree views, the surroundings will catch your eye.

Star Ranch. Located in the beautiful Panorama Heights area of Joshua Tree, this is the home of David Parker. This private 2.5 acre enclosed compound boasts incredible views, a gorgeous Pioneertown-style ranch house with a glorious veranda for outside living, a star gazing pavilion, pickleball court, a fabulous guest house and a spa overlooking hundreds of miles of the Mojave Desert.

The main house is a 1,000 square foot one bedroom home decorated with local artwork, a full kitchen with copper sheet countertops and bath. The adjacent guest house has its own private veranda, kitchenette and full bath with claw foot tub. From cathedral boulders to the forever panoramic views of the Mojave, this is the place to leave the world behind and enjoy peaceful relaxation.

Flora Desierta. This is the home of Eddie and Janet Tucker and is the second offering in Joshua Tree. Located in the Avenidas area what started out as a 900 square foot “plain jane” house has become something much more inviting, reflecting the owners’ love of the desert. The expanded living room features cozy seating and large picture windows that open to the one acre garden area landscaped by the owners, with wonderful seating areas to relax. With a large yearround garden and a covered front patio for gracious summer entertaining, Flora Desierta is not your typical suburban box house.

The Campbell House. The former Roughlely Manor, located in Twentynine Palms, is owned by Paul and Jane Smith. What began as a modest homestead property in 1925 has been transformed over the years into a modern day desert oasis.

Unlike anything you'll find in the Mojave Desert, the Campbell House is a Philadelphia style colonial house built in the late 1920's by Elizabeth & William Campbell, two of the early Twentynine Palms homesteaders.

Set on 25 secluded acres, surrounded by towering Washingtonia fan palms and lush gardens, the Campbell House property offers a peaceful retreat, where you can experience the quiet and calm of the open desert. Find some shade and unwind in one of its many gardens, or play a game of bocce ball with the kids and reconnect.

"The generosity of owners who open their homes to us is what makes this event such a success," said Executive Director Robin Schlosser. "Growing interest and success in the recent past has homeowners eager to show their homes which range from renovated homestead cabins to astonishing architectural masterpieces. The unique qualities of each home showcase our desert community and way of life. Visitors on the tour view six homes in the Morongo Basin each with its own story.”

For more details, call Reach Out Morongo Basin at (760) 361-1410.

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Tales from the tortoise

becoming snake jagger By Snake Jagger

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by way of introduction

he desert produces some fascinating creative spirits, and often, they have stories as interesting and varied as themselves and their work. Whenever possible, we like to share those stories with our readers to give you a deeper look down the tortoise hole, into the minds and souls of our friends and hi-desert neighbors.

I’ve known Snake Jagger for quite a few years now, and his artwork has been featured on the cover of our sister publication, The Sun Runner. He’s featured in our Morongo Valley episode of our TV series, Southwest Stories, doing lip-ups and talking about Frank Sinatra and his Dad, lip synching competively, and being a pirate, something we share (it’s a long story).

Snake is a uniquely talented desert artist with a penchant for creating desert scenes of orderly, sometimes raked, desert landscapes, with the occasional UFO, doorway, or even a rake, included. It’s what he calls whimsical surrealism, and the name fits. He has a playful painting style that is a perfect match for his personality.

But don’t just listen to me. Read Snake’s story in his own words. I’ve done minimal editing because I like to let people tell their story their way. He’s working on a book, so the Tortoise Telegraph is serializing his story in this, and upcoming, issues. It’s a great way to get to know Snake, and it’s a hell of a ride.

You can also peruse Snake’s online gallery and shop online at www. snakejagger.com. And yes, that’s one of his works in our masthead. – Steve Brown

Chapter 5: Moving to the desert

I got a few inquiries about the grand theft bones comment I made earlier. I told the story briefly in my first post about my life. But I will tell the story in more detail here. In my last year of high school, I had run away from home, and lived in the La Brea Tar Pits by the LA County Art Museum. I slept on top of the bathrooms in the park with another guy named One Eyed Terry from Albuquerque. He had an eye that got blown up by a firecracker and he took out the glass in his glasses so his bad eye was visible. We would panhandle for change, to get something to eat at the House of Pancakes on Wilshire and Fairfax.

I was still going to school then, and when I needed to get cleaned up I would have to run in circles in the park wetting myself and rinsing off in the sprinklers that would go off around midnight. Eventually Terry and I were discovered on the bathrooms by the gardeners, so we were evicted from that spot and moved to the May Company parking lot which was next door to the park.

One night, with two friends of mine, Bobby and Terrell, we decided to jump the fence in a pit that was being excavated in the park. We found a lot of bones in the dirt there, and took a few to have as keepsakes. While we sat cleaning the bones with the dental tools that were left in the pit, a strange guy came up to us, talking all weird. He was obviously high on something, he told us he took some LSD. He soon left and went out in the park and started yelling at the top of his lungs, "I AM GOD! I AM THE WORLD".

It wasn’t long before there were cops everywhere. Bobby, Terrell and I had to get out of the park and out of the area. My two friends had homes to return to, but I had to stay in the street and try to make my way back to my campsite in the parking lot. Well, along comes a police car, they see me walking alone in the middle of the night and stopped me to inquire about what I was doing. That’s when they found the bones in my pocket.

They asked me where I got the bones, and I said I got them from science class at school, but soon I caved in and admitted that I had taken them from the tar pits. So into the back of the police car I go. That’s when they asked me where my two friends were. I tried lying again, saying I did not know who they were talking about, knowing my friends were on foot making their way to their prospective homes. That’s when the cops asked me this. "Have you ever heard of police brutality?

Well you’re going to get some of that if you don’t tell us where your friends are."

I blurted out both friend’s addresses immediately, shaking all over with fear that I was about to be pummeled by these two police officers. We drove to each guy’s house, woke them and their parents up, and took them away with me to the police station. The cops told my friends that they threatened to beat me with a wet noodle, and I snitched. If looks could kill, Bobby and Terrell were stabbing me with their eyes.

When we got to the police station, the police were talking to other cops in the building, someone asked, "what are they in for?" And I overheard one of the cops say in a joking manner, "Grave robbing!" Thankfully Bobby and Terrell forgave me eventually.

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Soon after this incident I moved to the desert to live with my dad. Thus began my desert adventures.

Now the adventure gets real interesting! Moving to Jerry’s place was a big deal for me.

And I had fallen into yet another teenage heaven, even more beautiful than living at my dad’s house and having the keys to his MG while he was in Israel. This one had women.

Beautiful young women, and they were NAKED! WHAAAAAA?

I was 18 years old, still as shy as I was most of my life growing up. Jerry gave me a wooden tool shed to have as my room at what would best be described as a commune or ashram of vegetarian hippie chicks and guys. All I had to do was paint pictures, sez Jerry, and I could stay there as long as I liked.

I thought I would never leave.

Besides being interested in philosophy and different religious ideas, I was also becoming more and more interested in being a healthy eater. From that time on I was a strict vegetarian, fruitarian, eating no protein or any mucus foods like dairy or eggs.

I kept that up for eight years, eventually going back to eating meat when I moved to Hawaii and got into boxing. My thinking was, if guys like Sugar Ray and Hitman Hearns could look so good and be in such great shape eating meat, then maybe it wasn’t that bad after all. More about that and Hawaii later. Now I’m back at Jerry’s house.

I’ll never forget the first day I moved into my little shed. The walls sang at night with crickets, so eventually I started to sleep outside, under the Chinaberry tree. I was a neat freak and that bode well for me, because I was always sweeping up and making things look nice and neat. I began to learn all about being a vegetarian, and totally enjoyed that hippie, free living life style. Jerry had a sweat lodge he built next to the trailer he lived in. He rented out the rooms in the house to various characters. We used that sweat lodge a lot! One time I was alone in there with a cute gal, Sue. I wanted her so bad, but just couldn’t bring myself to let her know.

To this day I regret not going for it. I’m not at all sure she felt the same way, but you know how that sexual tension gets when you’re chock full of hormones and there’s a beautiful naked person sitting right next to you. And you’re both already sweating.

Jerry used to go out to orchards round the valley and pick fruit—one day it would be grapes, the next day it would be grapefruit. We lived on those boxes of fruit, juicing them and even drying the grapes to eat as raisins. I would tag along because that was another way I would pay my rent, helping him gather fruit for the house and other boarders.

There was a guy I met who lived down the street from Jerry. That was Wally. He was an Adonis-like young gent, as handsome as you can be, a real ladies man. He was another vegetarian and had a great garden, like we did at Jerry’s. He also had a most beautiful and voluptuous girlfriend named Stephanie. I used to go over there just to look at Stephanie. She reminded me of Little Annie Fannie in the Playboy Magazine, and Jeannie of I Dream of Genie, that bouncy and voluptuous woman so many men dream about. You forgot what you were talking about when she walked through the room.

At one point Wally had opened a juice place with an English guy named Peter, in Cathedral City, not far from the flats. I worked there with them, getting paid two quarts an hour. I went for six months living primarily on orange, apple and carrot juice, supplemented with dates and avocados completely covered in cayenne pepper. I got real skinny on that diet and eventually I had to quit, adding some protein to bring my weight up again.

ZeusJuice,nectarofthegods. Fromtheheavenstoyourdoor! Thatwasourslogan. We would juice up the produce then deliver it to your door. The business lasted only around six months, but I still think it would be good to revise that idea.

Wally had been a huge influence on my life. He was like the big brother I never had. I followed him around like a puppy. If it wasn’t for him, I may never have moved to Hawaii, a place I had dreamed about for so many years. I have always wanted to end up on a tropical beach somewhere, living in a treehouse and eating coconuts and mangos.

I had Wally trained to respond to me when I would call out, "Hey Wally! And he would say, “Yeah Beav?" That was because I likened our relationship to those two kids on Leave it to Beaver. I was pretty artistic in those days so Wally would ask me to do all the logos and posters and signs for whatever project he was working on at the time. That was always a good excuse to have me around. He took me to Goleta when he helped open a restaurant where the waiters would play instruments and sing when they weren’t waiting on customers, that was called Paradise Cafe. Salt Lake City when he opened another restaurant there, that had a big ship built inside where the walls would move mechanically, to make the ocean horizon that I painted, bob up and down, but that made people a little seasick. I’m trying to recall the name and I’ll have to try to find pictures for the book. He took me to Hawaii when he was helping with the opening of the famous Blue Max restaurant in Lahaina. He taught me to do a flip off of a 50 foot cliff into the ocean in Kaanapali.

We had a lot of good times. I will go into this later in my Hawaii chapter.

During the time I lived at Jerry’s house, we met Peter from England. Peter had hooked up with the exotic girl named Ina, who lived in one of the rooms at the time. She was a belly dancer and the first naked girl I saw bathing in the outdoor shower that Jerry had in front of his trailer. I must admit one thing. It wasn’t long before it was no big thing to see or be naked and walking around. You just start to get used to it, and didn’t have to hide your "condition" when a naked girl would walk by, because you didn’t get as excited as you might in the beginning.

It was around that time I started listening to David Bowie. Ziggy Stardust. I’ll never forget the day that my father had come to visit me at Jerry’s house. He had moved to LA by then, forsaking the coolest house he ever had, because the owner sold it to SINATRA and it was going to be demolished. Probably because Mr. Annenberg didn’t want it there so close to his compound. Anyway, when my dad drove up, I was putting on makeup and black fingernail polish, just messing around and emulating Bowie. Dad walked up and stopped in his tracks. I laughed and assured him that he didn’t have to worry. I wasn’t going "that way." He gave me an unsure glance then proceeded to hang out with Jerry and the hippie chicks. Before he left that day he gave me a roach of something he got from his boss. I smoked it with another gal, Jan. We got so freakin’ stoned that I was praying to God to please let me get through this and I promise I’ll never do that shit again! Those were the days when you bought a four finger bag of marijuana and it was half seeds and stems and just leaf. I had never smoked bud before.

I had a lot to learn.

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Hi-Desert Happenings Theatres Theatre 29 Sylvia, a comedy by A.R. Gurney, directed by Eddie Tucker, about a relationship and a dog, and a relationship with a dog. January 13-29.

73637 Sullivan Road, Twentynine Palms, www.theatre29.org, or call (760)361-4151.

Hi-Desert Cultural Center Almost, Maine, a real romantic comedy. February 3-11. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf. February 24.

61231 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, www.hidesertculturalcenter.org or (760)366-3777.

St. Joseph’s Players Winter Warm-Up Fundraiser Dinner, January 28. The cast and crew of the upcoming production, A Few Good Men, will serve up some comfort food. 5:30-7 p.m. Dinner is $8 or $14 for couples, with raffle tickets available.

St. Joseph of Arimathea Church, 56312 Onaga Trail, Yucca Valley www.facebook.com/StJoePlayers or (760)362-9319.

Gallery 62 Freeze Frame, through January 29. Youth Art Month Art Show: February 3-26. Opening reception: February 11, 6-8 p.m. Closing reception: February 26, 2-3 p.m. Sponsors are being sought for the Youth Art Month show. All kindergarten through 8th grade students in the hi-desert are invited to submit paintings, drawings, sculpture, and photography to the show. Student works will be judged by grade level, and selected to represent the hidesert in the Southern California show, March, in Mission Viejo.

61607 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, www.gallery62.org JTAG (Joshua Tree Art Gallery) Inside Out/Writing on the Wall, Barbara Drucker & Barbara Spiller. Through February 5.

61607 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, (760)366-3636, www.joshuatreeartgallery.com Hi-Desert Nature Museum Seeds: Nature’s Artful Engineering. The beauty, diversity, ingenuity, and critical importance of seeds and their dispersal mechanisms in California native plants. Through March 11. Yucca Valley Community Center, 57116 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley (760)369-7212, www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org

Groves Cabin Theatre Exit Laughing, by Paul Elliott, directed by Wendy Cohen. February 4-26.

8758 Desert Willow Trail, Morongo Valley, (760)365-4523, www.grovescabintheatre.org

Taylor Junction Closing potluck reception for Spot On exhibit, January 29, 4-8 p.m.

61732 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)974-9165.

Art & Culture

Music

29 Palms Art Gallery Youth Judged Art Show—United through Art, January 12-29. Claudia Bucher and Jeni Bate, Skyscapes for the Soul, February 2-26, opening reception: February 5, noon-3 p.m.

74055 Cottonwood Drive, Twentynine Palms, (760)367-7819, www.29palmsartgallery.com

29 Palms Inn 73950 Inn Avenue, Twentynine Palms (760)367-3505, www.29palmsinn.com Live music nightly. Usually scheduled: Beverly Derby & Bill Church, Saturdays; Bob Garcia, Sundays; The Luminators, Mondays; Daniel Horn, Wednesdays; Bobby Furgo and company, Thursdays. The Wonder People usually play first Friday monthly.

29 Palms Inn Desert artists on exhibit in the restaurant.

73950 Inn Avenue, Twentynine Palms, (760)367-3505, www.29palmsinn.com 29 Palms Creative Center Art classes and activities for adults and kids.

6847 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, (760)361-1805, www.29palmsart.com 29 Palms Visitor Center & Art Gallery Winter Blues: Desert Moods & Shades, through March 31.

73484 29 Palms Hwy., Twentynine Palms Beatnik Lounge Love Magic, February 11, 6 p.m.

61597 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)475-4860, www.jtcpc.org

Pappy & Harriets Pioneertown Palace 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown (760)365-5956, www.pappyandharriets.com Upcoming: Moonsville Collective, January 28, $10; Super Blood, February 4, $13-$15; Sean Watkins and Willie Watson, February 10, $15; Brandy Clark and Sara Petite, February 16, $20; Crystal Fairy, February 23, $15; I See Hawks in LA with Bart Budwig’s Amperband, February 25, no cover. Regularly scheduled: Open mic on Mondays with guest hosts, The Shadow Mountain Band opening for other acts most Saturdays, The Sunday Band, most Sundays,. For complete calendar: www.pappyandharriets.com.

Hi-Desert Nature Museum Chamber Music at the Museum, featuring The Encelia Chamber Ensemble and The Harmonic Winds. February 11, 7 p.m., February 12, 2 p.m. $15, $20 VIP seating.

Yucca Valley Community Center, 57116 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley (760)369-7212, www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org Joshua Tree Saloon 61835 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, (760)366-2250, www.thejoshuatreesaloon.com Upcoming: Daytime Moon, January 28. Regularly scheduled: Open Jam Tuesdays, karaoke Wednesday and Friday nights, live music Saturday nights, Punk Rock Thursday, second Thursdays.

Beatnik Lounge Family Thief, Wanderer, Sailing South, Daytime Moon, Dan Horn, February 4, 8 p.m., $5.

Songwriters in the Round, with Lisa Lynn Morgan, Cuban Cigar Crisis, and Son of the Velvet Rat, February 12, 5 p.m., $5.

61597 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)475-4860, www.jtcpc.org

published by the sun runner, po box 2171, joshua tree, ca 92252 (760)820-1222 publisher@sunrunnersw.com www.jttortoisetelegraph.co www.facebook.com/jttortoisetelegraph www.instagram.com/jttortoisetelegraph published monthly. distributed free of charge in the hi-desert.

Editor/Publisher/telegraph operator: Steve Brown

Photos by: Steve Brown, chris brewster Distribution: eventually by tortoise, of coursus Submit story ideas, photos for consideration, dining/shopping/lodging/favorite places and event photos to: tortoisetelegraph@gmail.com advertising inquiries: tortoisetelegraph@gmail.com or 760-820-1222 (voice or text) see the advertising page at www.jttortoisetelegraph.com for pricing and specs. remember – support your local independent media and it can support your community! distribution inquiries: tortoisetelegraph@gmail.com join the tortoise telegraph online at: www.jttortoisetelegraph.com, on facebook at: www.facebook.com/jttortoisetelegraph on instagram at: www.instagram.com/jttortoisetelegraph join the sun runner, the journal of the real desert, online at: www.sunrunnersw.com on facebook at: www.facebook.com/TheSunRunner join southwest stories with steve brown online at: www.southweststories.us on facebook at: www.facebook.com/RealDesert

Get your smile on with quality dental care at low prices at: www.sunrunnersmiles.com thanks for joining us!

Keep it real!

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Frontier Open Mic Night, February 3. Hosted by Nigel Roman.

55844 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley,(760)820-1360, www.cafefrontier.com Hi-Desert Living

Assistant to the editor: Juliett, the cat

The Glass Outhouse Gallery The Luminators, February 4, 1-5 p.m.

77575 29 Palms Hwy., (760)367-3807

Sky’s the Limit Observatory & Nature Center Desert night sky watching events most Saturdays. Outdoor events may be changed due to weather. Free to the public.

9697 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms (just outside the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park), (760)401-3004, www.skysthelimit29.org Beatnik Lounge Demonically Possessed Cats! Lecture, slideshow, and variety hour hosted by Paul Koudounaris. Learn about Sathan, owned by a witch in Chelmsford, a cat who was accussed of inflicting lameness on a man by casting spells and suffocated him with a piece of his own buttocks! A cat in rural Spain accused of performing heinous acts of sacrilege! And . . . the finest demonic cat of all, the pride of the USA, the demonic cat thought to stalk Washington DC! If you like cats you will love this lecture. And if you don’t like cats, well you’ll probably love it even more. February 26, 6 p.m.

Tibetan Meditation with Sunny Sundowner, Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.

61597 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)475-4860, www.jtcpc.org Joshua Tree Retreat Center/Institute of Mentalphysics 59700 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, (760)365-8371 Intro to Tibetan Spiritual Breath. Tuesdays, 6:30-8 p.m., Lotus Meditation Building. Donation: $5. Improves subtle energies of the body by understanding breath and the natural relationship to healing.

Rainbow Stew 55509 29 Palms Hwy., Old Town Yucca Valley For event schedule, see: www.rainbowstew4u.com Want to be included in our calendar listings? Send your event info to us at: publisher@sunrunnersw.com.

There’s great live music nightly at the 29 Palms Inn—if you can get the musicians to stop reading the Tortoise Telegraph long enough to play, that is. Here’s half of the luminators engrossed in the latest issue, while Bev & Bill jazz things up below.

king continued

Presented by Optima Battery, the 11th annual KOH week will commence with Hammertown opening to the public on Friday February 3, and will continue through February 11. The actual King of The Hammers race will take place on Friday, February 10th, 2017. All races from 2016 are expected to return for 2017 including: The Smittybilt Every Man Challenge, Polaris KOH UTV Race, Klim King of The Motos, and Vision X Shootoutz. More information on King of the Hammers is available at https://ultra4racing.com.

The Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce is taking on the role of host in the main event tent throughout the weeklong event by providing racers, vendors, and fans with the information needed to find provisions, emergency repairs, maps, food, gas, lodging, and more throughout Yucca Valley and the Joshua Tree Gateway Communities.

Meanwhile, during much of the same time period, the Ramos Bros. Circus will be performing their new show Aqua, at the Big Lots Village Center in Yucca Valley. The circus performed last winter in Yucca Valley with their full show, including camels, zebras, horses, llamas, and more. But due to ongoing pressure from animal rights activists, the circus has chosen to stop using exotic animals in their performances.

The Ramos family of performers goes back decades, with Alex Ramos’ great-grandfather and mother doing high-wire walking and flying acts. With acrobatics, juggling, high-flying daredevilry, clown antics, and more, the Ramos Bros. Circus now offers a more Vegas-style experience. In their 10th year under their signature red-and-white striped big top tent, the 2017 show features worldclass performances, all new costumes and a water feature.

Discount circus tickets are available through February 1, at the Yucca Valley Chamber office inside the California Welcome Center at 56711 29 Palms Hwy. Chamber box office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Proceeds will benefit local non-profits and the chamber, according to Wanda Stadum, chamber president. Chamber member, Alex Ramos, commented, “Last year we found your community welcoming and friendly to our show and we are happy to help raise money for charitable causes.”

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