#i love that milo’s supposed to be unusually small but it’s still like that’s STILL A BIG FUCKING DOG OBJECTIVELY-

[heartsofhounds]

It’s happeningggg

[secretobsessionstuff]

I’m sending it here first to get your opinion 😂 Ok so Alexi and Micah go on a camping trip to get away from their lives a bit because it has been super stressful for some reason, and it’s all going great and him and Micah are sitting on the peer one night just talking about life and it becomes a pretty deep chat; and while they’re talking something gets mentioned (p1 of 2)

(P2 of 2) that bothers Alexi for some reason and he gets uncharacteristically emotional about it. So Micah grabs for him to hug him and try to comfort him but as soon as their skin makes contact he immediately feels all the heat radiating from Alexi’s skin and is like “shit, are you feeling ok?” And Alexi is like “not sure” before his stomach completely flips inside him and he’s like “no actually I’m not” 

MILO!!! I’ve already told you this, but for everybody else

THIS IS MY 100th SICKFIC!! 

I’m so oddly excited. I have written so many words all about puke what?? Thank you to people who request stuff and send lovely compliments! I shall do a weird little thing to celebrate this strange milestone so stay tuned. Anyway now to the story....

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The water was cold but refreshing as it tickled Micah and Alexi’s toes. With their feet hanging off the dock, the lake lapped around their ankles. The peaches and pinks of the sunset bled into the water, making the world look like one big abstract painting. Micah kicked his foot absentmindedly as he enjoyed the feeling of the water washing over his skin. Ripples spread out from the movement and disappeared under the pier.

Both boys were quiet as they simply looked out at the setting sun. With their arms touching, Micah rested his head on Alexi’s shoulder and sighed. At the same time, he made one large circle with his foot and nudged his boyfriend’s foot. “What are you thinking about?”

Alexi exhaled slowly through his nose, taking in the campfire smell that clung to Micah’s hair. “The future.”

A harder kick came out of nowhere and splashed Alexi’s rolled up pantleg. “This trip was supposed to distract you from the future. You can think about work on Monday, but not today.”

The whole point of the camping trip was to get the boys out of their heads. They needed a weekend away from the stress of life, yet here Alexi was, worrying about what would happen when they went back to reality. Micah could tell that this boyfriend had been burnt out recently, and the only logically way to fix that was to spend a weekend roasting marshmallows. If something had to burn, it was better for it to be logs.

Alexi gave a small laugh. “No, I meant the distant future, beyond Monday.”

“Oh, you mean Tuesday.”

That awarded Micah with a splash of his own, soaking the lower half of his pants. “I’m trying to share my deepest insecurities here.”

Micah laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Share away!”

And then Alexi’s laugh trailed off as well. It was the typical happy ending to laugh, where the happy thoughts remain. That lasted for a moment before Alexi’s mouth returned to a neutral line. He wasn’t sad per say, just contemplative. “Nevermind. It’s silly.”

“No, tell me!”

“It’s just…” Alexi rubbed the back of his neck as he looked out over the lake. Despite not actually being on the water, he suddenly felt a little unstable. The dock was perfectly safe, but he felt as if he could drift away at any moment. There was an odd sensation of vertigo that washed over him. He searched for Micah’s hand and placed it in his lap when he found it. “Everything changes so quickly. I feel like – like I want it to all slow down, you know?

Micah nodded knowingly, but didn’t say anything more. He let Alexi say whatever he needed to. Still, as he listened to his boyfriend, it struck him how fast the sun was setting. A few minutes ago, the sky was alight with soft colours. Now the deep purples began to come down like a thick curtain marking the end of a play.

“We never have moments like these anymore, and now I never want to let go.” Alexi swallowed thickly, feeling something lodged in his throat. Subconsciously, he tightened his grip on Micah’s hand. “Each morning, I’m terrified that I’ll wake up and everything will be gone, and you’ll be gone, and –”

“– Hey, hey, where is all this coming from?” Micah scrambled to understand where his boyfriend was going with this. This was definitely not the type of thing he needed Alexi fretting over. “I worry about how things will be different too, but I never doubt that you’ll be there with me. And you need to know that I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a fire burning in Alexi’s eyes. He blinked rapidly. As sweat broke out on his brow, he couldn’t understand where this reaction was coming from either. “I don’t know, I can’t help it.” His voice cracked on the last statement. “We’ve both been so stressed and distracted. And sometimes my mind tells me that you don’t need me as much as I need you…I don’t know.”

As Alexi finished the sentence, he gulped down a huge wave of air as if he hadn’t taken a breath all day. As he did, his stomach expanded against the waistline of pants. He was very aware of the sudden pressure and how upset the organ actually felt. The strangest case of seasickness came over him. The swaying came from within his own head as opposed to choppy waters.

“Alexi, baby,” Micah began, though he didn’t really know where to begin. “I don’t know what the future will look like, but the only thing I know for certain is that I’ll have you in it.” He paused; his voice was too shaky with emotion. It was imperative that this came out right. “I will always need you whether you realize it or not. I need your laugh, and your goofy smile, and the stupid way you pronounce ‘squirrel’ with your accent. Okay?” He never broke eye contact with his boyfriend. “Okay?” he said more forcefully.

Alexi closed his eyes and whispered, “okay.” His head was spinning, but Micah’s hand in his was keeping him from falling off the pier, or that’s how he felt anyway. He was nodding, far more than necessary, probably just so the repetitive motion would convince himself. Okay. Okay. Okay. Micah wasn’t going anywhere. But if he knew this then why did he still feel so awful?

Micah didn’t know what else to do other than hug his boyfriend. He grabbed Alexi’s shoulders and brought him in to the tightest hug he could. Letting go was not an option. With one hand on the back of the boy’s head, he entwined his fingers in Alexi’s gold curls. Micah was happy to feel him sink into the embrace. The tension left his boyfriend’s body as Alexi buried his face in the crook of Micah’s neck.

As the hug went on, Micah was less happy to feel an unnatural heat by his collar bone. He opened his eyes and frowned. After unravelling his fingers from the golden locks, he slid his hand down to grab the back of Alexi’s neck. The skin was hot and clammy, prompting Micah to break away from the hug.

With his hands still on Alexi’s shoulders, Micah peered into his boyfriend’s flushed face. “Holy crap, Lex! Your skin is on fire.” Blatantly, Micah touched his palm to Alexi’s forehead, and sure enough, he felt further proof of a fever. “Are you feeling okay?”

After all that jostling, Alexi felt like his head was going to fall off his shoulders. He was taken aback by Micah’s sudden concern. He did feel a little rough, but he didn’t think it was caused by any illness. Still, his stomach was unusually unsettled. “…I’m not sure.” Alexi looked around as if the answer were somewhere on the lake.

Something was wrong. He was lightheaded and queasy. By now, the intense emotion from earlier was fading, leaving behind the realization that he felt like shit. That lump in his throat from before was no longer caused by potential tears, but from the imminent threat of vomit. All at once, saliva flooded his mouth, a cold sweat broke out across his skin, and his stomach did a flip. “…Actually, no I’m not.”

Micah didn’t have any time to react before he watched Alexi’s shoulder roll forward. The boy put his hand over his mouth and heaved. “Oh, ah, okay…” Micah was frozen as this transpired.

With one large belch, a gush of brownish sick came rushing out of Alexi’s mouth. The sound of splashing water overlaid the sounds of retching, as Alexi threw up into the lake. He had already been facing that direction anyway.

Micah quickly took his legs out of the water and helped Alexi do the same. Once they were both safe from the mess, Alexi took the opportunity to heave up another wave into the lake. He squeezed his eyes shut from the force of the retches, and felt big circles being rubbed on his back.

“Oh deer, alright,” Micah was muttering. “Just get it all up.”

Alexi did not need to be told twice. He hadn’t realized just how bad he actually needed to get it all up. His belly was roiling and swirling like the disturbed water below the dock. Thankfully, Micah really was keeping him from falling in with each forceful retch.

“Mon Dieu…” Alexi mumbled as saliva hung from his lips. He spat away the strings while tying to catch his breath before the next lurch. “I’m sorry…I don’t know where this came from.” And a frothy gurgle of sick joined the growing puddle that floated on the surface of the water.

“Take your time, Lexi.” Micah kept rubbing his boyfriend’s back. “You’ve obviously picked up a bug.”

Alexi burped wetly in between bouts. “I really don’t feel well.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t look like it, babe,” Micah said. “Not to mention that fever is doing a number on your emotions.”

Alexi spat into the lake once more. “I’m sorry.” A loud gurgle emanated from his churning belly. “Ugh, I’m gonna be here a while.”

“Don’t apologize.” Micah tucked the hair behind Alexi’s ears in preparation for the next wave to feed the fish. “I’m not going anywhere.” Then after a pause. “Ever.”

[minahraven]

BTS React to You Coming Over Soaked from the Rain

(A/N - No gifs are mine. All belong to their creators/ owners, because I am a dunce at gif creation)

You were walking over to spend the day at your best friend’s house, as you did most days, but things didn’t go as you’d expected. You’d dressed lightly, since the weather was warm, just a pair of shorts and a white shirt, and you started feeling a little nervous when the clouds started to roll in. Picking up the pace, you hurried towards the apartment that would shelter you from the rain you could tell was coming, but you weren’t fast enough. A block away from his house, the heavens opened and within a minute, you were soaked to the bone. By the time you were knocking on his door, you looked like something out of The Ring, and were hoping you wouldn’t scare him.

  Jin

As he opened the door, he was preparing to berate you for being late when he had cooked dinner for the two of you, but his words caught in his throat at the sight of you standing there shivering with your hair falling over your eyes. His gaze travelled over you quickly, shocked at what he was seeing, but on the way back up to your face, he paused, swallowing thickly. He could see *everything* he’d always wanted to. Clearing his throat, he quickly diverted his thoughts, hurriedly running to the bathroom and grabbing a towel to wrap around your shoulders while trying not to think about how much he wanted to see more. If he was going to try anything with you, it wasn’t going to be while you were at a disadvantage. It would be when you were both thinking clearly.

“You’re soaked! Didn’t you check the weather forecast before you left home? You’ll get sick!”

 Jhope

Seeing you standing there was almost more than he could take, his eyes going straight to the holy grail he practically worshipped. He licked his lips, hoping he could manage to hide the effect seeing you through the fabric was having on him. You coughed, feeling a little awkward under his gaze, and he looked up to your face. As he did so, he realised just how much you were shaking and quickly grabbed your arm, pulling you inside and wrapping his arms tightly around you as he hurried you over to the couch. Once he had you safely seated, he tucked a blanket over you and rushed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea for you, though the escape was almost as much to give him a few minutes to get himself calmed down and get the blood moving around his body again instead of just staying in one, very obvious, place, although he couldn’t resist palming himself momentarily as he pictured what he had just seen before quickly turning his attention to what he was supposed to be doing.

“You’re lucky you were coming here… You could’ve been on the way to an interview and then what would’ve happened? No, don’t come out here! You stay right there and keep warm! You’re getting pampered tonight missy!”

 Suga

The moment he opened the door and saw you standing there in a soaked and see through shirt, he knew he was in trouble. His breath caught in his throat, and try as he might, he couldn’t keep himself from reacting to the sight of the woman he adored virtually on display for him. He grabbed your wrist, pulling you into the house and closing the door behind you with unusual care, trying to distract himself. It didn’t work, and before he could stop himself, he had you pinned to the wall, his lips pressed against yours hungrily. In his mind, he tried to rationalise it as wanting to warm you up, but after a moment or two of you pressed against his body, slowly melting into the kiss, he couldn’t deny any more that he simply wanted you. All of you. Lifting you into his arms, he carried you to the couch, lowering you onto it and starting to peel off the soaked clothes, eager to see you without even the transparent fabric.

“You should know better than to be around a man in a shirt that could go see through like that, you know. You never know what he might do to you…”

Namjoon

Namjoon had been planning to confess to you that night, though he was nervous as to how you would take it. When he saw you there, though, part of him was relieved to have something more important to focus on. Pulling you inside quickly, he wrapped his arms tightly around you and cradled you against his chest, rubbing your back to try to warm it. Before he even registered what he was doing, he was pulling the shirt off over your head, freezing when he realised he was no longer looking at a dressed best friend but his crush with no shirt on. Staring down at you, his brain switched into autopilot and he crushed his lips to yours, not even caring whether he was ruining a friendship. Even if you hated him for this, he had to taste you. As you moaned against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck, he lifted you quickly and pinned you to the wall, wasting no time in slipping his hand past the waistband of your shorts as his lips trailed to your neck.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me? And now you come here looking like this? You must really want to be punished, baby… How about letting me warm you up, hmm?”

Jimin

Jimin adored you with every breath of his being, and seeing your skin through the fabric wasn’t doing him any favors. Nevertheless, he couldn’t risk wrecking the most important relationship he had. No matter what it took, he would make sure he never lost you, even if it meant never telling you he loved you. You were wobbling from the tremors the soaked cold clothing was causing, and you took a shaky step forward to enter, but he could see the shaking was making it tricky. He quickly picked you up and kicked the door shut behind him, carrying you to the bathroom and stripping your clothes off without batting an eyelash, ignoring the complaints from you. He turned on the water in the shower and pushed you under the warm current, before stripping to his boxers and following you in. He gently washed you, rubbing his hands over your skin until it was no longer chilled, though as he did so, he found his hands slowing, his body reacting to the soft sighs from you as he washed your back. Deciding to take a risk, he leaned closer, pressing his lips lightly to your neck, his arms snaking around your waist as you all but purred at the sensation.

“I didn’t want to risk losing you, but I can’t risk never doing this. You have no idea how much I love you. You’re the most precious thing in the world.”

Taehyung

Tae had had a thing for you for years, the feelings growing stronger and stronger until it was almost killing him trying to keep them hidden. So when you pushed past him into his apartment, dripping water everywhere, he started wondering if he had finally lost his mind. What else could explain how glorious you looked, standing there in a see through shirt and shorts that were clinging to you in a way that left nothing to the imagination? He bit back the groan that was threatening to surface at the sight of you bending over, trying to peel off the shoes that were sticking to your feet. He thought he had it under control until you turned to face him with a sheepish smile, your shirt sticking to every curve and niche of your torso, and the blood quickly started to flow south. In a split second, he went from the innocent little puppy you knew so well to a complete stranger that made your breath hitch at the sheer lust in his eyes. Before you could say anything, he had picked you up and carried you to his room, dropping you unceremoniously on the bed and clambering on after you with a dangerous smirk.

“Why do you always make things so hard for me? It’s difficult enough being around you on a normal day without wanting to make you scream, but now? Now I will.”

Jungkook

Kookie was still staring at the place you had been standing when he opened the door, but you had already entered, kicked off your shoes, and flopped onto the couch with a groan. Realising suddenly what had happened, he closed the door with a small cough and made his way over, sinking down next to you. You leaned against him and he shifted slightly, his eyes drifting down to look at the soaking body beside him. Bad idea. Quickly, he grabbed a cushion and set it on his lap, trying to appear nonchalant, but when you lay down with your head on the cushion, it was all he could do to keep from moaning out loud at the pressure on his lap combined with the sight of you virtually lying on it. It was already somewhat dark in the living room thanks to the clouds outside and he decided to take a risk, resting his hand on your chest and letting it trace lightly over the cold fabric. The soft sigh of contentment at the warmth of his hand only made things…harder, and he grew bolder, slipping his hand under your shirt to caress your skin. It felt just as soft and delicate as he had imagined, and he knew there was no way he was stopping now unless you told him to.

“You have no idea how perfect you are. I’ve pictured what you look like so many times, but that couldn’t possibly compare to the real thing. You make the Venus de Milo look like a piece of garbage.”

[themurphyzone]

His World: Restraint Drabbles

Request from @wiz-witch. This set is a lot more angsty than what I normally write, so be warned. 

1. Broken

This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of this. Agent Murphy, no, Milo, stolen from his time period and led away in chains. His smile strained at the corners, no longer bright and carefree. A boy who pushed through bad luck with a spring in his step, a child hanging out with his friends, a son who brought much joy to his family....

Never again. They broke him. He broke him. All because of his ridiculous pride. His stupid, foolish obsession with saving the world has led to many idiotic mistakes before, but none were as grave as ripping a child from a secure, loving home. 

The Bureau’s praise rang hollow. Oh, how he wished he could rip the document that detailed his promotion into shreds and shove it all down Block’s stupid throat. Though the satisfaction wouldn’t last. It would never last. 

Dakota wouldn’t speak to him. Or even look at him. He was right. Should’ve listened. Should’ve appreciated him more. Now his colleague and only friend hated him. 

Not a hero. Just a villain. 

2. Chains

The holding cell was nice. In movies, prisons were dingy, dusty, filled with rats and gigantic, hardened crooks who beat you up the moment you looked at one funny. But not here. In a way, it was almost worse. 

The cell reminded him of his personal suite in the hospital. White, sterile walls, one door in the front, a small bed in the middle. But there were no family and friends to cheer him up with flowers and food, or to sign a brand new cast with messy scribbles, or promises to record the new Dr. Zone episodes so he could catch up on what he missed. Not in this place. 

They had confiscated his backpack the moment he arrived. He had no tools to undo the shackles on his hands that bound him to the wall. He was free to pace the length of the room, sure, the chains gave him some freedom. But they stopped him when he was mere feet from the door, as if taunting him with the promise of freedom but dangling it ever so slightly out of his reach. 

Words floated down from the observation deck above. Dangerous, jinx, erasure, prevention, they murmured. He couldn’t hear entire sentences or their exact plans, but there was no reason that they couldn’t let him be free. Right? He managed to survive. He pulled through. He always came through. So...

Why? 

It wasn’t so bad! They still fed him at least! And there was a bouncy ball he could throw at the wall! Maybe he could request some colored pens and paper so he doodle and brighten up this lonely, white place! Did they even have those? 

Murphy’s Law was unusually silent. He couldn’t even count on his condition to accompany him now. Let something happen. Anything. It could be a falling vase-no, there wasn’t a vase in here- or a crashing helicopter full of marmots (but they were inside), just... something! Anything!

The door opened, and James Bond undid his chains. Or at least, a man that heavily resembled James Bond. He wasn’t so sure anymore. He wanted to ask, but his throat was too parched. A beautiful woman offered him water, and he gratefully gulped it down. She said he’d need it for the interrogation. 

He wanted to trust them. He really did. 

3. Night

In the past, the night sky offered a gorgeous view of the stars, people pointing out all the zodiac signs, constellations, and planets they could possibly name. Now, Dakota could barely see them. 

Milo needed to shine. He had so much to offer, and they cruelly ripped away his future. For the greater good? How was kidnapping and interrogating someone just because they were extra unlucky for the greater good? Why didn’t he fight Cavendish over this? Why did he not step in, cause a distraction, do anything to prevent him from being kidnapped? 

Dakota needed to get some things off his chest. He crept out of the sleeping quarters, maybe he could see Milo and apologize. For everything. A hand clamped down on his shoulder, and he whirled around to face Cavendish. Anger boiled up inside at seeing his face, but he held back. Never, in all their missions, had Cavendish looked exhausted. Old, even.  

Cavendish pointed to the holding cell. Dakota could set his anger aside for now. Oh, he still wanted to take his partner’s ego down a few pegs, but seeing Milo safely home was the most important mission now. 

They used their night vision goggles to navigate through the darkness. Dakota’s heart sank as they approached the cell. Of course Savannah and Brick would be assigned as night guards. 

Savannah exchanged a few heated words with Cavendish, berating him for allowing a child to be subject to the Bureau’s brutal interrogation techniques. It was a wonder Milo hadn’t snapped from the unbearable pressure. He was truly extraordinary. Brick said nothing, but passed a heavy, brown backpack to them. It was the one Milo always wore. A security blanket to anchor him to his loved ones. 

The door opened, though Savannah and Brick remained at their posts. On the small bed, Milo clutched the thin blanket tightly. It wasn’t cold, but Milo’s body shivered and shook as he cried quietly. 

Dakota dropped the backpack on the space beside Milo. The child looked up in surprise, then dove into his track suit, clinging to any kindness this horrible place had left. He awkwardly rubbed Milo’s back as he sobbed, but Cavendish stayed by the door, unwilling to interrupt. But Milo noticed, then tried to approach him. The chains held him back, keeping him several feet away from comforting the older man. 

Enough was enough. Dakota broke the chain with a sharp metal file, and kicked them aside. No more chains. And certainly never on Milo. 

Milo rubbed his sore wrists, then held his hand out towards Cavendish. He offered him a tiny smile. Cavendish hesitated, his arms folded around his chest defensively. Slowly, he reached out and took Milo’s hand, finally returning that same bright smile. Then he calibrated the Temporal Transporter, setting it to the 21st century. 

Dakota squeezed Cavendish’s arm. Next time they’d work through their hardships together. He couldn’t stay angry. Not when Cavendish had finally recognized his mistakes. 

A portal opened in front of them, a view of the Murphy’s home sitting in the middle of swirling blue mist. Milo glanced between them, slipping on his backpack. He waved, then stepped through. Dakota and Cavendish waved back, cutting off the connection. 

They could entrust Savannah and Brick to come up with a cover story. Their word held more weight after all. Block would likely strip their promotions in the morning, but they were all right with that. They had successfully completed one mission. 

Milo was home. 

[myraelvira]

Various Places of Interest: California Edition

1. Pre Plastic Junk Museum

Image from clui.org Also known as PPJ, the venue is seemingly mentioned only on clui.org. I cannot seem to find any information about the place anywhere else online. Located in Red Mountain, the premise is that it has (or had? Not sure if it’s even still around anymore) a collection of things and artifacts scavenged from the desert. Includes a large wooden fishing boat labeled as part of the China Lake Fishing Fleet. If anyone just so happens to know if this place still exists, or any other info about, please consider letting me know. I would love to learn the history of this place. 2. Red Mountain

image from ghosttowns.com An unincorporated town in San Bernadino County, originally it was named ‘Osdick’ after a man with the same last name (P.J. Osdick). Created in 1919, it received a post office under its former name in 1922. In early 1929, they changed the town name to Red Mountain. Red Mountain has a small population, about 130 or so people. It’s approximately 23 miles north of Kramer Junction, and 23 ( or 32 depending on your source) south of Randsburg. It is also one of “three active ghost towns”, the other two being Randsburg and Johannesburg. The town also seems to have many of the original buildings from the mining days, including cabins, saloons, and a church. Apparently the main highway in the area (hwy 395) still has the original houses, which the current population lives in today. One website (ghosttowns.com) states that the “old general store looks like heck but is still in use”. If you want to see a timeline about the town, visit the ghosttowns.com link I’ll provide in the sources. It’s a real interesting place. The website has images sent in, though they look pretty old, at least by 20 years. Currently I’m unsure if any of these buildings are around anymore. Finally, there is a really interesting museum called the Historic Owl Cafe, which is a bit out of town when you look on a map. There is plenty of history on the area on their website, which I’ll also link below. 3. Burro Schmidt Tunnel

image from clui.org A 2,000 foot long tunnel located in the El Paso mountains in the Mojave, Burro Schmidt Tunnel took 38 years to finish. Different sources state that it was started in 1906 and finished after 32 years, where others state it was started in 1902 and finished after 38 years. Started by William Henry “Burro” Schmidt (1871-1953) with hand tools and explosives in order to transport the ore from his mine to the processing site, Schmidt devoted over 32 years of his life to the tunnel.

He was mining gold in the El Paso mountains ans was faced with a dangerous ridge between the mining claims he had and the smelter in the south. He said that he would “never haul his ore to the Mojave smelter down that back trail” with his two burros, and started in 1902 on the tunnel. Originally coming to California from Rhode Island after six of his siblings died of tuberculosis, he’d hire himself out as a ranch hand every summer while working on the tunnel.

Not saying much more than it being a shortcut, ‘Burro’ as he was called, removed rubble with a wheelbarrow and sometimes carried it on his back. He reportedly had abdominal muscles so strong that forced him to bend permanently.

In 1920, a road was completed from Last Chance Canyon to the Mojave, which took away the need for the tunnel, but by this time, Schmidt was obsessed and kept mining his way through the tunnel. In 1938 he completed his goal, but never used the tunnel to move his ore. He later sold the tunnel to another miner and moved away. I’m not sure what may have happened in between this time, but later in his life, Burro started giving tours of the tunnel with a partner named Mike Lee. Burro gave tours until he died in 1954, and Lee continued until he passed in 1963.  

In 1963, a woman named Evelyn ‘Tonie’ Seger bought the property with her third husband Milo, moving into a small cabin owned by the property owner who bought the land from Burro Schmidt. Apparently the couple moved to the area because they felt it was the best place to be, since Milo was dying. Less than a year later from moving in, Milo passed away while they were filling water containers from a spring.

The site attracts a lot visitors, who can take still take tours of the tunnel, which only takes 30 minutes itself to walk through. Reportedly there could be as much as 50 visitors on a good weekend to the tunnel. The tour includes looking at the shack that Burro Schmidt himself stayed in, which was filled with newspapers, magazines, and Aunt Jemima pancake boxes as insulation.

Tonie Seger was the keeper of the tunnel for 40 years, giving lectures on the subject and even writing a profile about Burro Schmidt in the book ‘Odd and Eccentric People’. Tonie Seger herself was an ‘Odd and eccentric’ person, where many people called her ‘The Old Lady of The Desert’ since it was such an oddity to see an old woman in the desert. Many people came to the tunnel to see her also. In 2003, Seger passed away at the age of 95.

After Seger’s death, there has been owership disputes between the US Bureau of Land Management and Seger’s descendants. Seger’s caretaker Dave Ayers was also supposed to be granted ownership with a Mr. F. Schmidt (a descendant of Burro maybe?). While the historic buildings were transferred to Seger’s granddaughter, but the BLM assumed ownership after a notice of abandonment was made. The BLM tried contacting the granddaughter, but apparently none of the attempts were made fruitful. Ayers was offered the opportunity to sign a memorandum, of understanding where the BLM were the full time caretakers of the site. Ayers refused to sign as he wanted to be the paid caretaker and left to work somewhere else as he had no legal right to be on site without signing the memorandum. So as far as I know, the Burro tunnel is owned by the US government.

At some point, Uncle Sam decided to put a fence around the Burro house, since it was a victim of vandalism. Though you can’t legally walk inside, you can still look at the building from the outside. If you want to see more pictures of the cabin that he lived in, with the time capsule insulation, I really recommend this blog post from yankee barbeno:

https://yankeebarbareno.com/2014/04/13/burro-schmidt-tunnel-and-shanty-1906-1930s/ The tunnel has been featured on Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and an episode of ‘California’s Gold’. The site was added to the National Register of Historical Places on March 20th, 2003. Finally, the mine overlooks the ghost towns of Garlock and Saltdale. Apparently from certain points though, you can see the old mining town of Randsburg too, which is about 20 miles away.

[SOURCES] wikipedia http://clui.org/ludb/site/burro-schmidt-tunnel https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ca/redmountain.html http://digital-desert.com/red-mountain-ca/ https://www.redmtnkellysilver.com/ https://www.desertusa.com/desert-prospecting/burro-schmidt-tunnel.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-15-me-seger15-story.html https://www.amazon.com/Eccentric-People-Library-Curious-Unusual/dp/0809477238 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8398514/william-henry-schmidt https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/william-burro-schmidt-and-his-tunnel-to-nowhere