I promise I will start blogging in the traditional blogging way of the latest on the top. It just seems upside down somehow.
10 Apr 05: Spring is starting to really be seen here. There are buds on our lilac trees and some of the grass is green. CJ is talking about getting the lawn mower out and running it around the lawn. The blue birds are here and looking for a place to nest I guess. We had a little snow flurry go through yesterday. Sun – snow. You know the spring routine.
Brought in all the horses yesterday and gave them some grain, cleaned their feet, and brushed them. Saddled up the last two and went for a ride. First ride of the season. Got to get back in saddle shape and get the horses back in physical shape. Will be headed over to the ranch next month to help AI the yearling heifers. Spend long days in the saddle doing that. But it is only for a week and is really good for the young horses. Will take a four and a five year old over there this year. Of course CJ will take the buckskin wonder horse Baylee. She does like to ride that horse.
Spent a lot of the day inside doing bookwork. Got the taxes done!!! Will be paying more than one would like, but taxes are taxes. I don’t mind paying my share, but I don’t want to pay more than my share. Also got all the mail gone through paid a few bills that I can’t do over the Internet, and got the piles of paper on the desk down to just a few. One of the hardest things you have to do after being gone for a couple of months. And had time for a nice walk in the woods with the dog followed by a cup of good tea.
8 Apr 05: We are back in our barn/home in the Bitterroot. Good to be back, but I already miss the warm sun of the desert. And the spring things that need to be done around here are almost overwhelming. Makes one wish he could clone himself.
We had a good visit in Salt Lake City. Spent some great times with the nieces and nephews. What a bunch. They are all going in different directions and have grown up to be nice men and women. And Auntie Jane is doing well. In fact, she looks better now than she did the last time we saw her.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
27 Mar 05: Still headed north. But not that far. We are camped tonight on some BLM land just south of Bouse. Did a little exploring to the north of that town today. That is another thing we really were able to get to do this year that we were not able to in the years past. Bringing the little jeep down here has made a big difference in our ability to get off the beaten path. We can then go hiking and exploring on foot in places we were never able to do before. We may not have the ideal set up, but for CJ and I the camper or as we call it the “hard shell” tent is great. We bought this camper in Anchorage about 15 years ago. It is still in very good shape and everything works well. We figure we spend about a fourth to a third of our lives in it every year. Some years before for we built our barn/apartment we actually lived in it for months at a time. Were on our boat for months then in the camper for months. But anyway, back to the jeep. We are so glad we got it.
28 Mar 05:
What do you do when one of your favorite places becomes too crowded? That is the dilemma we are facing when we stop at a place called Valley of the Fire north of Las Vegas. We started going there in 1992 and have been regulars there for years. It is a great place to stop and spend a few days hiking on slick rock, which is one of our passions. It meets our needs of potable water and a place to dump our camper. Years ago, they would have part of the campground closed because it was not needed with the number of campers using the place. Now, the campgrounds are usually full each night and there are lots and lots of day use people coming in for visuals and for picnics. It is a pretty place and I don’t begrudge people for wanting to enjoy it. But everywhere you go now days there are more and more people. And it is just going to get worse. The population is growing and growing. The baby boomers are going to be retiring and become snowbirds like their parents and aunt and uncles are doing now. The campgrounds like Valley of the Fire are going to get more and more crowded. Many people go there for the solitude and to get away from all the city noise and traffic. But are finding crowds out in the “wilderness”. One of these days we are going to have to address this problem of over population of our world. How many more people can we have? But with what quality of life? Questions, questions.
28 Mar 05:
What do you do when one of your favorite places becomes too crowded? That is the dilemma we are facing when we stop at a place called Valley of the Fire north of Las Vegas. We started going there in 1992 and have been regulars there for years. It is a great place to stop and spend a few days hiking on slick rock, which is one of our passions. It meets our needs of potable water and a place to dump our camper. Years ago, they would have part of the campground closed because it was not needed with the number of campers using the place. Now, the campgrounds are usually full each night and there are lots and lots of day use people coming in for visuals and for picnics. It is a pretty place and I don’t begrudge people for wanting to enjoy it. But everywhere you go now days there are more and more people. And it is just going to get worse. The population is growing and growing. The baby boomers are going to be retiring and become snowbirds like their parents and aunt and uncles are doing now. The campgrounds like Valley of the Fire are going to get more and more crowded. Many people go there for the solitude and to get away from all the city noise and traffic. But are finding crowds out in the “wilderness”. One of these days we are going to have to address this problem of over population of our world. How many more people can we have? But with what quality of life? Questions, questions.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
A Saturday update
23 Mar 05: The pretty little flowers are starting to go to seed now. And with all seeds, they want to spread and populate different areas. When we go hiking now we end up with seed around our pant cuffs or socks. And Zeus the dog has them all over him. He has to be brushed with a wool carding brush that really picks them out of his fur.
CJ and Zeus have had a couple of snake encounters the last few days they have been walking. These rattle snakes fascinate the half blind dog Zeus. It is a good thing he minds well. All you have to say is come and he comes right to you so he has not really been that close. They do make a lot of noise though. And they also ran into a gila monster today. Pretty thing. Bigger than I would have thought.
24 Mar 05: First thing this morning as we stepped out of the camper, CJ spotted a flat tire on the jeep. That put the planned trip to the Harquahala Mountain Byway to the observatory on hold or even cancelled it. I did not want to drive up that road without a spare tire. So we just packed up and headed into Salome and got it fixed. Then on to Alamo State Park to camp for the night. Needed to empty our holding tanks and fill up on fresh water. CJ also will wash her hair in the standup shower with unlimited hot water supply. She does have a lot of hair. It takes at least five gallons to wash and rinse it if she does it in the camper.
The weather is cloudy and the wind has blown most of the day. In fact we had some sprinkles this evening. But the forecast is for clearing skies and warmer temperatures. That is good since we are headed back north and would like to get a little more sun before we leave the desert country.
The flowers still amaze us. We saw our first beaver tail cactus in bloom today. A lot of cholla look like they are just about to bloom around here also, but not quite.
25 - 26 Mar 05: Headed over to Kofa Wildlife Refuge to take one last look at one of our favorite places in the deserts of Arizona. We camped just outside the refuge on BLM land (if you don’t remember, BLM is my favorite camp host). Took a drive and did some hiking in the refuge. The beavertail cactus is blooming pretty well, but only a few of the cholla are. A little disappointed in that fact.
As of tomorrow, the compass will be headed only in the direction of north. No more east, west, or south. Will be headed back to Montana. Both of us are a little sad that we will be leaving the desert for another year. It has been one of the best times down here. The wildflowers have made such an impression on us. What a treat to the visual sense. The pictures we took do not capture the florescent beauty of this place. With the rainfall they have had, it is truly a feast for the eyes.
CJ and Zeus have had a couple of snake encounters the last few days they have been walking. These rattle snakes fascinate the half blind dog Zeus. It is a good thing he minds well. All you have to say is come and he comes right to you so he has not really been that close. They do make a lot of noise though. And they also ran into a gila monster today. Pretty thing. Bigger than I would have thought.
24 Mar 05: First thing this morning as we stepped out of the camper, CJ spotted a flat tire on the jeep. That put the planned trip to the Harquahala Mountain Byway to the observatory on hold or even cancelled it. I did not want to drive up that road without a spare tire. So we just packed up and headed into Salome and got it fixed. Then on to Alamo State Park to camp for the night. Needed to empty our holding tanks and fill up on fresh water. CJ also will wash her hair in the standup shower with unlimited hot water supply. She does have a lot of hair. It takes at least five gallons to wash and rinse it if she does it in the camper.
The weather is cloudy and the wind has blown most of the day. In fact we had some sprinkles this evening. But the forecast is for clearing skies and warmer temperatures. That is good since we are headed back north and would like to get a little more sun before we leave the desert country.
The flowers still amaze us. We saw our first beaver tail cactus in bloom today. A lot of cholla look like they are just about to bloom around here also, but not quite.
25 - 26 Mar 05: Headed over to Kofa Wildlife Refuge to take one last look at one of our favorite places in the deserts of Arizona. We camped just outside the refuge on BLM land (if you don’t remember, BLM is my favorite camp host). Took a drive and did some hiking in the refuge. The beavertail cactus is blooming pretty well, but only a few of the cholla are. A little disappointed in that fact.
As of tomorrow, the compass will be headed only in the direction of north. No more east, west, or south. Will be headed back to Montana. Both of us are a little sad that we will be leaving the desert for another year. It has been one of the best times down here. The wildflowers have made such an impression on us. What a treat to the visual sense. The pictures we took do not capture the florescent beauty of this place. With the rainfall they have had, it is truly a feast for the eyes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
An Update
I am finally getting my blog updated. It will be a little different as the oldest will be on the top and the latest will be on the bottom for just this one update. Cell phone service has precluded me from updating so I just keep a log and have cut and pasted. Hope you enjoy.
smln jck
10 Mar 05: Took the truck into the Napa store and the mechanic there determined that two idler pulleys needed to be replaced. With those replaced, the noise went away. He also blew out the alternator, power steering pump, and other things on the engine. Said he had never seen so much dust come out of things. I told him the truck spent a lot of time on gravel roads. Which it does.
The temperatures have started to rise. It was in the 90’s today. That is getting a little hot for me. But warmth is one of the reasons we are down in the desert. We are also down here to see the birds, flowers and other creatures. And that is also happening. Today I got to see a Western Diamond back rattler for the first time. We have rattlers up in Montana, but not one with black and white stripes near the rattler. He was just crawling along as I was out walking the dog. Of course the dog is half blind so did not see it very good. But I kept him behind me as we watched it for 15 or so minutes crawl along the sandy trail.
When we got back to the area we are camping in after our truck fixing in Ajo, we moved out into the desert further. It is more secluded and there seems to be more birds. This area near Why has a lot of birds. And do they ever sing at sunrise! What a treat that is to sit and have my morning tea with birds calling out their song. Although there is one Gambles Quail who is almost annoying. He insists on starting his lonesome mating call before daylight and just keeps it up. On and on he goes. And his favorite perch is in a Palo Verde tree not very far from our camper. We also have a great place to run. Just head out west on a BLM road and run until you are tired. In my case, that is only about 30 minutes, then turn around and run back to camp.
11 Mar 05: Broke camp and headed towards the east. Just east of Sells there were acres and acres of poppies in bloom. What a sight. This is the year of the flower down here that is for sure. We have heard that it is a once in a lifetime occurrence that there are so many wildflowers because of so much rain.
We camped out in the BLM again in the Las Cienega National Conservation Area. Not a bad camp, but not one of our best. We were in a horse pasture of one of the local ranches, which was nice. Camped on top of a hill with some great views. And what a pretty sunset we had. Got to see a lot of lightning down towards the south also. But to much traffic on the road and very few wildflowers.
12 Mar 06: Headed out fairly early this morning and drove up to Punkin Center near Roosevelt Lake. Drove through part of Tucson and that was a little nerve wracking. I don’t like cities and traffic. We were going to go up one highway, but somehow missed a turn and went on route 77. As it turned out, it was a very pretty drive to Globe. Then we headed up around the lake to Punkin Center. G & GB arrived shortly after we did. Headed back down the lake to a forest service road that we drove up to a great camping spot in a saddle on a ridge. Had to go quite slow (first gear) because the ruff roads really rock the camper. But it was well worth the two and a half mile slow drive. A great campsite and a wonderful view. By the time we got camp all set up, it was dark. Had a nice campfire and caught up on the latest news of our friends.
13 Mar 05: Hung out around camp all day. Did some little hikes in the area. CJ and G went down to Punkin Center to meet Di and Poki in the evening. They almost missed each other. Were parked at opposite sides of the only bar and CJ & G never thought of going in the bar to look for them. And of course that is where those two would be hanging out! But modern technology saved the day. My cell phone rang and it was Poki wondering where they were. That made GB and I a little worried because they should have been there already. A quick call to G’s cell, which was NOT on, so left a message. A few minutes later G called and they all got together. Stayed up way to late sitting around the campfire catching up on all the news of friends again.
14 Mar 05: Went for a hike to some Indian ruins. GB had discovered this place about ten years ago while hunting in the area. What a hike. Some of it was steep, very steep. And if the steepness was not enough, there were lots of prickly pear, cholla of many species, yucca, hedgehog cactus, other cactus I don’t think have been identified yet, and some of the most unfriendly brush called “cats claw”. All this made forward progress rather slow at times. We came back a different way which was not much better. This was real bush whacking hike. We all gave GB a hard time. He said that probably not many people get to these ruins. I wonder why. We were all pretty scratched up by the time we got there, and still had to return. There were a lot of shards around there and GB was looking in the rocks for some arrow heads or spear points when he came face to face with a rattler. The rattler backed down. We finally got out of there and back to the vehicles. The weather was starting to change and by the time we got back to camp, the wind was whipping and the temperature was dropping. We ended up having supper in our camper. All six of us. But we have had more than that in there on some of our PLC outings. Eight of us on a rainy evening while getting ready to float the Yukon River. Anyway, it was a good time and we shared a lot of laughs about the hike now that it was over. But I did make a call to the Pro Leisure Circuit Chief of Staff Billy Bud. I asked how to file a formal complaint about the mistreatment we all received from GB and his cross-country hike. I did not receive much sympathy!
Have used my little leatherman Squirt pocket pliers a lot. They really work well to pull out cactus spines from the dog and myself. A great tool.
15 Mar 05: CJ and I headed into Payson to have a veterinarian check out an eye on Zeus. He was in a little dog scuffle and got an eyelid tore. Then it got infected so we needed to get him on antibiotics. Also did a grocery shop for the camp. And of course had to have a latte since we were in a town. A big thanks to B & M for getting us hooked on them! The rest of the group did some more hikes around the camp area.
16 Mar 05: Hiked on part of the old Arizona Trail. A few Hedgehog cacti are starting to bloom. Nice to hike on a trail.
17 – 18 Mar 05: Poki and Di headed out. We did a drive to Redman Wells and a nice hike by Apache Lake.
19 Mar 05: Broke camp and headed out. G & GB headed back to Utah and CJ and I went into Globe for laundry and a few groceries. Then headed over to Roper State Park by Safford. We needed to dump our holding tanks and get water. Well, the water at the campground was contaminated so that was not a good deal. And it was really crowed since it was a weekend. Probably skip that campground in the future.
20 Mar 05: Decided to start heading back north ourselves. But will probably take a week or so to do it. We went to Picacho State Park west of Tucson and spent the night. They at least had water. Got there early and did some work on a web page I do for our local American Legion Post. This place was crowded also because of all the day visitors coming out to look at the wildflowers. And there were a lot of them.
21 Mar 05: Headed further west to Gila Bend where we jumped off the interstate and went out into the Sonoran Desert. This is more the type of camping CJ and I do. Camped under an old Palo Verde tree that is giving us some shade in the afternoon. It is much warmer here than up at Roosevelt Lake where we camped at 4100 feet. And quite a few cacti are blooming in this area. Had a great sunset.
smln jck
10 Mar 05: Took the truck into the Napa store and the mechanic there determined that two idler pulleys needed to be replaced. With those replaced, the noise went away. He also blew out the alternator, power steering pump, and other things on the engine. Said he had never seen so much dust come out of things. I told him the truck spent a lot of time on gravel roads. Which it does.
The temperatures have started to rise. It was in the 90’s today. That is getting a little hot for me. But warmth is one of the reasons we are down in the desert. We are also down here to see the birds, flowers and other creatures. And that is also happening. Today I got to see a Western Diamond back rattler for the first time. We have rattlers up in Montana, but not one with black and white stripes near the rattler. He was just crawling along as I was out walking the dog. Of course the dog is half blind so did not see it very good. But I kept him behind me as we watched it for 15 or so minutes crawl along the sandy trail.
When we got back to the area we are camping in after our truck fixing in Ajo, we moved out into the desert further. It is more secluded and there seems to be more birds. This area near Why has a lot of birds. And do they ever sing at sunrise! What a treat that is to sit and have my morning tea with birds calling out their song. Although there is one Gambles Quail who is almost annoying. He insists on starting his lonesome mating call before daylight and just keeps it up. On and on he goes. And his favorite perch is in a Palo Verde tree not very far from our camper. We also have a great place to run. Just head out west on a BLM road and run until you are tired. In my case, that is only about 30 minutes, then turn around and run back to camp.
11 Mar 05: Broke camp and headed towards the east. Just east of Sells there were acres and acres of poppies in bloom. What a sight. This is the year of the flower down here that is for sure. We have heard that it is a once in a lifetime occurrence that there are so many wildflowers because of so much rain.
We camped out in the BLM again in the Las Cienega National Conservation Area. Not a bad camp, but not one of our best. We were in a horse pasture of one of the local ranches, which was nice. Camped on top of a hill with some great views. And what a pretty sunset we had. Got to see a lot of lightning down towards the south also. But to much traffic on the road and very few wildflowers.
12 Mar 06: Headed out fairly early this morning and drove up to Punkin Center near Roosevelt Lake. Drove through part of Tucson and that was a little nerve wracking. I don’t like cities and traffic. We were going to go up one highway, but somehow missed a turn and went on route 77. As it turned out, it was a very pretty drive to Globe. Then we headed up around the lake to Punkin Center. G & GB arrived shortly after we did. Headed back down the lake to a forest service road that we drove up to a great camping spot in a saddle on a ridge. Had to go quite slow (first gear) because the ruff roads really rock the camper. But it was well worth the two and a half mile slow drive. A great campsite and a wonderful view. By the time we got camp all set up, it was dark. Had a nice campfire and caught up on the latest news of our friends.
13 Mar 05: Hung out around camp all day. Did some little hikes in the area. CJ and G went down to Punkin Center to meet Di and Poki in the evening. They almost missed each other. Were parked at opposite sides of the only bar and CJ & G never thought of going in the bar to look for them. And of course that is where those two would be hanging out! But modern technology saved the day. My cell phone rang and it was Poki wondering where they were. That made GB and I a little worried because they should have been there already. A quick call to G’s cell, which was NOT on, so left a message. A few minutes later G called and they all got together. Stayed up way to late sitting around the campfire catching up on all the news of friends again.
14 Mar 05: Went for a hike to some Indian ruins. GB had discovered this place about ten years ago while hunting in the area. What a hike. Some of it was steep, very steep. And if the steepness was not enough, there were lots of prickly pear, cholla of many species, yucca, hedgehog cactus, other cactus I don’t think have been identified yet, and some of the most unfriendly brush called “cats claw”. All this made forward progress rather slow at times. We came back a different way which was not much better. This was real bush whacking hike. We all gave GB a hard time. He said that probably not many people get to these ruins. I wonder why. We were all pretty scratched up by the time we got there, and still had to return. There were a lot of shards around there and GB was looking in the rocks for some arrow heads or spear points when he came face to face with a rattler. The rattler backed down. We finally got out of there and back to the vehicles. The weather was starting to change and by the time we got back to camp, the wind was whipping and the temperature was dropping. We ended up having supper in our camper. All six of us. But we have had more than that in there on some of our PLC outings. Eight of us on a rainy evening while getting ready to float the Yukon River. Anyway, it was a good time and we shared a lot of laughs about the hike now that it was over. But I did make a call to the Pro Leisure Circuit Chief of Staff Billy Bud. I asked how to file a formal complaint about the mistreatment we all received from GB and his cross-country hike. I did not receive much sympathy!
Have used my little leatherman Squirt pocket pliers a lot. They really work well to pull out cactus spines from the dog and myself. A great tool.
15 Mar 05: CJ and I headed into Payson to have a veterinarian check out an eye on Zeus. He was in a little dog scuffle and got an eyelid tore. Then it got infected so we needed to get him on antibiotics. Also did a grocery shop for the camp. And of course had to have a latte since we were in a town. A big thanks to B & M for getting us hooked on them! The rest of the group did some more hikes around the camp area.
16 Mar 05: Hiked on part of the old Arizona Trail. A few Hedgehog cacti are starting to bloom. Nice to hike on a trail.
17 – 18 Mar 05: Poki and Di headed out. We did a drive to Redman Wells and a nice hike by Apache Lake.
19 Mar 05: Broke camp and headed out. G & GB headed back to Utah and CJ and I went into Globe for laundry and a few groceries. Then headed over to Roper State Park by Safford. We needed to dump our holding tanks and get water. Well, the water at the campground was contaminated so that was not a good deal. And it was really crowed since it was a weekend. Probably skip that campground in the future.
20 Mar 05: Decided to start heading back north ourselves. But will probably take a week or so to do it. We went to Picacho State Park west of Tucson and spent the night. They at least had water. Got there early and did some work on a web page I do for our local American Legion Post. This place was crowded also because of all the day visitors coming out to look at the wildflowers. And there were a lot of them.
21 Mar 05: Headed further west to Gila Bend where we jumped off the interstate and went out into the Sonoran Desert. This is more the type of camping CJ and I do. Camped under an old Palo Verde tree that is giving us some shade in the afternoon. It is much warmer here than up at Roosevelt Lake where we camped at 4100 feet. And quite a few cacti are blooming in this area. Had a great sunset.
Friday, March 11, 2005
More desert
7 Mar 05
We are now in Yuma, AZ. Did some shopping over in Mexico at Algodones. We really like that little border town. Always eat way too much over there though. The food is so good. Both Connie and I really like Mexican food and this year found a new restaurant off the beaten path that was really good. Full sit down dinner for two for only $4.50. And I don’t know what it is, but the tacos just taste better over there. And they have some of the best sauces to put on them. Last year we found a street vendor that sold some pretty good tacos, but these were as good if not better.
Also so picked up some eyeglasses. One pair of prescription sunglasses and one pair of clear, both with progressive lenses for $90. Got a pair there last year and really liked them. Of course cj found another pair of sandals that she just had to have. And some ceramic coyotes. Now those take up a little bit of room in our limited space. But we really had a good time.
Was going to have the truck looked at here in Yuma at the local Ford dealer, but was told they were so backed up they were not even taking appointments on the diesel side of the shop. So for sure no drive INs. Now is that because of problems with the Ford diesel trucks, or is that because the local dealer here did not hire enough diesel mechanics? One has to wonder.
Headed to Organ Pipe today after doing laundry. Weather here is really starting to warm up. The other day when we drove down here, we did it in some very heavy rain. But yesterday it was blue sky and sunshine.
9 Mar 05
The cactus is not in bloom at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We were here two years ago right at the first of March. They were just starting to bloom then so we thought they would be really starting to get it on. But with the cool and wet spring they have had, that is not the case. Oh well. We did have a good time cruising around looking at the big cactus.
Also made an appointment to get the truck looked at in the town of Ajo, AZ. Not a ford dealer, but suppose to be a good mechanic. Hope he can at least tell us what is wrong and maybe even fix it. That would be nice.
We filled up with diesel coming through Ajo yesterday and when we went back in today, it had gone up another five cents. $2.39.9 a gallon now. That is getting pretty pricey I think.
Will try and get blog caught up in the next day or so. Have been out of cell phone service.
We are now in Yuma, AZ. Did some shopping over in Mexico at Algodones. We really like that little border town. Always eat way too much over there though. The food is so good. Both Connie and I really like Mexican food and this year found a new restaurant off the beaten path that was really good. Full sit down dinner for two for only $4.50. And I don’t know what it is, but the tacos just taste better over there. And they have some of the best sauces to put on them. Last year we found a street vendor that sold some pretty good tacos, but these were as good if not better.
Also so picked up some eyeglasses. One pair of prescription sunglasses and one pair of clear, both with progressive lenses for $90. Got a pair there last year and really liked them. Of course cj found another pair of sandals that she just had to have. And some ceramic coyotes. Now those take up a little bit of room in our limited space. But we really had a good time.
Was going to have the truck looked at here in Yuma at the local Ford dealer, but was told they were so backed up they were not even taking appointments on the diesel side of the shop. So for sure no drive INs. Now is that because of problems with the Ford diesel trucks, or is that because the local dealer here did not hire enough diesel mechanics? One has to wonder.
Headed to Organ Pipe today after doing laundry. Weather here is really starting to warm up. The other day when we drove down here, we did it in some very heavy rain. But yesterday it was blue sky and sunshine.
9 Mar 05
The cactus is not in bloom at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We were here two years ago right at the first of March. They were just starting to bloom then so we thought they would be really starting to get it on. But with the cool and wet spring they have had, that is not the case. Oh well. We did have a good time cruising around looking at the big cactus.
Also made an appointment to get the truck looked at in the town of Ajo, AZ. Not a ford dealer, but suppose to be a good mechanic. Hope he can at least tell us what is wrong and maybe even fix it. That would be nice.
We filled up with diesel coming through Ajo yesterday and when we went back in today, it had gone up another five cents. $2.39.9 a gallon now. That is getting pretty pricey I think.
Will try and get blog caught up in the next day or so. Have been out of cell phone service.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Middle of Kofa
Yesterday we moved camp further south to the middle of the Kofa. Did a nice hike up by Horse Tank. They sure have a lot of water in the tanks and running down the little creeks right now. We were up fairly high on the hills behind the tank when we could see what appeared to be some rain clouds headed our way. It was just about time to head back so we started down. We no more made it to the jeep when the first drops of rain hit. We had to drive back to camp with the windshield wipers going! That is a first for us. I know we have not spent that much time in the desert, but we have been coming down here for a number of years. Last year it was so hot and dry the first part of March that we bypassed Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and headed to higher country up by Safford.
After we got back to camp, four young rabbits chasing each other around entertained us. I am sure our dog would have loved to join in on the fun, but we told him he just had to watch. He does not see so well anymore so that was not much fun either. We were treated to a very pretty sunset. Again, I tried to capture it on digital images with my camera, but the pictures don’t do justice to the actual scene. Will post some pictures one of these days when I get time and figure out the servers pictures procedures.
Just after dark it started to rain again and continued most of the night. Not a hard rain, just steady. More green and more flowers. This morning there is a sliver of the last part of this moon cycle out there and lots and lots of stars. The clouds have moved off to the east. I am sitting here at my laptop trying to catch up on writing a few articles and drinking my tea. But instead of working on them, I am posting. (Well, not actual posting yet because we do not have cell phone service out here so am not on the Internet.) Early morning is my time of day!
After we got back to camp, four young rabbits chasing each other around entertained us. I am sure our dog would have loved to join in on the fun, but we told him he just had to watch. He does not see so well anymore so that was not much fun either. We were treated to a very pretty sunset. Again, I tried to capture it on digital images with my camera, but the pictures don’t do justice to the actual scene. Will post some pictures one of these days when I get time and figure out the servers pictures procedures.
Just after dark it started to rain again and continued most of the night. Not a hard rain, just steady. More green and more flowers. This morning there is a sliver of the last part of this moon cycle out there and lots and lots of stars. The clouds have moved off to the east. I am sitting here at my laptop trying to catch up on writing a few articles and drinking my tea. But instead of working on them, I am posting. (Well, not actual posting yet because we do not have cell phone service out here so am not on the Internet.) Early morning is my time of day!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
More Burro Canyon
Explored some more of Burro Canyon. After spending a couple of days hiking and exploring it, I now rank it up there in the top ten of the best places I have ever been. (My top is Walker Cove in Misty Fjord National Monument out of Ketchikan, Alaska, but that is another story!) We took our jeep on the jeep trail and then hiked around looking at some of the prettiest scenes I have ever seen. It is just like a garden around here. I mean the prettiest garden I have ever been in! With all the moisture they have had it makes the beauty really come out. My hats off to the folks who run this place. They are doing a very good job in my opinion. Sounds like they have a number of volunteers who work here. The ones we have met are seniors and have the time to do volunteer work. A good program.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Burro Canyon
We were at the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge today, and I have found a place that ranks up there in the top 10 of my favorite places. It is Burro Canyon. I can’t describe how pretty that place is with all the wildflowers blooming. What a gorgeous place. We could have hiked around there for days and days. (Which we might just do!) What a great day we had. Although it started off not that way. We wanted to go see the palms in Palm Canyon there at Kofa so drove to that area. I knew it was to good to be true, because I could drive in third gear in our jeep. The road was graded sometime in the last six months or so. That should have been my first clue. Too many people! We stopped at the trailhead and there was a guy doing a watercolor painting of the rocks as the sun was starting to shine on them. I said good morning to him and that he sure had a pretty object to paint. He said he had been there before sunrise to catch it. I then said that the desert was certainly beautiful this year. He said something like “It is a wonder Bush doesn’t have oil wells all over it.” Now what brought that on? I was just remarking about what a great day and place this was, and he jumps into this political tirade. Maybe he saw my Montana license plates. Who knows? But I really wonder sometime about all the hate there is for our President. And I alluded to no political overtone what so ever. That did not start my day off so good. I did not say anything, but I just turned around and left his little feeble mind and watercolor. (Really wasn’t very good anyway.) Of course I am not quick witted enough to come up with a remark at the time, but I did think of one as we were hiking back down the trail. I should have said that Pioneer Natural Resources had just got the okay to drill here, but there was not enough electricity in the California – Arizona area to run the new refinery that would have to be built. But that Halliburton was going to put in a small nuclear plant just north of Yuma to provide that. I would have loved to see his face. But as I said, I am not that quick of wit. We did hike up the canyon and see the only native palm trees in Arizona.
But the day was to get better. Much better. We drove over to Burro Canyon and spent the rest of the day exploring that area. What a treat it was. I have tried to capture it with my camera, but I just cannot bring the whole concept in to focus. It is just too big. The prettiest rock garden in the world. The desert is certainly on top of it's game this year.
But the day was to get better. Much better. We drove over to Burro Canyon and spent the rest of the day exploring that area. What a treat it was. I have tried to capture it with my camera, but I just cannot bring the whole concept in to focus. It is just too big. The prettiest rock garden in the world. The desert is certainly on top of it's game this year.
Monday, February 28, 2005
In the desert
We are down in the desert country around Quartzsite, AZ now. It is the greenest I have ever seen the desert. One of the wettest springs on record we are told. The flowers in this area are in their prime. The cactus is just budding. We will be headed down to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in a week or so. Maybe they will be in bloom while we are down there.
The snowbirds are heading north. We were in the town of Quartzsite looking for a solar panel today and there seemed to be a big going away party. The campsites out in the desert are getting pretty empty.
The snowbirds are heading north. We were in the town of Quartzsite looking for a solar panel today and there seemed to be a big going away party. The campsites out in the desert are getting pretty empty.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
on the road again
It always takes longer to get packed up than one thinks. We will be gone on this trip for six weeks, but you pack the same for six months. We travel with a pickup and camper pulling a Jeep Wrangler. Park in the desert or campground and use the jeep to do our exploring and to get us to places where we can hike.
We were going to leave a day earlier, but the weather was bad in Idaho so we delayed 24 hours. This was good because we were able to do a few things that should have been done before we left, but just didn’t have the time to do. Finally got out of the Bitterroot and headed down to Utah where we spent the night with our good friends G & GB. Had a great visit with them. They are old friends and have had many good times and grins with them. Left there and headed south to cj’s sister’s place. (CJ is my wife.) Spent a couple of nights visiting with their family. And got some work done on my laptop. The brother-in-law is a computer wiz. Nice to have someone like that in the family. Also went to the Dinosaur Museum in Price, UT. Would recommend that place to anyone who is near it to check it out. Very educational.
Then it was off to Moab to visit more old friends. I was in the service stationed in Alaska with T. Although we flew different aircraft, we were in the same squadron. He taught me how to fish for kings out in the ocean. And boy did we ever spend some time down at Deep Creek doing just that in our Zodiaks in the 70s. I still have the diagrams on how to tie hooks up for bait herring he helped me draw back then. I also learned a lot about canoeing from following him down the Kenai River in the spring when it was running pretty good. He is still an avid outdoorsman and someone who knows a lot of good hikes in the Moab area. He and his wife Nancy showed us a great time while we were there. And we sat around drinking tea solving most of the world’s problems!!!
We were going to leave a day earlier, but the weather was bad in Idaho so we delayed 24 hours. This was good because we were able to do a few things that should have been done before we left, but just didn’t have the time to do. Finally got out of the Bitterroot and headed down to Utah where we spent the night with our good friends G & GB. Had a great visit with them. They are old friends and have had many good times and grins with them. Left there and headed south to cj’s sister’s place. (CJ is my wife.) Spent a couple of nights visiting with their family. And got some work done on my laptop. The brother-in-law is a computer wiz. Nice to have someone like that in the family. Also went to the Dinosaur Museum in Price, UT. Would recommend that place to anyone who is near it to check it out. Very educational.
Then it was off to Moab to visit more old friends. I was in the service stationed in Alaska with T. Although we flew different aircraft, we were in the same squadron. He taught me how to fish for kings out in the ocean. And boy did we ever spend some time down at Deep Creek doing just that in our Zodiaks in the 70s. I still have the diagrams on how to tie hooks up for bait herring he helped me draw back then. I also learned a lot about canoeing from following him down the Kenai River in the spring when it was running pretty good. He is still an avid outdoorsman and someone who knows a lot of good hikes in the Moab area. He and his wife Nancy showed us a great time while we were there. And we sat around drinking tea solving most of the world’s problems!!!
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
As I said in my last post, what is the Pro Leisure Circuit (PLC)? Well it is hard to describe. We don't have many rules, and as far as I know, none are published on how it works. The few rules are unwritten and passed on by word of mouth. The big one is that you can't work full time and be a member of this organization. If you must work, you cannot do it for more than six months out of every twelve calendar months. And of course you have to pursue good times and grins. There are a few other rules, but I can't remember all of them. The following are the few I do.
One of the main ones is that you must be a baby boomer. Right now the consensus is a baby boomer was born between 1945 and 1965. So if you were born in those years, you can become a member. Don't know how many people are members of this organization either. It is really a fairly loose knit bunch of people. Some come some go. If you have a permanent home, you can't live there more than 12 consecutives months. I'll add more on the PLC later, but will start posting on a trip.
One of the main ones is that you must be a baby boomer. Right now the consensus is a baby boomer was born between 1945 and 1965. So if you were born in those years, you can become a member. Don't know how many people are members of this organization either. It is really a fairly loose knit bunch of people. Some come some go. If you have a permanent home, you can't live there more than 12 consecutives months. I'll add more on the PLC later, but will start posting on a trip.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
What is the Pro Leisure Circuit
This is a question I asked quite frequently. Stay tuned for further posts and I will explain!
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