17 March 2011: We are still hanging around here in Ajo. Been hiking and biking mostly. And doing it early as we can in the day as it is still pretty warm down here, although a polar fleece feels pretty good while watching the sun come up. We have been treated to some great sunsets and sunrises. And it is so quiet around here. In the morning the birds start to sing just as the first grey light of day starts to show up in the east. I am always surprised how many birds are down here and how vocal they are in the morning. And we have some kind of lizard, bird, mammal, or some critter that makes the weirdest noise in the night. It sounds like a lizard with a couple of sticks beating on an old rusty tin can. I can just see the Gieco lizard doing it! He hits it slow at first and then picks up the tempo. There are 7 or 8 hits and the pitch changes at the end. Have heard it every night since we have been here.
And speaking of birds, we had a hummingbird around the camper yesterday while we were playing dominoes that kept trying to pull on Connie’s hair. It checked out every red light on the camper and was all over the jeep. Thought it was the biggest flower it had ever seen. I could not believe it was actually opening its beak and biting at Connie’s hair though. That is a first for me. We have seen more hummingbirds this year than ever before. Must be a major migration going through right now.
Did a little hike out in the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range this morning. We ran into an older gentleman walking and Connie asked him if he had a nice hike this morning. His reply was great. He reached down and pulled his GPS out of its holster, looked at it and said “It wasn’t a hike because a hike is 8 or 10 miles and I have done only between 3 and 4!” So with that definition, we only did a walk out on the range! We like going out there as it is pretty well like it used to be when they opened the range during WW II. No four wheeler roads, mining sites, broken bottles from target practice, nor trash. And you get to see some of the tallest saguaros in this area. Old dead trees just stand around and get older as no one cuts them up for firewood. Access is controlled, although anyone can go there if they get a permit. All you have to do is watch a video of range safety and fill out some paper work.
Not many campers left in this area. I think they all headed for cooler temps further north. I am sure we are the first camper that an illegal immigrant would come across if they crossed the border through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and headed due north. We can see the mountains of Mexico on our walks in the mornings.
And speaking of our camper, I was trying to take a bit of a nap today and figured that I have called this camper home some of the time for a third of my life. I have slept in this thing since 1989. Connie has me beat though as she can say she has called it home for 46% of her life off and on. We did live in it for a number of years right after we retired. It has been a good one and hope to keep using it for many more years.
A few pictures - click to enlarge.
Bike riding roads are great. The picture below is looking south towards Mexico.
Sunrise.
An average saguaro size on our morning walk.
Going through the gate to the range. Connie says I am picking the lock, but I really had the combo.
This is a new petroglyph.
We even took the old blind dog for a short walk out on the range.
This is a LARGE saguaro. I am standing at the bottom of it.
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