Tuesday January 15: It is raining this morning where Clifford and I are camped at La Posa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona. This is a big deal in the desert. I go walking, taking photos of the water in the washes and arroyos. Where it has been dry sand, rocks, and gravel on previous days, there are now rivers and streams. It is lovely and peaceful walking by myself in the rain.
Other than the rain, today is a day with many of the usual activities: editing, blog writing, and music with Rollie. There is now a domain and website platform in place for Ang. It will be up to me to populate the website with information and photos. Sounds like an interesting project except for the fact that I don’t know how to do it! Might be a steep learning curve….
Clifford at work
No
drone-flying for Clifford today, but research continues.
Evening in the desert
After dinner, Rollie and I play cribbage before I tackle the dishes, and then I write in the journal before heading to bed.
The
next several days at our camping area at LaPosa South, south of
Quartzsite are marked by lows in the 30’s and highs in the 60’s –
not bad for January, but generally too windy to spend much time
sitting outside.
Morning
and evening walks in the desert happen almost daily for me, as I find
myself very drawn to the stillness. I like the openness without
barrenness, always finding interesting trees or rocks or flowers to
take photos of, but it is the ambiance that I wish most to share.
The morning “quiet time” routine of inspirational reading and
writing that I had established in Monticello is harder to maintain
here, so my quiet time is now walks in the desert.
Waiting for sunrise
First light on a palo verde
Morning light on the trees and shrubs along the arroyo
Saguaros with nursemaids
Desert marigolds bloom abundantly
Openness without barrenness
After repairing his drone, Clifford takes it for a flight… and it gets away from him, becoming a smaller and smaller dot until it disappears.
Clifford takes drone for a flight
Well, this is a bit discouraging, but Clifford knows by line-of-sight which direction it has gone. Clifford, Rollie, and I go look for it, with a starting point a couple of miles past LaPosa South. Rollie and I go one direction along the trajectory line, inquiring of campers if they have seen a drone, but no one has. We are hoping it didn’t crash into someone’s RV. Clifford goes the other direction along the trajectory, back toward our campsite. As he’s walking in the desert, using his binoculars to scout around, he comes across a couple of RVs a ways out from LaPosa South and he approaches a man who seems a bit unfriendly. Turns out Clifford is near the area of a nudist colony and the guy thinks Clifford has come to spy on the nudists. After a bit of conversation, the man is finally convinced that Clifford is indeed looking for a fly-away drone. The man’s cousin and husband who are camped nearby might have noticed a drone, and the fellow will inquire of them when they return from town. Clifford describes where we are camped without much hope that anything will come of. Keep in mind there are thousands of RVs camped in the desert south of Quartzsite.
The next day after plotting a distance as well as a trajectory, we plan to go search again, but before we leave, a pickup comes up our driveway (we are quite a ways out from the main part of LaPosa South). Turns out the couple in the pickup are the cousin and husband of the man Clifford talked to yesterday, and the drone had landed in their driveway. They had taken it inside, but the fellow Clifford talked to didn’t know that. He happened to mention talking to Clifford, and sure enough, they have the drone and set out to find us. So the drone is returned, none the worse off for its adventure.
Drone returns home
Another not quite so fun adventure is our trip to Lake Havasu City, about 90 miles to the north. We are going there to buy a Mr. Buddy heater, with plans to stop for photos on the way back to Quartzsite and lunch at the casino near Parker.
Driving to Lake Havasu City
The Lake Havasu City Walmart is on the north end of town, but before we get there, as Clifford steps on the gas to merge into the correct lane of traffic, the Suburban starts steaming, big time, with the heat gauge rapidly going up. We barely make it to the Walmart parking lot, coasting in and stopping at the outside edge.
Rollie and Clifford assess the problem and it appears that broken motor mounts allowed the engine to jump enough to break a housing that holds hoses to the radiator and heater. We check out the Walmart auto supply, but they don’t have the right part. A nearby Toyoto dealer orders the part for us and we have lunch at Subway while we wait for the part to be delivered. When the part arrives, it is the wrong size and won’t work. We are back to square one, but now it is mid-afternoon. After much searching and some ingenuity, we come up with a series of garden hose parts and clamps to jury-rig (thanks to Rollie) the hoses so as to be able to drive without overheating the engine. This has taken hours, many trips back and forth to Walmart auto and garden centers, and me taking Ninja for long walks. It is after dark and the guys are working by flashlights before it is all back together and we head to camp. No photos and no stopping at the casino for a meal.
Working by flashlight
Other than the drone adventure and Suburban misadventure, which both ended well, we continue our projects. I do more editing, look into starting a website for Ang, and write a couple of blogs. Rollie and I play music almost every day and cribbage after dinner.
Cribbage after dinner and tonight I have a winning hand!
Clifford is busy with CI research, ham radio, playing his dulcimer, and flying the drone when it is not too windy. And we all went to the New Christy Minstrel concert in Quartzsite one evening, which was good entertainment.
Evening in the Sonoran desert south of Quartzsite, Arizona
These
first days of January at La Posa South give Clifford and me a chance
to settle in, as we plan to be here awhile at this long-term camping
area south of Quartzsite, Arizona.
Cougar at LaPosa South
Most
mornings I walk into the desert to take photos at sunrise,
appreciating the ambiance of the area. The vegetation is varied with
mesquite, palo verde, creosote, and other shrubs and trees along the
washes. Desert marigolds bloom freely. In the open spaces between
the washes one can find saguaros, frequently with their nursemaid
shrubs at their base.
Desert Sunrise
Shrubs…
and trees along the wash
Sometimes
I take a small thermos of coffee and my journal so I can sit in the
sunshine and write after sunrise. The deep stillness of the desert
invites one to sit quietly, not really contemplating life, but just
being present to the stillness.
Desert Marigold
Still majestic
View of “Shale Mountain” as seen from the wash
The open spaces invite one to stillness
Stubby Saguaro in the open spaces
During
the day, I send texts with photos to my family and friends, write
blogs, edit photos, and check CI email when the sun on the solar
panels allow for such. At one point, we try out our new generator for
the first time. It is a backup, but good to have for overcast days.
A cloudy day in the desert
My brother Rollie and I play bluegrass music almost every day with Clifford being our appreciative audience, usually sitting inside Rollie’s motor home, as it has been too chilly and windy to sit out for music. Occasionally a campfire allows us to sit out. We are particularly enjoying viola and mandolin duets; it sure would be fun to have a guitar player join us.
Beautiful rocks are collected…
and become part of the campfire ring
Clifford
has many projects on tap: CI research, ham radio communications,
music on the dulcimer, and learning to use his drone (which he bought
over a year ago and has never had the chance to try out). The drone
has been especially fun for him, with a good learning curve including
a few crashes and repairs.
The
days are full and we are enjoying being here. If I had a maid, I
would have him cook and do the dishes, and a good secretary could
take care of all the CI email! …. but for now I am the maid and
secretary, along with everything else that vies for my attention. But
it is all good!
It
is about 23 degrees this morning at the Love’s truck stop at the
junction of I-40 and highway 95 south of Kingman in western Arizona.
In spite of the chill morning, Clifford and I are happy to be out of
the snow that is hitting northern Arizona. We have a quick breakfast
before heading out on the next leg of the journey.
Western Arizona Landscape
Colorado River makes its appearance
We stop for supplies in Lake Havasu City, which is situated alongside the Colorado River, then continue southward. The dammed up river is a blue contrast to the harsh, but usually interesting, desert landscape.
Colorado River adds a splash of color to the landscape
Continuing south, a painterly version of the mountains ahead
Between Parker and Quartzsite, there is quite a lot of BLM land, some of it accessible for boondocking, but the land here doesn’t really appeal to me that much.
South of Quartzsite, we reach our destination at La Posa South long-term camping area by mid-afternoon. We head out to where we were camped last year, as my brother Rollie is already there and has fixed up a nice camping area. We find a spot near him and start getting set up, the bitter cold wind making it not so fun to be outdoors, but we are grateful to see a blue sky.
Brother Rollie in the Class A; Carol and Clifford in the Cougar
Even
though I’m not totally in love with the spot we have chosen, I do
like the area. We are not far from the wash, which is quite wide with
lots of trees and shrubs, and beyond that is wild natural desert with
more washes and many kinds of cacti and other desert vegetation. I am
looking forward to desert outings.
Sonoran type desert surrounds us
I
make dinner for all of us and after dinner Rollie beats me at a game
of cribbage. Dishes and writing in the journal wrap up the day for
me. We are happy to be here, a great way to start our new year.
Wednesday January 2: I begin my day with the morning routine that I enjoy – making a good cup of French press coffee, reading a poem by Mary Oliver, writing in my journals. I have a Gratitude Journal that is expressly for writing five things that I am grateful for every day and the diary-type journal that keeps me from forgetting what I’ve done with my day-to-day life.
Then
I run out to take photos at sunrise. I’m discovering that the cell
phone doesn’t take great sunrise photos, as it can’t handle the
light of the rising sun, but other than that, I’m enjoying using it
for photos that are going to be used via the internet or cell phone.
Today
is our settling in day; I organize stuff inside and out, while
Clifford gets his ham radios set up. In the afternoon Rollie and I
play bluegrass music, with Rollie on mandolin and guitar, and me
playing fiddle music on the viola, reading cello music.
Rollie on the mandolin with Ninja for support
We
have dinner together, then Rollie and I play a game of cribbage.
After dishes, I want to work on a blog, but I’m just too tired and
head to bed instead.
Sunday December 30: Snow and forecast for snow storms delay our departure from Monticello, Utah, but we finally make our get-away on December 30th. We finish packing, say good-bye to our place, and by mid-morning we are on our way. It is 13 degrees and the landscape is snowy, but the highways are clear.
Good-bye to snow-covered Abajo Mountains
Heading south
Utah formations…
and Arizona formations
Heading south toward Flagstaff
Rugged Arizona mesas
Due to the forecast for a big snow storm in region of Flagstaff, Arizona, we push on through Flagstaff and make it all the way to Seligman, Arizona, along I-40.
Last view of the San Francisco Peaks at Flagstaff
It was a super long day’s drive for us – 350 miles, but we needed to get far enough west to be out of the storm.
A
truck stop in Seligman provides a place for us to set up for the
night. It is chilly enough that we use the furnace for the first time
to warm Cougar up a bit, but we are dismayed that we can’t get the
fridge to light. Maybe too cold? I wanted to play viola and write in
the journal, but I am too tired. Since the bed is cold, I nap on the
couch until Clifford, the night owl, is ready to go to bed.
Monday December 31: I wake up about 7:00, don warm clothing, and walk across the dark parking lot to the restroom at the truck stop. When I get back to Cougar, I am too awake to go back to bed, so start making tea for the thermoses. By time Clifford gets up a short while later, it has started to snow here. That was not part of our plan! So Clifford skips his shower and we pull out as soon as we can.
Mountain in the background, west of Seligman, obscured by falling snow
For
the next 50 miles we are driving in a snow storm, which wouldn’t
have been so bad except for towing a trailer. Certainly not ideal
conditions, but Clifford is steady, and I don’t make any moves that
might distract him. We are nearly out of the storm before I feel
okay about taking a few photos of this rather scenic drive.
This is when it starts to get better!
Snowy but scenic drive
As
we near Kingman, the snow lets up and we stop at a Petro truck stop
for gas; the gas in Seligman was highway robbery, which we decided
not to give in to, but it did mean running a bit closer than
comfortable to the empty mark. In Kingman, lunch at Cracker Barrel
is a treat and then we stop at Walmart for supplies. What a zoo! We
could hardly find a spot big enough to park our rig so
we could go in to shop.
Heading
south out of Kingman, still on I-40, at the junction to highway 95,
we pull into a Love’s truck stop for the night. It is cold out, but
with the furnace and burners on, we are quite comfortable. We have a
restful night here, glad to be out of the snow and eager to reach our
destination tomorrow.
Thursday May 10: We are leaving for Tucson today to participate in the StopGeoengineeringTucson Conference in Tucson, Arizona, an event being put on by activist Matt Landman. Clifford has been invited to speak, along with several environmental activists.
It is a hot dry windy drive from Monticello through the barren land of the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Atrizona. Sand/dust twisters are frequent and we are even hit by one that crosses the highway, shoving us over at least a foot or two.
Northern Arizona landscape
As we approach Snow Flake, Arizona, just north of Show Low where we will be spending the night, we see ponds, trees, and green fields. What a difference!
Green
We arrive in Show Low in the early evening, find our motel, then meet up with our webmaster, Kaylee, who will be joining us at the conference. While Clifford naps, Kaylee helps me make small changes to the CI website, as well as setting up a gallery on my photography website. Good to see him and to have such personalized web assistance!
We go out for a late dinner, visit awhile – lots to catch up on – and then bed way too late.
Friday May 11: After showers and making tea for the thermoses, we are on our way. It is even hotter today, still dry and windy, but at least the landscape is more interesting, especially as we go through the Salt River Canyon. I would have liked to stop for photos, but the pullouts are on the wrong side of the highway, and Clifford is eager to get to Tucson.
Winding highway through Salt River Canyon
Heading south after leaving Salt River Canyon
Arriving in Tucson, we find our air B&B. It is locked and we can’t get in, so we hang out in the little courtyard. Eventually, in a round-about way, we are given the combo to unlock the door. The place is funky in a grungy sort of way, but it was the only place available this weekend. So, we will make do, including me giving the kitchen a cleaning before it is suitable for our needs. We are joined by others who will also be participating in the event.
Saturday May 12: We leave our B&B early, without breakfast, so we can get spots in the parking garage at the event center. We had been told there would be a food court open, but unfortunately, this is not the case and finding food during the day takes a bit of a scrounging around. A Panda open nearby and a Starbucks are most helpful.
The conference goes well, as all the speakers are exceptional as they speak on their topics.
Clifford speaking at the StopGeoengineeringTucson
After the conference, we all help with cleaning up the auditorium. Back at our B&B, a group of folks gather in the small front room and interesting conversations ensue. Later we all walk to a street where night-life is active and we find a place where food is still being served. It is way too noisy for me (and Kaylee, also, I’m thinking), but everyone else seems to have a good time.
Sunday May 13: Mother’s Day. Many of those who attended the conference, either as speakers or audience, turn out for a protest against the environmental toxins that are being deliberately introduced into the atmosphere. It was interesting to see teenagers, young families with small children, middle-age folks, and the senior group all participating in this protest.
There are lots of us who are aware and care about what is being done to our Mother Earth and her delicate atmosphere.
As the protest winds down, we say good-bye to our friends and begin the trip home. It is not as hot and windy today. I am excited to see saguaro in bloom for the first time, but it sure is hard to get photos as we drive. A brief stop at a possible camping area helps out.
Landscape north of Tucson
Leaving the saguaros behind
At Salt River Canyon, we stop at a couple pullouts, but the shadows are already too deep for good photos.
Salt River Canyon – the Salt River can be seen at the edge of the shadow
We also stop briefly at the Visitor’s Center at the bottom of the canyon.
View from the Visitor’s Center at Salt River Canyon
Salt River Canyon as we head up and northward
Beyond that, the landscape is quite barren and I knit more than watch the scenery.
Tonight we enjoy a nice room at Motel 8 in Holbrook, Arizona. The long drive through the hot dry desert, as well as lack of proper nutrition and sleep these past few days, has been exhausting. I am glad for the comfortable room and head to bed as soon as I can.
Monday May 14: After the continental breakfast, which was quite good, we hit the road – another 325 to Monticello, most of it through the deserts of northeastern Arizona.
Northeastern Arizona landscape
Junction of Arizona State Highway 160 and highway 191, which takes us to Utah.
Utah, here we come
We take a break from driving when we cross the San Juan River in southern Utah, exploring the campground there.The river is a joyful sight to me!
San Juan River
Although we are now in Utah, we still have a ways to go.
Utah landscape
We arrive in Monticello in late afternoon. It was an important and jam-packed few days, but I’m really glad to be back home.
Thursday March 29: This morning, we – Clifford, Rollie, Ninja, and I – are going to the Grand Canyon National Park, about 12 miles to the west of our boondocking spot on FR 307 off Arizona State Highway 64. I make tea for the thermoses and a picnic lunch, and off we go.
Our first stop is the Visitors Center at Desert View, located at the very east end of the park. We tour the Watchtower, an amazing and beautiful architectural work of art, inside and out. The architect and builder, Mary Colter, was a woman of great vision.
The Watchtower at Desert View
Panels of Native American art adorn the walls on every floor of the Watchtower
The staircase spirals upward along the outer wall, leaving an opening to the top
Replicas of petroglyphs on the walls of the Watchtower
Carol and Clifford at the Watchtower
Carol and brother Rollie at the Watchtower
I take photos of the canyon from Desert View. The lighting is not the best, but it is what it is.
Canyon views from Desert View
Far below, the Colorado River carves its way through the canyon
Every window of the Watchtower is placed so as to frame a geological feature, including this formation
After we leave Desert View for more sight-seeing, we stop at a picnic pull-out and enjoy our picnic lunch.
Picnic at the Grand Canyon
Then we drive on to Grand View Point, hoping to find the Rim Trail so Ninja can get out and walk with us, but no such luck, so he stays in the car.
A little slice of the Grand View
Next is Yaki Point and we find the Rim Trail. We have an enjoyable hike along the rim before we head back to camp.
Life on the trail near Yaki Poin
Rim Trail near Yaki Point
Along the way back, we stop to explore other dispersed camping areas on highway 64, but we like the spot where we are the best.
Back at camp, we enjoy a campfire and play music until it gets too chilly.
Then I make dinner for all of us and play a game of cribbage with Rollie. Later Clifford and I have a discussion about ozone and ether, topics of interest in connection with his research. And bed late.
Friday March 30: We are going to the Grand Canyon again this morning, leaving earlier and planning to be back in time for lunch here. No need to make a picnic, and since Rollie is going to buy me a latte at the Desert View Gift Shop&Store, no need for thermoses, either.
Rollie, Carol, and Clifford at the Grand Canyon
At Desert View, as we enjoy our hot beverages, we take more photos and chat with a couple from Pennsylvania.
Enjoying the view from Desert View while we chat with other visitors to the Grand Canyon
Today we go to Navajo Point, Lipan Point, and visit the Tusayan Museum.
Navajo Point
Lipan Point
We take lots of photos at every point and then return to camp in time for peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Easy and tasty!
Rollie and I explore further up the road from where we are camped and find a much larger campsite, one that could work for us in the future, should we come this way again.
We have breakfast burritos for dinner by the campfire, a pleasant and relaxing end to our couple of days here.
Dinner at the campfire
Saturday March 31: We start packing as soon as we are up, leaving FR 307 once we are all ready. It has been a good spot, but it really is time for us to get back to Monticello. Rollie is going to caravan with us that far, which will give him a day to relax and get his laundry caught up before he heads on north to Montana.
The caravan leaves FR 307
We backtrack to highway 89, then travel north until we reach the junction with highway 160, which runs east across the northern tier of Arizona.
Badlands of northern Arizona
There are some crazy drivers here, passing when it is not safe to do so. There is a roll-over near Kayenta… not surprisng, but still sad for those involved. There is a long delay before we can go on.
Arriving at the junction to highway 191, we turn north and soon we are in Utah and back to our home base, no longer nomads for the time-being.
The Abajo Mountains come into view
It was a lot of miles, with many good camping spots and beautiful places to see, photograph, and hike. Plans are already underway for a trip to Montana in this summer…..
Wednesday March 28: 31 degrees this morning, a bit on the chilly side at our campsite on forest road 525 outside Sedona, Arizona.
Today is moving day; we will be heading north toward southeast Utah. I make tea for the thermoses; Clifford is soon up and we begin packing. Once we are ready to go, we see that our tail lights are not working. It is a blown fuse and replacing the fuse doesn’t help. Rollie helps figure out what is causing the short, and we are soon on our way with Rollie right behind us.
Clifford and Rollie fix the electrical problem
At Sedona we turn southeast at the junction to Arizona State Highway 179 and take this scenic route to the Visitors’ Center/Ranger Station where there are great views of Bell Rock (except for the jet trails which are really not good for photos or our health).
Scenic route – Arizona State Highway 179
Bell Rock as seen from the Visitors’ Center on state highway 179
Bell Rock detail
We watch a documentary of this red rock desert area, and then we are on our way.
The landscape changes dramatically once we are heading north on I-17, leaving red-rock country behind. We are headed to Cameron, north of Flagstaff, Arizona, for an overnight stay at a quiet truck stop (yes, this one was quiet the last time we were there), but Clifford sees a sign that indicates that the Grand Canyon is only about 65 miles away, so there is a quick change of plans.
We take the junction to highway 64, which leads to the Grand Canyon from the east. There are a few miles of forest service land between the Navajo reservation and the park boundary, and there we find dispersed camping on forest road 307.
Precursor canyon along highway 64.
We get set up on a spur road, a pretty spot with junipers and sage, and a small mountain behind us.
Setting up camp on a spur road off FR 307
We pick up trash and rebuild the fire ring before I make nachos for dinner for all of us. Clifford has a call with his brothers, so I go over to Rollie’s camper for a game of cribbage. Later, back our camper, dishes are done, but I’m too sleepy to write in the journal. Off to bed, happy that we found this nice spot and that we have the Grand Canyon to look forward to.
Tuesday March 27: The sky looks better today; it would have been a good day to go sight-seeing and taking photos of the red rocks around Sedona, Arizona. Oh well, hard to know.
I visit Rollie and we look at maps, as Clifford has mentioned going to Jerome while we are here. After breakfast, Rollie and I play music outside in the sunshine; sure nice to be able to do that. The neighbor in the airstream comes over with his guitar and joins us, which is great fun. Afterward, he shows us his airstream – big enough for his wife, four daughters, a big dog, and himself full-time. An airstream sure would be a nice way to go, so well designed to utilize space.
Then we make a trip to Jerome, Arizona, once a mining town on the side of the mountain, now a tourist place.
Main street of Jerome, Arizona, once a mining town, now a busy tourist town.
It was hard to find a place to park, but once we did, there was lots to see and do: we looked inside the old Catholic church,
The old Catholic Church in Jerome, Arizona
went through a museum (guess it is not the main one), popped into a few other shops, and had a tasty lunch at Mile High Cafe. Fun outing.
View from Jerome, Arizona
Heading back to FR 525
Almost looks like rain
Back at camp, as it almost looks like rain, we set up the screen house again and anchor it down so Rollie and I can do music outside even with a breeze and a sprinkle. Another neighbor comes over to take photos of us as we play, and a perky college girl traveling in her car during spring break comes over to chat after she gets her tent set up. Sometimes a village can be quite fun.
I don’t fix dinner tonight, since we had a big lunch in Jerome, but still play a game of cribbage with Rollie before heading into the evening routine and to bed.
Monday March 26: It is clear and calm this morning, so we – Clifford, Rollie, and I – decide to go sight-seeing in the Sedona area. By the time we are ready to go — what with showers, breakfast, and making a picnic lunch, then driving to Sedona and finding the recommended scenic road — jet spray has started to mar the sky and the wind is kicking up. In spite of that, we continue as planned.
We go to the Dry Creek View Point, which we find to be very popular, even on a Monday morning, with the trail head parking lot full and cars parked along the road.
Dry Creek Trail Head
Dry Creek View Point
Dry Creek View Point
Hard to imagine what a weekend would be like. We hike the trail a ways; very scenic, except for the jet trails and haze in the sky. Of course, I take lots of photos anyway and will come up with a few to save.
Clifford on Dry Creek Trail
Clifford, Rollie, and Ninja on Dry Creek Trail
Dry Creek Trail
Dry Creek Trail
Dry Creek Trail
We also drive out Boyton Road as far as the pass. There are some pull-outs, but way too many people. Really, the weekends must be a bit of a nightmare.
Boyton Road Drive
Back in town we go to to the Sedona Community Park for a picnic. It is a nice park, lots of tables with shelters, lawns and great trees… and we almost have the place to ourselves.
View from the Sedona Community Park
On the way back to our camping area on FR 525, we drive the Red Rock Loop Road, which is also very scenic and not nearly the traffic. We stop at a pull-out and hike up a little knoll for a great view of Castle Rock, which was the most interesting part of the outing, in my opinion.
Castle Rock seen from Red Rock Loop Road
Back at camp, I download photos and then make dinner for all of us. Tidy up the kitchen, but no dishes tonight. A game of cribbage, followed by writing in the journal wraps up the day.
