Wednesday March 7: It is windy and overcast at Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains where we are camped in the dispersed area. After breakfast I send texts with photos to family, review a memoir that I’m editing, and fix snacks for our hike. About noon, Clifford, my brother Rollie, and I head to the campground to meet up with our friend Jimi, the campground host.
Today we are hiking the Cochise Trail to the Half-Moon Tank, about two miles up the trail. There are lots of stops as we hike, catching our breath and me taking photos. Except for the white murk in the sky, it is a beautiful day for hike.
First Creek Crossing
As we begin the upward climb, we notice the rock formations beside the trail as well as those on the slope across the creek from us. We can see many places where caves could provide homes or hiding places for people or wildlife.
Jimi looks through a rock formation…
alongside the trail
We spot an interesting formation and a cave on the opposite slope
Another crossing of the creek
We stop at the spring, about a mile in, taking a moment to enjoy the lovely creek. As we head onward, Clifford goes ahead of the rest of us. Unfortunately, he has my water bottle. Luckily, Rollie was carrying a spare, so I was able to keep hydrated on the uphill climb.
The creek at the spring
Rollie and Ninja….
and Jimi relaxing
Beyond the spring, the trail winds around the mountain, revealing the fantastic boulder formations.
Near the tank, Clifford waits for us so we all arrive at the tank together. There is no doubt some history as to why a tank was built here, but we can only guess at what that would be. We find a spot on the nearby sliprock hillside where we can have our picnic. It is a pleasant time of relaxing before we head back down the trail.
Half Moon Tank
At the spring, we stop again, giving ourselves a little more time to be here in this magical place.
Cochise Trail
Back
at camp, it is already time for dinner, so I make nachos – quick
and easy. Other than washing the bean pan, I let the rest of the
dishes go for tonight. Rollie is too tired for cribbage, so I go
back to editing until my laptop battery is used up. Clifford and I
are both kind of tired out from the hike, so early to bed for us.
Hardly anything on the to-do list got done today, and that is okay,
as what we did was much more fun.
Sunday March 3: Packing up is easy this morning, as we didn’t unpack much while here at the SKP RV Park in Benson, Arizona. Our destination today is Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains of southeast Arizona.
Approaching Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains
We are surprised when we get there to find that the dispersed camping area is full. Since we know the area, we are able to find a rather hidden spot to back into, once a road along the ravine, now mostly overgrown. It takes considerable wrangling to get in fairly level with room for the antenna and the slide out. Once we are in place, with the awning out, the table and chairs in a sandy area behind, lanterns hung up, and some of the tall dead grass cut back with scissors, the place looks quite homey and comfortable.
I go say “Hi” to the neighbors, as they were kind enough to offer to share their large space, which we declined. They are musicians, so maybe we will get together for a jam session one of these days.
In the evening I
play viola while Clifford has a call with his brothers. Dinner is
late, just soup and sandwiches, as I don’t feel much like cooking
and cleaning this late in the day. I write in the journal while he
plays dulcimer, a nice way to end the day.
Monday March 4: I am delighted to see the gold morning light, which only lasts a few minutes, on the Dragoon Mountains. This rocky section of the mountains is known as Cochise Stronghold, as it is here that the Chiricahua Apache chief, Cochise, managed to evade US soldiers for a number of years.
Morning light turns the rocky mountainside golden
Our tucked in spot in the morning light
This morning I walk the length of the dispersed camping area, both for exercise and to see what’s available for my brother Rollie when he gets here. There isn’t much available this morning, so we’ll see how it looks later. Back at camp, after breakfast, I make coffee and sit outside with Clifford while he plays his dulcimer.
In the afternoon I drive to the regular campground a couple miles up the road to visit my camp host friend, Jimi. We have a nice visit and plan for a hike later in the week. During the afternoon, a large party leaves the dispersed area, so there is a good big spot for Rollie when he gets here.
Rollie and his rig
Once he is set up, I invite him over for dinner. After dinner, I barely win a game of cribbage and then play viola before tackling the dishes. Too late to write in journal tonight.
Tuesday March 5: Down to 34 degrees this morning, a bit on the cool side, but not nearly as cold as the -16 degrees that our siblings are experiencing in Montana.
Morning at Cochise Stronghold – Artistic Rendition
Morning at Cochise Stronghold – Artistic Rendition
Today is a camp day, building a fire pit, playing bluegrass music with Rollie and the neighbors, sending texts with photos to family and friends, domestic chores, and in general enjoying being retired.
Making kombucha tea
Wednesday March 6: As soon as I get up, I go walking, taking photos of the great morning light on the stone mountain behind us.
Cougar at Cochise Stronghold
Today is a day of taking care of email, texts, phone calls, and trying to get a response from FB to reestablish my connection to my account. Clifford has a couple of business calls and works with his radios. Getting antennas just right seems to be an ongoing issue. It has gotten warm, 78 degrees, so we are able to do many of our activities outside. In the afternoon Rollie and I play music with our neighbors.
Our backyard – artistic rendition
Dinner, cribbage, dishes, and journal wrap up the day for me. Clifford, as usual, stays up later listening to his ham radio.
Wednesday February 27: What a switch from Atlanta back to Cacti Forest, from millions of people to a mere handful within walking distance of our campsite at Cacti Forest, where Clifford has been camped this past week while I was in Atlanta visiting my daughter Becka. It is good to be back “home,” but I do miss the fun and comradery I had with Becka.
Back to Cacti Forest
Artistic rendition of Cacti Forest
We
make a trip out to get a few supplies and when we get back to camp,
we begin packing up, as we will be leaving tomorrow. In the evening
we sit out and watch the sunset. This has been a good place for us
and maybe one day we will return.
Watching the sunset at Cacti Forest
Thursday February 28: We finish packing and leave Cacti Forest, heading to Benson, east of Tucson, where we will stay at SKP Saguaro RV Park. Dry camping is limited to three days, but only $5 a night. We are lucky to get a campsite at the back of the lot with the desert behind us and a small cacti garden beside us. While Clifford naps, I walk through the grounds of this place, mostly comprised of streets of tiny homes and RV’s, with beautiful desert landscaping. Very civilized.
SKP Saguaro RV Park
Carol, Clifford, and Cougar at SKP Saguaro RV Park.
Metal javelinas look almost real in the small cacti garden
In
the evening we go to the laundromat, which is in the centrally
located Community Center. It is necessary to get the laundry caught
up before our next destination, and I also make good use of free wifi
while I am there.
Sunset color on Dragoon Mountains
Friday March 1: Today is our Tucson day – taking care of errands in the big city. I am still trying to figure out the FB issue, as, at this point, I no longer have access to my FB account, my Quiet Walk Photography page, or any of the groups that I was admin for, on either the phone or laptop. It appears that the problem is not related to the phone per se, even though that is where the problem started. Nothing is resolved at the Verizon store. Other errands include Bookman’s, Trader Joe’s, and Southwest Strings. Then back to our campsite at the RV park in time for the Mardi Gras parade, a big community affair with much honking of horns, and candy and colorful strands of beads flung about.
Bookman’s in Tucson
Texts
with my siblings include plans for a July sledding party, since they
still have lots of snow and more on the way. They figure there will
be enough left in July to go sledding. Haha.
Saturday March 2: Today is Tombstone Day, as it is much easier to get there from Benson than from Cochise Stronghold, which is what we have done in the past. This time we go to Boothill Cemetery, which reveals a way of life with many violent deaths.
Fight at the Okay Corral
Prompt justice
Then on to the old town, parking in our usual spot. We browse our favorite clothing store awhile before I buy a skirt and Clifford buys a top for me.
We have lunch at the Longhorn Saloon, a great burger and sweet potato fries.
Lunch at the Longhorn Restaurant; stage coaches wait for passengers
At the honey store we learn more about the history of the area from the old-timer there, and a lot about killer bees. Killer bees are aggressive, but they are also resistant to the toxins and disease that are killing regular honey bees… and they produce honey. I buy a pint of killer bee honey. We walk to the courthouse, but decided to skip going in this time and go instead to the Rose Museum. This museum boasts the largest rose plant in the world. The trunk is huge and gnarly, the branches supported on a trellis covering 8,000 square feet. It is not in bloom now, of course, but a post card shows off this incredible rose bush when it is covered in blossoms.
The huge gnarly trunk of the largest rosebush in the world at the Rose Museum
Clifford is engaged in an extended conversation with the owner, whose grandfather was a settler here. The museum owner has written numerous books about the area, so is a source of information – the “inside scoop,” so to speak.
Rose Museum rooms
Then a trolley ride around town, always learning something new, but I prefer the horse and stagecoach version. We finish out Tombstone Day with homemade ice cream and then head back to the RV park. I make notes of highlights of the day and will write in the journal later. It was a fun day, but long, and soon time to head to bed.
Sunday February 17: It is a very cool but clear morning at Cacti Forest, the dispersed camping area we found northwest of Tucson, Arizona. I am up early enough to get a few photos at sunrise, then make coffee and write in the journals.
Sunrise at Cacti Forest
However, there are increasing clouds throughout the day, so charging the batteries is limited. Projects by necessity include activities that don’t require use of the cell phone (which I don’t have) or laptop once the battery is dead. Viola, journal writing, reading, writing postcards, and taking photos are some of today’s projects.
Sunset at Cacti Forest
Monday February 18: Another cool and cloudy day in the Cacti Forest.
Morning at Cacti Forest
Today I pack and repack and repack my backpack for the trip to Atlanta to see my daughter, Becka. We are both very excited. Even though I work on some of my editing and writing projects, today’s focus is mostly on preparing for the trip. Clifford learns how to water the herbs, leftovers are used up, and the backpack repacked once again. I go to bed late, but don’t sleep very well.
Saturday February 16: It is a cool, breezy, mostly overcast day here in Cacti Forest northwest of Tucson. Whenever the sun breaks through, the cacti are illuminated and I run outside to get a photo or two before the next cloud takes over. Later in the day I walk east to the cattle tank, taking more photos, surprised at how chilly it is.
Cholla and Saguaro dominate the landscape
Luckily, the afternoon sun on the solar panels is enough to get the batteries charged and, therefore, my laptop charged. I work on projects, including downloading and organizing photos from the cameras, since I don’t have a cell phone at this point. Clifford keeps busy with his projects, also. In the evening, I play viola for a bit and Clifford plays his dulcimer while I do dinner dishes. This has been a very peaceful and productive day for both of us.
Thursday February 14: I am up too late for sunrise color, but make coffee and get ready to go walking. Since I am walking in a place that I am not familiar with, I take a radio for communication and the knife my son Tye made for me. First I walk north, keeping an eye on the tallest saguaros. The thick growth of cacti is very disorienting and within minutes I could have been totally lost. It is certainly much different than walking in La Posa South where I walked in the desert every day, never losing my sense of direction. I continue walking, keeping a close watch on the tall saguaros, until I arrive at a large wash with lots of animal tracks in the sand.
Walking north
I have no desire to attempt to cross the wash, so make my way back to camp and then, crossing the road, I walk south, a gradual downhill with fewer saguaros to use as landmarks and more cholla… and javelina tracks…. so I don’t go all the way to the thicket ahead.
Walking south
Cholla in the forest
Back on the road and walking west, I go beyond the point where Clifford and I had walked together when first looking for a spot to camp. The cattle tank and the highway are to the east, so I skip that for now.
Walking west
Back at camp, we
open our mutual Valentine Day card and then I make smoothies for
breakfast. I stay busy with email, writing blogs, editing, and
playing viola while Clifford works on his projects.
Afternoon in the Forest with clouds moving in
In the evening it
starts to rain and we have a chance to try out our collapsible
water-collection buckets, filling them all with rain water.
Friday February 15: The morning is overcast with mist and drizzle; temperatures are in the 50’s all day.
Morning mist in the desert
In connection with his research, Clifford is making contact with a lab in Phoenix today. The drive with all the traffic and the rain is stressful and I have to remind myself to breathe easy. Once we arrive at the lab on the far side of Phoenix, Clifford talks to a lab technician there and comes away with an idea for the next step of this aspect of the research.
Heading back to our campsite, we decide to stop at Cracker Barrel in Casa Grande, south of Phoenix, and after lunch we take my defunct cell phone to a Verizon store. It is verified that it did not get wet, but just died, and a replacement will be sent to me. That is good news!
Back at camp, we sit
out in our little “patio” area and relax before I make nachos for
dinner. The day was a bit stressful, so having this quiet forest is
especially appreciated.
Tuesday February 12: Today is moving day and we are up early to finish packing, but first I go for one last walk in the desert, saying goodbye to LaPosa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, where we have been camped for over a month.
Last morning desert walk
Back at camp, I finish packing inside and make thermoses of tea while Clifford takes down the ham antenna and packs his radios. We are on our way by 11:00 a.m. Our route takes us toward Phoenix until we turn south on Arizona highway 85. When we reach the Buckeye BLM Recreation Area, we decide to not stop for the night. We have stayed here a couple of times, but it is early enough in the day that we decide to push on. After stopping for gas in Gila Bend, we continue on I-8/I-10 to our destination, Cacti Forest, near Tucson.
Nearing our destination with Picacho Peak a landmark of the area
It is a good thing
research was done ahead of time, as this place isn’t exactly
obvious from the highway. We find the right country road but miss the
turnoff into the dispersed BLM camping area. The map isn’t clear,
but we find the right spot, park by the water tank, and then walk the
road that heads out into a dense forested area. The reviews indicate
that this this place does not accommodate big rigs. We are more of a
medium rig, but investigating is a good idea.
We walk the road into the forest
This is quite the forest with cacti of all sorts growing lushly rather than sparcely as cacti tend to do.
We find a spot that will allow for Cougar’s size. The ground is a bit soft, but we get in place, taking care not to damage vegetation. We almost have a problem when releasing Cougar from the Suburban due to the wheel chocks not holding firm, maybe because of the soft ground. Yikes! A tense moment, but we make out okay.
Cougar set up in Cacti Forest
Once we are set up,
we make a little patio area and sit out to relax with a glass of
wine, happy to have found this little niche. Dinner is soup, rice,
and leftovers, and since it was a long day, we soon head to bed.
A patio area
Relaxing after the days’s drive and setup
Wednesday February 13: Today is a day of settling in and some exploring. After breakfast, we walk out to the cattle tank and across the paved county road to other camping sites, many of which are occupied. According to our map, this is not BLM, but obviously it is dispersed camping. As we walk, we observe the variety of cacti and the sometimes whimsical growth of the saguaros.
Whimsical saguaros
In the afternoon, I do quite a lot of editing from authors as well as photo editing for myself, post photos on FB, and send texts with photos to my kids and siblings.
I watch the light and take photos of the forest. This is really quite an intriguing place and I especially like seeing Picacho Peak in the background with the interesting variety of cacti in the middle and foreground.
Watching the light
Lovely evening colors
After dinner and
cleanup, I write in my journal while Clifford works with his ham
radio. It has been a quiet, peaceful, and productive day for us.
Saturday February 9: Kind of an overcast and chilly day here at La Posa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, where we are camped. Pretty sunrise color, but my phone won’t turn on and I don’t have time to dig out a camera before the color fades. With laptop and hotspot, I do some research on the phone situation, but nothing seems to fit. Bummer.
Dawn in the desert from our RV steps
No long desert walk this morning, partly because of the cell not working, but also I want to be here when Clifford gets up. He has been in a lot of pain, very worrisome to me, but he has done research on gall stones, as he thinks that is what’s going on. He is feeling some better when he gets up, but not what he should be.
Short walk in the desert
We cancel running into Quartzsite to get the right Mr. Buddy heater hose, but at least he is able to start the generator in the afternoon so I can charge my laptop and get some work done. He sleeps most of the afternoon, getting up when dinner is ready, but not feeling like eating much. My brother, Rollie, joins us and after dinner, he and I play cribbage before the evening cleanup and journal writing.
It was a weird off-day with Clifford being in pain and no cell phone.
Sunday February 10: Quite chilly in the night and windy all day. Clifford was restless and up in the night with the gall stone pain, so our sleep was disrupted. However, in the morning he tells me he thinks he passed the stones in the night and although he is weak, he is feeling better. That is certainly good news.
Sunrise in the desert
Plans for
celebrating my birthday – an outing to Palm Canyon and pizza at
Silly Al’s Pizza – are put on hold, as he is not up to either,
but at least he is feeling better, which is the best birthday
present.
I work on email, write a blog, and do some editing. Rollie and I do music in the afternoon, and I fix a good chicken dinner, followed by a game of cribbage. I start packing for my trip to visit my daughter, Becka, in Atlanta. For photos, the camera is bulky compared to the cell phone, but it will have to do. Very awkward to not have a cell phone when traveling, however.
In looking at the weather, we will have to move a day earlier than planned to avoid high winds. Rollie is leaving tomorrow and heading to Texas to visit our cousins, so guess it works out for all of us.
Monday February 11: Today is our last day here at La Posa South.
A new sunrise in the desert
Light on the ancient dying trees
We say good-bye to Rollie once he is packed up and ready to head out.
Rollie getting ready to pack up
We run errands in Quartzsite and then pack up as much as we can outside and in. We have enjoyed our time here in the desert, but now it’s time to move on to new venues.
Tuesday Feb 5: Real clouds and chilly wind this morning. I make coffee by candlelight and lanterns this morning, then head out for a walk in the desert. I find a place to sit and write in the journal, but the wind is too chilly to stay out long.
Morning in the desert
Ocotillo in bloom
A nice place to sit
Back at camp, after making smoothies for Clifford and myself, I get the journal caught up, take care of emails, send query submissions for Princes & Priests, send photos/texts to siblings and kids, hearing back that Montana is being hammered with blizzards. We have an early dinner, then go to Quartzsite for the Hardshell Harmony bluegrass concert, which was fun. Then back to camp and soon to bed.
Wednesday Feb 6: Chilly morning, only 38 degrees. I go for a walk in the desert, but don’t take time to journal there as we are headed to Parker today.
Sunrise in the desert
The sunflowers have made their appearance
The spaghetti special at the Blue Water casino at Parker, Arizona, about 30 miles north, is a big draw for Clifford. At Walmart we get groceries and I find the perfect backpack for my trip to Atlanta. I will be flying there later this month to visit Becka.
Thursday Feb 7: It is 30 degrees outdoors when I get up and not much warmer inside. When I light the stove and turn on the furnace, the propane goes out and I don’t get it switched to the other tank in time. With fussing around trying to get heat going, I miss the morning walk at sunrise, but go for a walk a little later. I end up in the wrong wash and disturb the camper up the wash from us by alarming his dog when I get too close. Oh well, no damage done.
A new color in the desert
It is after I get back that Clifford has a severe gall stone attack, which is quite alarming. Ultrasound helps and after he rests, he and my brother Rollie work on installing a Mr. Buddy heater for auxiliary heat. Once everything is in place, we discover that the hose that was purchased is the wrong type. We try Mr. Buddy out with a small propane bottle, finding it to be warm and quiet. We have a light dinner, but Clifford doesn’t eat much, as he is not feeling very well. We both go to bed early.
Friday Feb 8: It is even chillier this morning, 29 degrees outside. I don’t go for a sunrise walk, as I want to see how Clifford is doing when he gets up. Not better, not worse, so I go for a longer walk, taking photos of sunflowers and the desert rose (that is not a rose), and stopping at the topknot saguaro sitting spot for journal and coffee. My son Matt calls, so I chat with him as I walk back to camp.
Sunflowers
“Rose” that is not a rose
Today we go to Quartzsite for a different hose for Mr. Buddy. Then on the way back to camp, we stop at the Tyson Wells market to buy t-shirts — 3/$10, finding that they are of good quality and well worth the money. Back at camp, we discover that we still wrong hose for Mr. Buddy, so we will have to go back again, but not today.
A word about Quartzsite: The town of Quartzsite, Arizona, at the crossroads of I-10 and US highway 95 has a resident population of less than 2,000 people, with infrastructure accordingly. However, during the winter months, especially January and February with the Gem Show and the RV Show, there are a million visitors, most of whom are camped in RVs in the BLM land surrounding Quartzsite. Take a grocery market for a town of 2,000 and expect it to handle the million visitors – you get an idea of how well that works. Same with the post office. There aren’t that many eateries in Quartzsite, considering the influx of visitors, but Silly Al’s Pizza, if you don’t mind the wait, is the best pizza ever with great service. Most of the town, as it is seen driving through or from above on I-10, is one giant flea market, with row upon row of white canopies housing every sort of merchandise imaginable. During the RV Show, the BIG TENT is set up, with hundreds of vendors selling their wares, while in the outdoor parking area hundreds of RVs are for sale. This year we did visit the BIG TENT during the last days of the RV Show (mentioned in a previous blog), and this week we went to one section of the flea market conglomeration known as Tyson Wells, mentioned above. Later we found out that there are booths that sell marked down canned and dry goods at a great price. One just has to get to know the place.
To me, Quartzsite and the surrounding BLM land seem like going to another country, not a 3rd world country with poverty and disease, but a way of life different than any other place I’ve been. Even though many of the motorhomes seen in the desert are valued at several hundred thousand dollars, the life-style is more down-to-earth. People sit out in lawn chairs watching the sunset, sand under their feet and a light breeze cooling the warmth of the afternoon, same as the folks in the simple 20’ camper trailer next to them. It seems to be understood that we are each and all merely sojourners in this land.
Most mornings I walk in the desert at sunrise, as I love the quiet ambiance and the glow of first light.
More flowers are blooming, which is quite delightful.
Desert marigolds
The short saguaro family
It is during these early days of February that the Carnicom Brothers Reunion is held in Parker, Arizona, about 30 miles north of Quartzsite. We first all meet in Quartzsite at Silly Al’s pizza, as brothers Jim and Frank arrive from California, and brother Gene with his wife Clare arrive from Texas. Clifford and I are close at hand, being camped at LaPosa South, just a few miles south of Quartzsite. We are seated at a big hexagonal table and have the best pizza ever, as well as really good service.
Carnicom brothers gather: Clifford, Frank, Jim, Gene and his wife Clare
The next day, we all gather at the motel in Parker where Gene and Clare are staying, and set up in a small lobby area to watch the Superbowl, with big screen, snacks and all. I am not too interested in the Superbowl, but I am really liking the power and free wifi – downloading photos from the “cloud” and preparing blogs. It is fun to see all the brothers, and I especially enjoy having time to visit with Clare during the couple of days of the gathering.
Frank, Jim, Clifford
Another big deal is that my daughter, Becka, has purchased a ticket for me to fly to Atlanta later this month to visit her there for the first time. That is very exciting and plans are made for a fun visit.
Besides the desert walks and the gathering of the brothers, the other usual activities continue: ham radio, dulcimer, and CI projects for Clifford; editing, blog writing, meals and domestic chores for me. Rollie and I do music most days, outside when we can, and he joins Clifford and me for dinner and a game of cribbage every evening.
