Tag: Ocotillo

March Marches On and Out – March 2020

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Sunday, March 29 – More flowers…. More restrictions, including mandated “Stay Home” under whatever names various states call it.

Monday – Clifford wakes me up at 3:00 a.m. because there is a mouse in the house and he didn’t know where to find the traps. The mouse is subsequently trapped, and in the morning I thoroughly clean and disinfect the floor before getting on with my morning walk and other projects.

Desert walk

The flowers are so beautiful and I especially enjoy photographing and editing globe mallow.

  • Globe mallow
  • From this to – – – –
  • – this with Snapseed
Globe mallow – artistic impressions

Although the desert marigolds are past their prime, they are still attractive and grab my attention.

  • Desert marigolds

Other blossoms, from the tiny ground-huggers to the tall ocotillo, add to the desert palette.

Groound-huggers
  • Ocotillo in bloom
  • Butterflies and bees love this bush
  • Lupine
  • A different sort of cactus

In the later afternoon, Rollie and Tata come over for dinner and music at a campfire.

Tuesday – Rollie comes to look at our leaking water pump, and later when he and Tata go into Quartzsite, he picks up one for us. In the afternoon, they come over, bearing food for dinner and our new water pump, which Rollie installs. We visit as we eat dinner, but no music tonight, being too late to get out the instruments.

And thus March marches out and we will see where April takes us.

Desert Opulence – March 2020

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March 25-27: It is usually calm in the morning when I go on my desert walk, as is my custom here at LaPosa South (south of Quartzsite, Arizona) where Clifford and I have been camped since January.

Morning walks in the desert

One of these mornings I go further out into the desert than usual and am rewarded with sightings of Apache plume, little pink puffs on a small shrub.

Apache Plume

The globe mallow and desert marigold are still in full bloom, while tiny ground-hugging blossoms begin to make their appearance. I must walk carefully not to step on flowers.

Desert marigold in bloom
  • Ground huggers

Ocotillo buds begin to open, revealing blossoms that wave gently, like tiny red flags.

  • Ocotillo buds start to open

It is windy by afternoon and most activities are inside the RV – editing, writing, playing music, and so on. One day we go to my brother Rollie’s place to have dinner with him and his lady friend, Tata. Another day we go to town for errands, and when we return, it is apparent than a twister twisted through our campsite, creating a little disarray, but no damage. We are fortunate that the awning was not out.

Living as we do, camped by ourselves several miles from the highway and at least a couple city blocks from the nearest RV, being isolated is not a “thing” for us, it is just a way of life. I walk freely in the desert every day and never see anyone. However, going to Quartzsite for errands is weird, as social distancing is obviously in place at some establishments, but not others. However, everywhere we go, there is a sense of distrust, which feels odd and very uncomfortable.

No social distancing here

We had planned to head north at the end of March and camp in northern Arizona for a month before returning to Utah, but with the current state of affairs, as well as the still mild temperatures here in the desert, we will stay as long as we can.

Sunrise in the desert

Palm Canyon – Arizona – March 2020

Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

March 21st – I check the sky as soon as I get up and it looks like a good day for an outing. Clifford and I are camped at LaPosa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, and we want to go to Palm Canyon before we leave the deserts of southern Arizona. I make a picnic and tea for the thermoses, and then we meet up with my brother Rollie and his lady friend, Tata, at their camp down the road. They are eager and ready to go when we arrive at their camp.

We head south on highway 95 to the Palm Canyon turn-off, and then we drive another seven miles into the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge to the Kofa Mountains, stopping for photos along the way. Desert marigold bushes, globe mallow bushes, and ocotillo in bloom bring much color to the desert.

Globe mallow in full bloom
Desert marigold with Kofa Mountains in the background
Desert marigold and globe mallow share a space
A prickly pear in bloom
Ocotillo just getting buds; our destination in the background

At the parking lot and trail head, we leave our vehicles and hike the trail up a deep canyon to the viewing point where the palms can be see high up in a side ravine, the last place in the state where California fan palm trees grow in their natural habitat. The half-mile hike is a little rugged, but not difficult, and very scenic with views looking back toward the Chocolate Mountains.

Clifford, Tata, Fifi, Rollie, and Ninja ready to hike
  • Palm Canyon
  • Waiting for slow-pokes
  • Tata and Rollie with doggies
Clifford on the Palm Canyon Trail
  • The ravine where the palms grow
  • Close-up

After the hike, we set up a small table by our vehicles and have a picnic, sharing the food that we all brought. We return to camp, refreshed at having had a change of pace and a hike on this beautiful day.

Picnic after the hike
View across the basin

Winter Journey – Last Days at Joshua Tree NP – February 2017

Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Sunday, February 12th – I am up before sunrise again today, which I enjoy, as a stroll in the desert in the quiet of the morning is a great way to start the day.

Sunrise in the desert

Playing around with capturing sunrise

Today Clifford rewires the solar panel so it can be either on or off the controller. At one point, he thinks he has fried the controller, but luckily a fuse prevented damage. Whew! Next project is hooking up the new backup camera to the back end of Terry (our camper) and installing the monitor in the Blazer. I help with both of these projects, which takes up a large chunk of the day. Later we journey down to Bajada, as Clifford has a business call and I walk about taking photos, as usual, and send a few more texts.

Too windy for cello today – darn.

In the evening, I write the blog to go with the photos edited last night, so I will be ready for the next internet outing.

Monday, February 13th – I walk about the desert for my quiet morning time, trying to capture starbursts… and sometimes they work.

Starburst with yucca and creosote bush

Starburst with yucca

Starburst with cholla

Back at camp, I sit outside to write in my journal until the wind drives me in. I do a lot of editing today, since being outside isn’t so fun with the wind. Clifford is focused on his radio gear, getting things to work as they should and making contacts all over the world. In the evening we go down to Bajada to take care of business. Clifford needs to stay current on emails regarding his non-profit and he has another business call; I post a blog, take care of my emails, and do a quick check of FB.

By time we get back to camp, it is too late fix a real dinner. Clifford heats up a can of soup; I have a smoothie, followed by yogurt and fruit for both of us – our usual bedtime snack.

Tuesday February 14th – It is cloudy and calm this morning as I do my desert walk and this morning I go all the way to the arroyo at the base of the rock hills, and there I find a patch of ocotillo in bloom. What a treat that is! Wish I had explored here sooner, as this is quite a lovely place.

Ocotillo in bloom

Back at camp, Clifford sees the Valentine card I left for him, and he makes breakfast for both of us. We sit outside to eat and I write in my journal, until the wind, which has now come up, drives us inside. I spend much of the afternoon editing and then hike in the afternoon, in spite of the wind. My plan was to hike toward Cottonwood Springs and where the trail crosses the arroyo, head back up the arroyo to where I found the ocotillo patch this morning. When I get to the arroyo crossing, I am not sure which branch to take to get me to the right ravine. I’m not worried about getting lost, but I am concerned about missing my way and not getting to the ocotillo patch before shadows overtake them. I try going along a ridge-top instead, until I come to a narrow spot that would be foolhardy to try since I don’t have my hiking sticks with me. Instead, I backtrack and then cut across to where I know where I am. After taking a few photos and making a short cell video, I go back at camp and talk Clifford in going to the arroyo with me to see the ocotillo in bloom. We also explore a few places along the arroyo where springs must have been, as there are willows and other non-desert plants tucked in here and there.

Clifford goes to the Ocotillo patch with me

Ocotillo fully leaved out with blossoms

Clifford takes a photo of me and the ocotillo

 

 

 

We explore the arroyo

Saying good-bye to the desert

Back at camp, I organize the Blazer and begin packing up what I can, as tomorrow is moving day. I would stay longer if we could; the desert here has been quite a delight to me.

Winter Journey – Joshua Tree National Park – February 2017

Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Wednesday, February 1st, is moving day. We are leaving La Paz, the BLM camping area a little south of Quartzsite, Arizona, and heading to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. It takes us 2½ hours from the time we get up until we are ready to roll, including showers, a light breakfast, tea, packing, and hitching up. I remember the days with the pop-up when it would take three to four hours just for the packing and getting ready to hitch up. So much easier now!

We arrive at the Cottonwood Springs Visitors’ Center and campground near the southern entrance to the park in the early afternoon and find a spot on the outside of loop B. The sites are quite close together and it takes some wrangling to get Terry off the road and into place. She sits literally on the edge of the pavement on the side facing the picnic table and only a foot or two off the road on the other side. I am a bit dismayed at being so close to the road. However, there are water spigots, clean restrooms, and dumpsters at this campground – and we have a great clear view of the desert and the rocky hills beyond.

Our view of the desert with the hills in the background

Teddybear cholla backlit with setting sunlight

We pay our camping fee for the week and make the short trip to the Visitors’ Center for brochures, maps, and postcards. Back at camp, we sit outside enjoying the scenic view.

Clifford and Carol at Cottonwood Campground in Joshua Tree NP

Clifford studying at Cottonwood Campground

Thursday is a town day and we are headed to Indio to get set up for general delivery at the post office and to run errands. The smog and the jet trails are horrendous in this valley, almost a white-out. The great mountain beyond can scarcely be seen. I am so glad when all the errands are done and we are back at our campsite.

In the afternoon we hike to Cottonwood Springs, as there is a trail that leaves from our campground. At a wide wash, we head north toward a group of very tall tees we could see as we were walking along. The tall trees are eucalyptus, the cottonwood trees are old and dead, and there is one enormous fan palm tree.

Eucalyptus

Fan palm tree

Sitting at the base of a giant fan palm tree

The trail doesn’t seem well-defined, which seems surprising, since this is supposed to be a popular attraction. Later, looking at the postcards, the postcard of Cottonwood Springs doesn’t seem to match and we decide we somehow had veered from the trail and ended up somewhere else, which means we still get to look forward to Cottonwood Springs.

Friday morning Clifford woke up at 5:00 a.m., and since he is still on Mountain Daylight time, that means it is really 3:00 a.m. here. He is talkative, considering moving north in a week since the air quality is bad in this part of the state. I am unable to go back to sleep, so get up and make tea for us and write in my journal. After a couple hours, we go back to bed and get in a couple more hours of sleep.

There is no cell service here and my laptop needs charging, so I explore the desert, take photos, and write in my journal.

Exploring the desert at Joshua Tree NP

In the afternoon we head to the Bajada Nature Trail at the southern boundary of the park, as we can get cell service there.  While Clifford is on a business call, I walk the nature trail, chatting with daughter Becka on the phone and taking photos of desert plants.

Ironwood tree at Bajada Nature Trail

Ocotillo with leaves and getting ready to bloom – not an every-day occurrence in the desert

Before we head back to camp, Clifford and I walk the nature trail together; interesting how different the light is now.

Sidelight on a snag at Bajada Nature Trail

Back at camp, while Clifford naps, I do some editing since my laptop charged while we were gone. We sit outside at dusk, enjoying the desert ambiance. After dinner, he works with his ham radios and I continue editing until time for me to get ready for bed. Even though we are close to the road, this is a quiet place and we are happy to be here.

Camped at Joshua Tree National Park