My Desert Birthday – February 2020

February 10, 2020March 8, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Monday February 10. LaPosa South, Quartzsite, Arizona. Today is my birthday and I am happy to be alive and well. It is cool and windy when I go out for my morning walk, but it feels good to be outside. I am thinking I should have planned a hike for my birthday activity rather than going to town for pizza.

When I get back from my walk, I mention this to Clifford and within minutes, we have decided to do both, starting with a hike to the mountain that is about 2 ½ miles away. We invite my brother Rollie to join us. A quick smoothie, hiking shoes, water, snacks, hat, hiking sticks, cell phone and charger – and we are on our way.

It is a great day for a hike with clouds keeping it from being too hot. We stop for photos now and then. Since it is my birthday, I am allowed to stop as often as I want.

Clifford and Rollie (looking at quartz) and Ninja

Looking back toward camp, a visual of where we are

More clouds as we approach Shale Mountain

Once we arrive at Shale Mountain, my name for the mountain since up close it appears to be made of nothing but shale, we have our snacks and relax until we see rain in the distance and rain clouds building behind us.

Ninja and Clifford relaxing at Shale Mountain

We hustle on back, no stopping for photos, (well, not many), but the rain storm catches up to us and we are drenched by time we arrive back at camp.

Storm cloud over Shale Mountain catches up with us

After a change of clothes, we all head into Quartzsite and finish off the afternoon with the best pizza ever at Silly Al’s. As we leave, it is pouring rain again, which to me is another gift, making an extra special birthday.

A Trip to Yuma – Arizona – February 2020

February 8, 2020March 7, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Saturday February 8, there is no morning walk in the desert, as Clifford and I are driving from our campsite at LaPosa South to Yuma, Arizona, which is new territory for us once we pass the Palm Canyon turnoff. The drive is scenic in a desert sort of way. In Yuma, we take care of our business, have lunch at Subway, and buy supplies for the upcoming weeks. Back at camp, I put together shelving, stackable bins, that will keep stuff on my side of the bed much more organized and tidy. This is important when living in a small space, and I’m pleased with the results.

On Sunday, I go for the morning desert walk, happy to see the desert marigold bushes beginning to bloom.

Back at camp, as I prepare a photo for my Higher Vibration Series, I experiment with double-exposure. It is fun to try something new and the results are interesting.

Today is a paperwork day, not a fun part of the day, but important. Clifford’s ear is bothering him and he naps a lot. In the evening, we are treated to a beautiful sunset.

My brother Rollie comes for dinner and afterwards, we play cribbage. With a 24-point hand, I win the game tonight. Win or lose, I am still the dish-washer.

We are hearing more and more news of the coronavirus, which doesn’t sound like a good thing going around. Being out here in the desert, mostly by ourselves, it is less of a personal concern than it is for many folks. However, it is does seem that this will have a world-wide effect for its economic impact.

Desert Days – Arizona – February 2020

February 7, 2020March 5, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Clifford and I are camped at LaPosa South, BLM land south of Quartzsite, Arizona, next to my brother Rollie.

Monday February 3 to Friday February 7:

Monday is very windy, all last night and into the day. Dust at sunrise gives an other-worldly look to the desert when I go out for a morning walk.

Wind continues the next couple of days, although not quite so fierce.

These are days when we mostly stay inside to work on projects, including music with Rollie in his motor home. I edit photos, write blogs, and edit for a couple of authors, including a submission for Ang’s children’s book, Permaculture for Kids, an excellent little book to introduce kids to permaculture.

Interactive introduction to Permaculture

Clifford is involved with his ham radio and dulcimer, writing his own accompaniments.

We make a couple of trips to Quartzsite, one day for mail and another day to pick up our Amazon order, supplements that we sent for, as there is no place to buy locally.

I walk in the desert in the mornings and sometimes near sunset, in spite of the wind.

LaPosa South – Arizona – February 2020

February 2, 2020March 4, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

February 1 & 2: I am very much enjoying quiet morning walks in the desert here at LaPosa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, where Clifford and I are now camped.

I find so much beauty in the trees, especially old and gnarly trees, the few flowers that are blooming, and the fantastic variety of rocks, especially the white quartz sprinkled liberally over the desert floor. Daily there are opportunities for photos for blogs and photos that I share on FB – the Higher Vibration Series and the photos groups that I belong to.

One day we have a potluck picnic with my brother Rollie who is camped right next to us and the friends on the other side. Rollie has been here since November, in the very same spot that we had two years ago when we came here together for the first time. He has improved the fire ring and pathways that we started then.

Cell service is weak, so projects that need the internet (such as posting my blogs) can be slow slow slow, but many other activities are carried on with the natural flow of the day.

Although there are thousands of RV’s out here in the BLM land, we are not crowded where we are, along a wash, three miles into the desert off highway 95. It is a peaceful place, good for the soul.

Last Days at Roadrunner – January 2020

January 26, 2020February 27, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

The last days at Roadrunner, January 22 to 26, include participation in Quartzfest, the ham radio gathering held just south of Quartzsite, Arizona, which is attended by several hundred ham radio operators. A variety of classes are offered every day, mostly around radios and antennas, which Clifford is interested in. He and I also attend a couple of classes geared to first aid and survival.

We spend an afternoon at the Big Tent & RV Show, a big deal here in Quartzsite, browsing the plethora of vendors selling their wares or services. While open-house viewing of RV’s is a big draw for most folks, we are not interested in that so much, being perfectly content with our Cougar.

We get together with my brother Rollie to play bluegrass music a couple of times and one evening we go to bluegrass concert in Quartzsite.

Another day we go to one of the tents that sells burgers, “eating out” Quartzsite-style.

The usual activities of photography, editing, writing, and reading continue for me, while Clifford works with his radio for hours and plays dulcimer when he is not on the radio. It is a busy time for us.

Roadrunner – Arizona – January 2020

January 21, 2020February 23, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Thursday January 16-Tuesday January 21: Clifford and I arrived at Roadrunner BLM 14-day dispersed camping area south of Quartzsite, Arizona, yesterday afternoon for Quartzfest, the week-long ham radio festival. We are set up in the same spot where we were two years ago at Christmas.

Camped at Roadrunner south of Quartzsite

We have a nice spot in the shade of a good-size mesquite tree, which also provides privacy from campers on the other side of the wash. Hooray for trees. My brother Rollie comes several times to play music with us. We also go on an outing to play music with him and his friends over at La Posa South.

Playing viola with Rollie’s friends: Dave and Roy

Thursday we run over to La Posa South, the long-term area just up the road where Rollie is camped. He is right where we were camped with him two years ago after we left Roadrunner, and we will be joining him in a couple of weeks. Kind of fun to see the fire ring that he and I built then, as well as the rock-lined paths that lead across a small wash to the fire ring.

The next several days Clifford and I work on our various projects with special attention given to setting up antennas for Quartzfest, which starts on Sunday, which is also Clifford’s birthday. Sunday evening, Rollie comes to have spaghetti dinner with us, bringing honey and herbs from our cousin and a beautiful calendar that my sister Nancy made using my photos. A very nice special evening for all of us.

Clifford playing dulcimer on his birthday

I don’t take many photos these few days here, other than a longer walk on Tuesday, appreciating the saguaros that live here, as well as the denser vegetation along the washes. I am looking forward to moving to La Posa South, which offers greater photo opportunities.

Cactus Forest to Roadrunner – Arizona – January 2020

January 15, 2020March 2, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Wednesday January 15: First thing this morning, I go out to take photos of the mountains and the cacti surrounding our campsite here at Cactus Forest, northwest of Tucson, Arizona. Clifford and I really like Cactus Forest, but we need to head on to Quartzsite, Arizona, for Quartzfest, the ham radio week-long gathering.

We travel northwest on I-10 to the junction with I-8, then west through the Sonoran Desert National Monument. We reminisce about our camping trip here four years ago, the first trip with our 30-year-old Terry travel trailer. That was an adventure, which I won’t go into here.

At Gila Bend we stop for gas, which is fun because of the pet dinosaurs and fun stuff to buy, and then continue north on highway 85 until we rejoin I-10 west of Phoenix. We had thought we might stop for the night at Buckeye Recreation Area along highway 85, but travel conditions have been favorable today and we are making good time, so travel all the way to Quartzsite.

At Quartzsite, we turn south on highway 95 and make our way to Roadrunner, the BLM camping area south of Quartzsite where Quartzfest is held. Driving into this dispersed desert camping area, we are pleased to find that the campsite we had at Christmas two years ago is available. We were here then with my cousin and his wife, and my brother Rollie. We are very happy to be here in this spot now as we set up and prepare for Quartzfest.

Cactus Forest Days – Arizona – January 2020

January 14, 2020February 18, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Monday January 13: One reason Clifford and I decided to camp at Cactus Forest, northwest of Tucson, is that, besides liking this unique dispersed camping area,

….it is near enough to Tucson to have our “big city” day. The most fun stops are Bookman’s and Trader Joe’s, but other necessary errands and shopping fill the day.

Driving out of Tucson at rush hour is NOT fun, but dinner at the Cracker Barrel in Marana on our way back to camp is enjoyable. Returning to camp long after dark, we unload groceries and soon head to bed.

Tuesday January 14: I am up in time for photos at sunrise, always a good start to my day.

It is great to have a day just to hang out here, especially having the time as well as pleasant enough temperatures for Clifford to play dulcimer outside while I play cello. I’ve also had fun playing around with the Snapseed app on my phone.

Daughter Becka calls and explains the recent “cow game” photo she sent, which was the result of an older couple hitting a black cow as they were driving down the mountain and nearly hitting Becka and her friend, who were driving the other way. Becka and her friend called 911 and helped the older couple until police arrived. Thankfully, everyone was okay.

Later, I walk down the road for photos at sunset, enjoying the ambiance of this desert forest.

Nearby Picacho Peak – Painterly (not Snapseed)

After dinner, I do a blog and then write in the journal before heading to bed, a good way to close the day.

Cactus Forest – January 2020

January 12, 2020February 18, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Sunday January 12: There is a little frost on the outdoor tables this morning at Cactus Forest BLM dispersed camping area where Clifford and I are camped, having arrived yesterday afternoon. This area is northwest of Tucson at the Red Rock exit and about 10 miles off I-10. It is a unique area due to the density and variety of cacti that grow here, truly a forest of cacti. Not the best place for little kids, dogs, or big rigs, but for us, one of our best finds.

I take photos at sunrise, but soon hustle back inside to warm up.

Later, when it warms up, I walk the road, surprised at the number of people camped here, as it is hard to see other campsites due to the dense growth.

Cactus Forest with Picacho Peak in the background

We play our instruments outside, work on various other projects (ham radio for Clifford; editing and blog-writing for me), and I finish reading Old Lady on the Trail. This has been an interesting book to read, since Clifford and I did a fair amount of backpacking when I was in my 60’s, but not anything like Mary Davison.

The evening sunset provides the opportunity for the classic saguaro-in-the-desert-at-sunset photos.

Arizona Here We Come – January 2020

January 11, 2020February 14, 2020 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Thursday January 9: Clifford and I have enjoyed our stay at Elephant Butte New Mexico State Park, but today is moving day and we are heading further south. Although our destination is Quartzsite, Arizona, we will only go as far as Lordsburg, New Mexico, today.

It is a chilly 27 degrees as we pack up and the drive is windy, south on I-25 and east on I-10, all the way to Lordsburg. After stopping for gas, we make our way to Veterans Park on the outskirts of town. Clifford discovered this place by doing some research and it proves to be a good spot to spend the night. Hardly anyone is here this time of the year and we are able to pick a spot along a row of picnic tables and small bushes. We park and level, happy to be off the highway and out of the wind.

I mostly read the rest of the evening, but step out for a nice shot of the sunset.

Clifford is focused on music for the dulcimer. The wind picks up in the night and there is a bit of rain.

Friday January 10: Due to the wind, we decide to stay here at Veterans Park today. I walk out to the gate in the morning and plan to walk about later when it is warmer, but it is too windy and I stay inside Cougar the rest of the day. Thanks to cell service here, we are both able to continue with projects.

Saturday January 11: It was a chilly 22 degrees overnight here at Lordsburg, but calm this morning.

After a quick breakfast and making tea for the thermoses, we are on our way, east on I-10, grateful for the calmer day.

As we approach Tucson, the desert basin is a sea of water and mud flats, which is something we’ve never seen before on our travels through this area. Driving through Tucson on a Saturday morning is a good move and we get through the city without any problem.

At Red Rock, we turn off I-10 and take the frontage road to the county road that leads to Cactus Forest, the BLM dispersed camping area where we will be staying for a couple days.

When we arrive, most of the sites big enough for RV’s are taken, but the one we camped in last year is available. We pull in and get set up almost exactly where we were a year ago.

It is like visiting old friends as we recognize various cacti that we became acquainted with when we were here before.

What fun to be here again.

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