Thursday March 1: March comes in as a lamb with a beautiful blue sky and it is relatively calm most of the day.
Blue sky and calm this morning. View from the campsite
When the sun warms things up, I play viola outside for the first time.
First time the viola gets to play outside
In the afternoon as Rollie and I play music outside together, the neighbor, Toby, comes over with a banjo and joins us in a few bluegrass pieces. Although he is not primarily a bluegrass musician, he is very talented and has a good voice, and sings/plays a few old blues pieces for us. It certainly is fun to have him play with us. Instead of running into Sunsites to the post office as planned, I make another campfire so music outdoors can continue.
Friday March 2: Another beautiful blue-sky morning.
Another blue-sky day
It seems a shame to have to run to Sunsites/Pearce for errands, but we have things to take care of – like post office and getting a few groceries.
Later, back at camp, Rollie and I walk down the road so I can show him a century plant. Lots of yucca and sotol around, fewer century plants close by. While we are out walking, we see a pickup/camper rig that is attempting to turn around on the other branch of road into the dispersed area, one that is not suitable for trailers. As we watch, the driver makes some very radical moves that no doubt left some scratches and dents. A bit scary seeing how some people drive their rigs – they really don’t know what they are doing!
Saturday March 3: A gorgeous morning, but windy in the afternoon. Today I am doing a photo shoot with Jimi, the host at Cochise Campground. Her uniform has arrived, so she is able to look official for the photos.
Jimi, Cochise campground host, is official in her uniform
We take the trail up to the pictographs for some of the photos and hike the loop around the Nature Trail, as well as going a ways up the Cochise Trail.
Jimi points out features of the pictographs
Between cell and camera, I have an assortment of photos of her daily activities as camp host. Back at camp, I edit the photos and put the best on a flash drive for her. These will be used for brochures and such as she sees fit.
After preparing the photo files for Jimi, I play cribbage with Rollie before making breakfast burritos for dinner for all of us. It is too windy to make a campfire or play music outside, so just do the evening routine after dinner cleanup and head to bed a bit earlier.
Monday March 4: This morning Clifford and I walk through the campground and follow a trail out to another road that heads up to the foothills of the mountain.
Walking a trail toward the foothills of the Dragoon Mountains
We also do a short hike up my favorite trail. I’m glad Clifford gets to see some of the places I have enjoyed during our stay here.
Later, Rollie and I drive up to the campground so I can give Jimi the flash drive with the photos from yesterday.
Acorn woodpecker, resident of Cochise Stronghold Campground in the Dragoon Mountains
While we are there, we look at the photo books she has made of her first and second years of hosting here and at Sunny Flats in the Chiricahua Mountains to the west. Her photo books are interesting and an inspiration to me to try one of my own.
After we get back to camp, Rollie and I join Toby for music, and since it is windy, we go down into the arroyo where it is calm, but shady and cool.
Toby and Rollie playing bluegrass in the arroyo
We play until we get too cold, and then head back to the campers to make dinner.
4 thoughts on “The March Lamb – Winter Journey – March 2018”
I am imaging the sounds of your music as it flows around the mountains and valleys!
Looks like a really great place. I am thrilled to see your picture of the acorn woodpecker as I have never seen one before. I also like the idea of photo books. Todd has been talking about that for awhile but then he also wants to be more paperless. Hmmm, a dilemma.
Cochise Stronghold Campground seems to be a haven for the acorn woodpeckers. There are lots of them there! It is really quite amazing, as I have not seen them anywhere else. When you are in Arizona again, you might enjoy camping there, if you are not in a hurry to get somewhere else. Your rig is too big for the campground itself, but there were 5th wheels coming into the nearby dispersed camping area where we were. I made numerous trips to the campground to visit my friend, Jimi, the host there and to go hiking. It is one of my most favorite camping areas.
I am imaging the sounds of your music as it flows around the mountains and valleys!
It has been quite fun when my brother and I get together to play! Sometimes too chilly or windy outside, but when we can be outside, that is the best.
Looks like a really great place. I am thrilled to see your picture of the acorn woodpecker as I have never seen one before. I also like the idea of photo books. Todd has been talking about that for awhile but then he also wants to be more paperless. Hmmm, a dilemma.
Cochise Stronghold Campground seems to be a haven for the acorn woodpeckers. There are lots of them there! It is really quite amazing, as I have not seen them anywhere else. When you are in Arizona again, you might enjoy camping there, if you are not in a hurry to get somewhere else. Your rig is too big for the campground itself, but there were 5th wheels coming into the nearby dispersed camping area where we were. I made numerous trips to the campground to visit my friend, Jimi, the host there and to go hiking. It is one of my most favorite camping areas.