Black Rock in Spring – April 2022

Here it is April, spring in the desert, windy, and Clifford and I are camped at Black Rock Road in northwest Arizona.

April 1^st, a great start to the month is the poem “Bones” by Mary Oliver, which I write out and add my comment for the day’s journal entry, as the poem speaks to me as I walkabout the desert.

I am on the lookout for wildflowers, but so far not many to be seen, except for one clump of desert marigold in the wash.

Morning quiet time is precious to me and sometimes I am up in time to catch the very moment of the rising sun before I make coffee and don warmer clothing for sitting outside.

As often as I can I sit outside surrounded by creosote with a view of Pine Mountain to the north and mesas all around as I enjoy the morning coffee and write in my journal.

Our monthly trip to Littlefield to get our mail is a delightful trip through the Virgin River Gorge. Most people take this curving route through the gorge at interstate speed (I-10) not even aware of the magnificence they are rushing past.

We go on a couple of outings with our friend David. One trip is to a ranch out in the boonies west of St. George. We see views of the gorgeous red cliffs along the way and we have a good time exploring the ranch, which has come up as a possibility of a winter camping spot next year. It’s a bit remote for us, but not impossible.

The next day we go to Colorado City, a small town on the border between Arizona and Utah, as there is a fresh water spring there that is worth the journey.

It is exceedingly scenic, both on the travel to the town, as well as swinging by Sand Hollow State Park on our way back to Black RockRoad. I do love outings for the scenic value, and I’m really glad to have such good water to drink.

Shortly after these outings, my sister Nancy and her husband Dick come for a visit on their way back to Montana after visiting our brother Rollie and his wife Tata in southeast Arizona.

It was a long haul for Nancy and Dick and I am very happy that they were willing to go out of their way to visit us. We don’t have many visitors all winter long, and while Clifford and David are great fellows, it sure is nice when I have another gal to talk to, especially a sister type gal. Nancy and I have coffee in the morning and go for long walks in the desert in the afternoons.

All too soon they head back to Montana. Good-bye until summer, but in the meantime, I will continue my meanderings, watching for the coming of wildflowers.