Quiet Walk Photography – Blog – Page 4

May 31, 2021March 7, 2022

Big Changes – May 2021

The change that is afoot for Clifford and me is that due to a change in funding for Carnicom Institute, we will be selling the home-base/lab in Monticello, Utah. This is a big decision and we begin packing, sorting, discarding, and cleaning soon after returning from the winter journey. We put out a couple of tables with a FREE sign and begin giving things away – almost everything we own.

Clifford will be saving only the most important scientific lab instruments and books, and these will be put into storage. I will be likewise save only the most important items in my life – journals, photo albums, artwork, and so on. The sorting and processing seems both overwhelming and endless.

In mid-May, a trip to Salt Lake City to see a cardiologist is postpone when the Suburban won’t start the morning that we are to leave. The cardiologist appointment and the motel reservation are rescheduled and the sorting/packing/cleaning continues.

Handmade Candle – Gift from a Cello Student – Letting It Glow – Letting Go

My source of peace during this stressful time is the early morning hour spent on the deck in the backyard where I read or write in my journal, sipping tea, enjoying the backyard trees and blossoms before the busy-ness of the day.

In the process of packing books and journals, I run across a couple that are added to the daily reading stack. It must be that the timing is right for them now.

We make the rescheduled trip to Salt Lake City, a long drive for us, with a stop at Soldier’s Summit for a picnic at a very sketchy picnic table alongside the store. It is a welcome stop from the long drive.

When we arrive at our motel, we find the hotel under construction, but the room is serviceable and convenient with a kitchenette.

Going to the hospital for the cardiologist appointment, a long wait wearing masks in a crowded overly warm waiting room has my blood pressure up and my heart in a-fib by time I see Dr. Day. A procedure is recommended and scheduled, and then we are on our way. Driving back to Monticello the next day, we take time to explore the Price Canyon Recreation Area. The road is much too steep for us to consider camping there, but it was a good diversion to check it out.

View from Price Canyon BLM Recreation Area

May 15, 2021March 2, 2022

Returning to Home-Base

Our time camped south of Ash Fork, Arizona, goes by quickly. The last days there are not very comfortable for me due to the wind and the stress of being on the move again and my heart feels a bit uneasy, but I am happy to be alive! We have enjoyed this peaceful location situated among the junipers, but it is soon time for us to take the next leg of the journey back to home-base in Utah.

Our first destination is a forest road north of Flagstaff. We are up early and ready to go, planning on getting out ahead of the wind, but by time we are on I-40 heading east, the wind, the semis, and the uneven terrain make for very difficult driving conditions. Had we known how much the wind was going to pick up, we would probably have stayed at camp longer, but after a stressful drive, we are relieved to arrive at the forest road north of Flagstaff where we spend a comfortable night.

The next morning we leave for Monticello.

Elephant Feet Alongside US Highway 160, Arizona

With the wind and traffic, it is a long drive, but by mid-afternoon we are back in Monticello.

There are big changes ahead in the next weeks, but for a few days I just enjoy having the space of the home-base, especially my writing table at the east-facing sliding glass doors….

and time in the enclosed backyard.

April 30, 2021February 6, 2022

On to Ash Fork – April 2021

Right when our two-week time limit at Powell Springs is up, Clifford is sick and the wind is blowing up a big storm, so consequently we end up staying longer. The ranger who stops to check on us is very nice about it.

Where to go next has been the question, and even with our exploratory drives and studying the maps, we have not come up with a good next destination until we hear from Tony, who invites us to join him on a forest road south of Ash Fork, Arizona. He left Powell Springs a couple days ago. Before he left we tried to figure out where we might both go, but things didn’t seem to be working out, wind and weather being an issue. However, his suggestion works for us, and we head north on highway 89 to the forest road turnoff. It is a nerve-wracking drive on highway 89 with way too much fast traffic for this highway. It is a relief to arrive at the forest road and find Tony, and we soon get ourselves set up nearby in a stand of pinon pine and juniper.

We are grateful for our spot here, despite the trash left by others. I pick up around our campsite, but disposing of trash is problematic, so I have to let much of the rest of it go.

I go walking most days, just because it is part of the regimen established for stabilizing the heart. I’m always on the lookout for flowers on my walkabouts, happy to find a few here and there.

Daily activities include music and editing and visits with Tony while we are camped in this peaceful location.

Carol Editing and Studying Energy Medicine

We drive to Prescott Valley, about 30 miles to the south from where we are now camped, and more work is done on the Suburban . Several days and many $$$ later, we have important repairs done that, while expensive, are very important for the safety factor involved in towing an RV.

After we spend two weeks here, we make plans to begin the journey back to Monticello homebase. It has been a good and peaceful spot on the route northward and we look forward to perhaps coming this way another time.

April 15, 2021January 29, 2022

Hiking With Clifford – April 2021

When I am not out sauntering about the forest near our campsite at Powell Springs, I have a favorite spot under the alligator juniper near our front door. It is a great place to read, write, and enjoy a morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea. There are days when I play the cello outside. Along with these activities, domestic chores, editing and blog-writing fill my days.

Clifford works with his ham radio and he also has a favorite outdoor spot where he spends as much time as possible playing the dulcimer and singing, the secret side of his life after 20+ years as the scientist devoting hour upon hour to his research.

Over the two weeks that we camp near Powell Springs Campground, along with the usual camp activities, Clifford and I go hiking a couple times, not with any particular destination in mind, except for one hike looking for and finding Powell Spring.

We also go for a couple drives to explore the general region to have ideas of future camping spots. On one of these outings, the Suburban starts making a rather unpleasant sound, but we make it back to camp and then to Big O in Prescott Valley. The immediate problem is taken care of, but other issues will have to be taken care of as soon as possible. But in the meantime, we will enjoy our last days camped at Powell Springs, grateful for having found this beautiful camping area.

April 10, 2021January 25, 2022

Powell Spring Days – April 2021

Camping in one of the dispersed sites near the Powell Springs Campground in northern Arizona is a big switch from wintering at Quartzsite in southwest Arizona. Although this area is considered desert, the road from highway 169 up to Powell Springs is a transition from desert to a pocket of pines and other forest vegetation. It is so refreshing to be among tall trees and lush green shrubs.

Sunrise – First Morning at Powell Springs

On our first full day here, Clifford and I hike all the way around a large mound to the east of our campsite, getting a feel for the lay of the land.

Most mornings I climb the nearest rock mound at sunrise. As I become familiar with the area, I go further away from camp, accompanied by my little thermos of tea.

One morning I encounter our neighbor and his dog as they are returning from their early morning hike. Camping as we do, we seldom get to know other people, but I invite Tony to come over when he hears music, as Clifford plays his dulcimer outside almost every day. Tony and Kimber do come over, and we strike up a friendship, including learning of the beautiful leather work that Tony does. I even commission him to make a sheath specifically for the knife that my son Tye made for me.

Of all the places that we have camped in our years of travel, this is one of my most favorite.

April 2, 2021January 18, 2022

Good-bye Quartzsite – Hello Powell Springs – April 2021

As April approaches, the handwriting is on the wall, so to speak, that it will soon be too warm here at La Posa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, where Clifford and I have been boondocking since November. We make plans to head north.

Sometimes I am sad to leave a campsite where we have been set up for awhile, but not this time. Although I will miss the comradre that Rollie, Tata, and I share, between the dust and noise from the ATV’s going by and the almost constant wind, I feel no particular attachment to this spot.

The morning of April 1, we say our good-byes and get an early (for us) start. The landscape is barren as we head toward our destination for the night, but more saguaros as we reach I-17 north of Phoenix.

We arrive at Badger Springs Trail parking lot in the Agua Fria National Monument by late afternoon and get set up a little off to the side of the main lot. There is still highway noise, but other than the trash left by slobs, it is an okay spot for an overnight setup.

In the morning I go for a short walk to take a photo at sunrise.

After a quick breakfast we head on north, still on I-17, until we reach the exit for highway 169 that takes us toward Powell Springs Campground, our next destination. We have never been here, but it sounds good from what we read about it. The road up the mountain to the campground is very steep, really a bit too much for Suburban to tow Cougar. When we get to the campground, it is small and very crowded. There is hardly room to turn around to get out. Heading back down the road, we find a dispersed site that is available and very appealing with a large space for parking surrounded with a variety of trees and shrubs.

We are soon set up, inside and out, happy to have found such a nice spot.

March 31, 2021January 5, 2022

Finally Flowers – March 2021

Even though we are “retired,” Clifford and I are busy as can be with our projects and domestic life here at La Posa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, our home for the winter.

Besides the morning walks in the desert and learning to play fiddle tunes on the viola, I edit for a couple of authors and write blogs. Photos are shared daily via text and messenger to keep family and friends up to date. Clifford does ham radio for several hours a day, flies with a flight simulator, and spends lots of time learning new music.

After Clifford gets himself a better drone, we go on an outing to try it out away from the camping area. With water, snacks, and my journal, I am set to entertain myself while Clifford flies his drone. This is cholla land, so walking is done with great care. As the sun gets low in the west, the light changes and the hills and mesas take on a rich warm color.

Cholla land, so walking is done with great care

Last light brings a rich warm color to the mesa

Finally toward the end of the month, I spot a few blossoms here and there, but nothing like the previous winters. Still, any blossom is a delight.

The creosote appears to be the one that is thriving.

Sunrise and sunset are special times of the day for me and I am always eager to see what colors will show up in the palette.

March 15, 2021January 4, 2022

Windy and Windier – March 2021

La Posa South; view of Shale Mountain from our campsite at sunset

Clifford and I have been camped at La Posa South since late last November. Over the winter months I have established a routine of walking in the mornings, often taking a little thermos of tea and a small book of inspirational reading.

As March progresses, these walks continue, but the windy conditions make it sometimes a struggle to go as far as I’d like. With the approach of spring, the sun rises earlier and the sunshine soon warms the morning air, often too warm for me. Some of my more favorite places are traded for places to walk and sit closer to our campsite.

With the ongoing drought conditions, there are still no flowers blooming. Trees and snags remain the focus of my attention.

Most days we play celtic or bluegrass music, outside whenever we can, Clifford with his dulcimer and me on viola. He finds places out of the wind and enjoys his music time regardless of the conditions.

For the Uke Jam, the UK zoom group that Clifford plays with, in celebration of the spring equinox, everyone was to show up as a rock star, Clifford went as Elton John.

I sometimes take the cello outside, but music is always subject to the whims of the wind.

Sunset often offers delightful colors to end the desert day.

February 28, 2021December 5, 2021

Green Thermos – February 2021

C,amped in the desert at La Posa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona for the winter, Clifford and I have a busy lifestyle despite being retired. He works with his ham radio every day, plays music on his dulcimer, and enjoys flying with a simulator.

For me, daily walking continues, taking my fanny pack with a little thermos of tea and a small book of uplifting readings, and finding a place out of the wind to sit for quiet time. I have some favorite spots, but many days I look for a new place to sit.

Thermos, hiking sticks, and desert hat are my walking companions

I’m always on the lookout for flowers, but this February the desert is devoid of blossoms and trees remain the focus. A type of barrel cactus and the ocotillo provide a little additional color.

Old trees and saguaro still capture my attention.

Other than the daily desert walks and music, playing fiddle tunes on the viola and occasionally taking out the cello, my time is spent editing, writing blogs, and domestic tasks – and thus does February pass.

February 28, 2021November 28, 2021

Desert Walks – February 2021

Camped at La Posa South, south of Quartzsite, Arizona, for the winter, I can’t help but notice the many differences between this year and February a year ago. For one thing, last winter’s rain brought blossoms to the desert, but the dry wind of this winter has left the land more barren with even the saguaros struggling for life. Despite this, I walk daily seeking the beauty of the land, whether it be the sunrise over Shale Mountain…

Sunrise from the campsite at La Posa South

ancient trees with their complex growth patterns…

or a saguaro silhouetted at sunset.

I also walk because walking is an important part of re-establishing and maintaining health, and I keep my eyes open for heart-shaped rocks, almost always finding one on my saunterings.

The days flow one into another, usually having coffee with my brother Rollie and his finance Tata after the morning walk while Clifford is involved with his ham radio, then sitting outside to journal and read after breakfast. Most afternoons Clifford and I get together with Rollie and Tata to play music, choosing outdoors when the weather allows. Although the wind this winter has made playing outdoors more challenging, Clifford always finds himself a niche that will work.

While political, social, and health issues dominate the scene for most people, we are fortunate to be in a place where social distancing is the norm, and where, for the most part, we are unaffected on a day-to-day basis with the upheavals at hand.