Saturday February 4^th is a beautiful blue sky day. We make a trip to the Bajada Nature Trail this morning to get cell coverage, as I need to download a document that I will be editing for a new author. I send a couple of completed chapters off to the other authors.

Back at camp, I play cello outside, first time in quite awhile. I feel a bit rusty, but am glad for a day warm and calm enough to do it.

While Clifford works with his radios and then does some experiments with his portable biochemical analyzer, I write a few postcards and a couple of Valentine cards and do a first pass on the document.

In the later afternoon, we hike to the rock hills to the east of us. It was fun, but I should have brought my hiking sticks, as hiking up into the boulder-strewn mountain was a bit challenging in spots.

We hike down a different way and come across what appears to be a stone fence. Wonder if that can possibly be a natural formation, but if it is man-made, how old is it?

As the sun sets, I walk about the desert, taking a few photos of this remarkable place.

Sunday February 5^th is overcast and breezy. I complete the edits for the new author and write a blog/photos about our camping at Buckeye Recreation Area, and then we head down to Bajada Nature Trail so I can email the document and post the blog. Becka calls, so I chat with her and walk the trail while Clifford takes care of his email and a call or two. On our way back to camp, we stop briefly at the Visitors’ Center for more post cards and then drive out to the Cottonwood Springs trailhead parking lot. This oasis is much more impressive than the spot we hiked to from our campsite. Massive fan palms grow here and an even taller cottonwoods are nestled in and protected by the great palms.

We hike a ways beyond on the trail that goes to Mastodon Peak, but decide not to hike all the way to Mastodon Peak today. Instead, we go back out to Pinto Basin Road and drive north through the park until we arrive at the Cholla Garden – acres and acres of cholla growing to the exclusion of almost every other plant.

The conditions of soil and moisture and temperature are perfect for them here. It is really quite an interesting sight. It would be more dramatic at sunrise or sunset, but sometimes you have to take what you get!

We are back in time for one photo of a pastel sunset.