Low temperatures with strong wind chased me away from Plomosa camp and after a night in town I went looking for the full moon at Kofa NWR (National Wildlife Refuge), not for the first time, where I’ve also shot the lunar eclipse.
I woke up cold, 36°F, and running low on propane so packed up and headed to town. Filled the propane tanks, bought some groceries and by 2pm was settled in at Shady Lane RV Court for a night in Quartzsite. With another storm blowing in I wasn’t sure I’d get to see the full moon at all.
I didn’t particularly rush to leave in the morning then went to Tyson Wells and wandered the aisles of merchandise that I did not need. Had fun chatting with the middle-aged hippy rock guys reminiscing about my time selling in Quartzsite over 20 years ago. A couple years later caravanning with a friend 20 years older than I said she could flirt with the younger men as they wouldn’t take her seriously but I was still too young. I might be there now. Bought some RV stuff including finally finding the fuse cover latch in a package of two for $8. Broke one that night trying to put it in.
Finally headed back to Palm Canyon Road and parked on the BLM adjacent to the NWR to hopefully catch the full Wolf moon at Kofa.
But with the cloud cover even howling didn’t bring out the moon any better than these lousy shots and I hoped for clearer the next night.
Due to the heavy cloud cover I also ran out of solar-charged battery power that night so the Foto Friday Fun 400 post didn’t go out until morning. And even then had to wait because morning clouds provided a magnificent sunrise I couldn’t walk away from.
A little rain fell, the clouds dropped low, about ten big fat drops hit the roof with a loud plop.
The sky changed so rapidly all day it was difficult to keep up with the patches of light and shadow on the land.
Even gifted by a rainbow. These kinds of days are exciting if I have enough propane and power.
Nice and clear after dark for the rising moon at Kofa. I was too lazy to bring out the tripod so just tried some handheld.
Sunrise
Then spent most of the next several days, with clear skies, processing photos. I tried to get outside in the warmest of afternoon but even at 60° with a northern wind was too chilly for this lightweight. That’s OK, because sitting inside I still soak up this awesome view of the Kofa Mountains. I want my house right here. And my house is right here.
February greeted me with yet another cloudy day and just a few raindrops. The sky stayed gray all day with rays lighting up the mountains just before an uninspiring sunset.
The next day, also partly cloudy but warm enough at 69° to have the door and windows open in the afternoon. Went for a walk to my nearby Saguaro cluster and I swear to seeing an Ironwood dragon guarding the desert.
The sunset was a show stopper with multiple encores in all directions. I just couldn’t stop.
Followed by a morning sunrise like none other. Bonus, I can just open my door and take photos of these amazing rays rising over the craggy Kofa Mountains.
The day was warm enough to sit outside for a while in the afternoon and I dug out a pair of shorts and exposed my lily-white legs until I couldn’t stay out of the wind while still sitting in the sun.
The sunset turned yellow, orange, and red lingering for almost an hour of colors and at 70° I still had the door and windows open at dusk.
The next day a strong northeast wind kept me inside even at 60° as I worked on the next Foto Friday Fun post. It wouldn’t load from Open Live Writer so I used the website dashboard instead. Took a little longer that way, but what the hey. I hoped the problems would work themselves out. I took no photos and spent much of the day reading.
Friday morning I slept in and missed the no cloud sunrise. My morning routine includes a glance out the windows, starting up the laptop, feeding Sierra, making coffee, and getting online. First email informs me my website is blank. I don’t see it as blank, but it’s all fuckered up. I spent time figuring out how to update the blog theme and although that didn’t fix the current funky looking post it did solve the months long comment problem. Yippeeee!!!!! Once again the procrastinator pulled it off, eventually. I reposted Foto Friday Fun 401 from Live Writer no problem. Better late than never. Northeast wind at 59° kept me inside the rest of the day with no photos. Good thing about the warmer temperatures is using less propane for heat.
I often loose track of the days. Is that OK? Doesn’t help when my weekly post about the week is at least a week behind real time. But this one will almost catch me up again.
Yesterday morning
As it gets closer to the time to move again I wonder, where next. I’d actually be happy not moving from this very spot for at least a few more weeks. However, I need to fill water and empty tanks, get supplies including most important cream for coffee, and take a shower. Maybe even do laundry. Then I can either return here or nearby. I am currently comfortably content circling Quartzsite.
Maybe tomorrow.
Lovely blog post and photos again. That sunset was indeed spectacular. I have many similar photos, taken from our spot in Tyson Wash. The weather since those cold days sure has been nice, something I am sure will come out in your next blog post.
Thanks. Nice sunrise this morning too. The temperatures have been wonderful.
Beautiful, beautiful landscapes. I love your choice of home. To lose track of days tells me you are truly connected to and content with your desert space. I consider it a fortunate achievement when we are lucky enough to get that sense of being. Most often day to day business drags us back to reality. Enjoy your time in your desert home. Besides that, no worries! You are under the watchful eye of the Guardian Dragon! ; )
Thank you. It is a beautiful place to just BE.
“Ranger are paid in sunsets” — Readers are rewarded with spectacular Sunsets, Sunrises and perfect framing of the Wolf Moon.
LOL! And that’s how I’ve been paid this winter, plus some OT sunrises. Thanks.
Thank you for the wonderful images. It is so nice to come in out of the chill and have the sun warm you through the windows…read….doze off…
Thanks. I love that warmth giving sunshine.
Love all these photos even the ones that you are not really happy with. I could happily look at that sky every day for months on end. Instead we have had double the amount of rainfall so far this year to normal and the skies are consistently grey. There are some flower buds in the garden but nothing is opening, too wet and cold, I am beginning to wonder if they might just die without opening. .What with the weather and COVID it is pretty dismal here at present. I did get my first Pfizer vaccine yesterday, next one 8 March. Nigel is not old enough to join the vaccine queue yet! Stay safe and enjoy those magical skies. Hugs Diane and Nigel
Thanks. As you know, we are our own worse critics. I have been very happy to watch this landscape and sky for almost two weeks. Sorry to hear it’s so dismal but glad you got the shot.
Your photos bring me desert joy Gaelyn! Such amazing sunrise/sunset photos. I love that dragon guard. I agree – why move when you have such an awesome view? Glad you got your comments fixed. Both Bob and i lose track of the days – sometimes we’re both wrong! Keep flirting – I’m shameless.
Thank you. It’s so nice to share such opposite landscapes.
Well you finally got the sunrise and the sunset those photo’s are brilliant. “all of them” but sorry you had all those problems to begin with.but I guess you are used to that because you seem to tackle them head on and come up smiling. Thanks Gaelyn for sharing. Have a great week ahead and stay safe.
Won’t be long before the sunrises happen way too early.
” I want my house right here. And my house is right here.” I love this…
I tend to feel that way about most of my views, or I move.
Wonderful Sonoran shots here, the clouds have been great! When do you check in up north? I’ll be there March 1st.
Thanks. The skies have been amazing. I wouldn’t return to Bryce until mid-April.
Such views you have. You have some amazing photos. The moon shots you didn’t like I love as well.
Been reading about Quartzite in the book on nomads. Sounds like an amazing place, at least in the winter.
Wish I was there today. We are not supposed to get over freezing until the middle of next week. I don’t mind that. It is the ice on the roads I don’t like.
There’s a book on nomads? Quartzsite is, weird. But much better than freezing temperatures and icy roads. Be careful out there.
Nice shots, love that view. Mountains are spectacular. Make it up to skull rock yet?
Thanks. I’m being gentle with the camper this winter and won’t drive that road to skull rock.
Such a beautiful spot and to be comfortably content is all we can ask for. Hope your warmer temps are keeping you happy. LOL at the lily white legs – mine are blinding 🙂 Love those light bursts behind the rocky mountain corner. And your desert dragon is awesome!!
I’d probably not move for months if I didn’t need to.
Glad you are content with your skies, your connections through the blog, your camera, and time to process photos, a job I know from experience can be really time consuming. Gorgeous skies, and I do love the Kofa Mountains. Maybe we will get there….maybe in March. Who knows. It is ok to lose track of the days. I do all the time. Covid is weird, the winter here is especially chilly and damp and gray, and it all runs together. Yesterday morning I woke to fog…again….and for the first time in my life that I can remember the fog was so wet that everything on our COVERED porch, tablecloth, floor rugs, deck wood, shoes and socks lined up along the wall of the house….10 feet from open skies….was soaked. Dripping wet from just the condensation from the fog. I haven’t seen that even at the beach! Damn. So we will escape the GP fog once again and try for Eureka and Arcata fog. Might be rain instead of fog, who knows. Can you tell I am getting really sick of our gray winter and our inability to escape it thanks to not being able to get a vaccine in this part of Oregon? Still waiting. Still nothing here in Josephine county. They are vaxxing all the teachers, first responders, others first and old folks are out in the cold. Mo is 80 and she still can’t get hers. So we wait…and wait….and once again will jump in the MoHo on saturday for a socially distanced foggy break. Sorry to say, I am sick of the ocean.
Sorry to hear about the depressing gray and fog. That seemed rare when I was in that area, more like western WA. Me thinks you are tired of the beach because it feels like the only place you can go. I would disagree. Except after three days of gray, I get grouchy.
Dear Gaelyn, thank you for always visiting my blog. My email went South in July/August last year, something about Grant being the account holder. How can I link to your posts again? Friday Fun was my way of keeping in touch with you. My email now is johedges13ATgmail.com. I hope you can help. Love Jo
Your HOME was in the exact perfect place…those pictures are incredible. I can’t wait to see if you come back after your stay in Quartzite. (It’s funny catching up …Like reading an adventure story from the back cover to the front. ). I forget what day it is all the time nowadays. And I forgot how to play Foto Friday. Can I add my # for next week from here? 222 my daughters birthday!
Thank you for following my adventure. I feel fortunate to have these amazing views to share.