Slowly moving into the 5th-wheel while watching wildlife

After a winter away from my Skull Valley home, I had cleaning to do before moving into the 5th-wheel.  It was a slow project with wildlife watching in between loads.  The neighbors stopped by.  And, I celebrated my birthday again with a friend.

The familiar drive home from camp Congress was uneventful and nobody changed the lock on the gate.

Once parked and level I felt no rush for moving into the 5th-wheel.  Good thing, as when I went inside there was mouse poop, just not as bad as expected.  Everything from countertops down needed a thorough scrubbing including washing all items in the cupboards and drawers.  I set out mousetraps.  The next day would be soon enough.

Instead I took a short walk.  I’m back in a different yet familiar environment.  High Chaparral is sort of desert-like with small and sparse cactus.  It’s arid with primarily grasses, manzanita, and Arizona oak.

                     Clockwise: Rattlesnake Weed, ?, ?, ?, Yellow Spiny Daisy, Gordon’s Ivesia  (Please chime in)

I found a few flowers.

And a desiccated Spiny lizard.

Plus enjoyed a nice sunset over Brushy Mountain.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

The truckcamper makes a marvelous bird-hide.  Well, the windows could be cleaner for photography.

After a morning of computer work I couldn’t put it off any longer and started the cleaning process before moving into the 5th-wheel.  I hadn’t turned the water on yet because it’s difficult to be both outside and inside at the same time watching for leaks.  I cleaned and disinfected the stove, sink, and counters.  No mice caught.

The next morning, neighbors came by to trim the weeds.  The big black and white steer, Blackie, is friendly and likes his ears scratched.  Last fall he had one or two one-year olds following who I called Sidekicks.  This year his shadow is a young calf not even weaned.

Back to cleaning.  All the holding tanks were empty, including the kitchen grey tank that drains miserably slow. I suspect the gate is stuck or broken that allows water to flow out, or not.  It’s on the fix-it list already.  But that meant I didn’t want to put water into that tank.  So, I set up an outside dish washing table and tackled the silverware drawer which also had mouse poop in it.  Later my landlord came by and watched outside with me inside when the water came on.  Yea, no leaks.  The second cleaning project for the day was mold removal from the fridge and freezer.  This occurred because the power plug was knocked out, most likely by my weed eating neighbor.  A change to this system is also on the fix-it list.

Flicker

You know I’d rather be watching the birds.

I took the next day off to visit with Joann.  She brought birthday cake with sparkler candles and we laughed a lot.  The only thing cleaned was me now that I had running hot water.

Roadrunner morning window view from camper

The next day caught another mouse and I tackled more cleaning.  Two more drawers including their contents, and the cupboard with pots, pans, and lids.  I wiped down window wells and continued to work around the house cleaning what I could.  Yea, I know, everybody cleans.  But I’ll tell you, I’m not typically one of those people.  We all have a different level of clean and tolerance for dirty.  My motto: The dust is velvet and cobwebs silk threads.  My dirt, and I live with it.  Plus there’s the long soft fur of my owner, Sierra.

Last light on the Plomosa Mountains north of Quartzsite Arizona 12-31-20

That evening I finally finished labeling photos from 2020.  We also all have our own OCDs.

I enjoyed a leisurely Saturday morning watching a Spiny lizard bask on a boulder.  I knew it would be the last day in the camper before moving into the 5th-wheel.

Joann came over to help me ferry stuff back and forth.  I would fill reusable grocery bags in the truckcamper then unpack them in the Big House.  There’s a little more, but nothing crucial.  Very much saved my poor shoulders.  She tried to vacuum but the old machine’s motor finally bit the dust.  Sierra was the last to be moved and after a lengthy walkabout, settled in to her bigger home.  I love that she’s so adaptable.

Roadrunner rushing off

What happened to April?  Thank you all for subscribing to my Youtube Chanel.  The month ended with 113 subscribers.  Please keep spreading the word.  I’m shooting for at least 100 new subscribers every month.

Over the next couple of days, we settled back into the Big House.  Sierra likes being able to lay on my lap.  It’s too tight in the camper so that’s not an option.  As I sat at the computer working on photos, blog posts, and video, wildlife wandered into view.

Now that I’m mostly done moving into the 5th-wheel I’m thinking about where to travel to next.  Or at least after some repairs are done.

Javelina, just one of the herd

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