Thursday is town day, avoiding most working people’s weekend, and leaves me six days to play every week. This retirement thing just might work out. Especially if I only have to go to town every other week. That’s my goal leaving more days to play. I mean why is it, when I lived 2 1/2 hours from shopping I only went to town every 3-4 weeks, and now only 30 minutes away I go weekly. Ugh. Not my cup of tea. Speaking of tea, note my new profile pic to match the rest of my struggling new Geogypsy brand on YouTube. More about that coming.
Anyway, another reason for Thursday to town includes stopping at the dump weekly. One 13 gallon bag, and sometimes something else, ranges from $1-$3, depending on who’s there or maybe a whim. I don’t know. It’s cheap enough. That also being the southern direction for this town day about an hour away to Wickenburg. It would be warmer 2200 feet lower in elevation so I took off early for me.
Prickly Poppies at the gate
Of course the road is being resealed, it’s summer around here. Stopped along the way at Peeples Valley Market and bought local ground beef plus filled the camper’s propane tanks to refrigerate my groceries for the return journey. Drove through Yarnell and took video driving down the Yarnell Hill on SR89 because I’ve wanted to for a long time. Haven’t shared yet. Made a thrift store donation of—dare I say—outgrown clothes, and bought a couple summer tops and shorts. I haven’t needed summer clothes in many years as I usually wore a uniform. After stocking up groceries for an anticipated two weeks, I returned via Congress to meet Gypsy for lunch. Two hours later, I discovered the local laundromat closed. Minimal hand wash would get me through another week.
Nice way to end a long day.
First of six days to play often becomes a down day, recovery sort of from all the running around from town day. I’m not entirely lazy as I work on the computer and online. Why do I call it work? Not used to retirement so I have personal work that I’m going to start calling play. What the heck, nobody’s paying me to do this, yet. I loved my work for so many years it’s a hard habit to break. OK, I will admit to a lot of reading on the couch, with my feet elevated. And thus, the only photo taken, from said couch.
Besides, the next morning was another early rise to beat the heat as I met Joann at the gate around 7am for a day trip in search of flowering cactus.
Just the other side of Brushy Mountain from where I live, in the Lower Kirkland Valley a gravel sideroad caught our eyes. We stopped regularly to take photos. This is ranch country, horses and cattle.
Hello handsome
A wake of Turkey Vultures alerted us to a small wetland. They perched at the top of mostly dead trees, some exposing stretched wings to the morning sun. There was very little water.
Growing out of a nursery tree
Yet enough to support the Desert Willow with showy blooms.
Back on pavement it was not long before a wide shoulder with a closed but not locked gate beckoned. It appeared to be State Trust Land presumably “leased” to graze cattle. More about that in the video.
I was glad to see even sparse flowers on the Prickly Pear cactus though many were already gone. Lots of pollinators doing their jobs.
We continued westward, downhill through a curvy canyon noting the limited shoulder parking for the return drive. Certainly in Saguaro country and just starting to flower.
Another gravel sideroad drew us along 13 miles according to a sign, sometimes following the Santa Maria River/dry wash. Almost turned around a couple times, but what’s just up ahead pulled us on. Plus, even without looking at a map the direction would dump us onto a known highway.
Stopped at an abandoned ranch which I included in the video and saw more Saguaros covered with buds but only a few flowers. Just a little early.
Valley below Bagdad
Sure enough, we ended up on US93 and went north a short ways then looped back to SR96 and took a left to Bagdad for lunch.
Turned around and closed the loop with an additional stop for yet another abandoned building (again in the video).
Once back on the road towards home, thought I saw a cristate or crested-like Saguaro. Located high above the road without a good place to park I merely snapped a few quick shots. Once the images were on the computer and I could zoom in an extremely wrinkled cactus appeared. I was told by a Sonoran Desert Ranger friend it’s a wannabe cristate.
It took nine hours to cover 180 miles of fun and still had four days of play left to my week.
I spent the entire next day playing with photos and making a video of the previous day’s adventure.
Had to balance out all that sitting at the computer so dragged my butt out for another early morning walk.
Gone for 1 1/2 hours and barely walked half a mile. I feel a little guilty even calling it a walk. Especially as I’ve been watching two friends walk the 500 mile Camino de Santiago. But for me this is good. It would take me a lifetime to walk that far.
Walked west through the gravel pit and to the big wash that had just a little bit of puddle water.
Of course I took video and haven’t done anything with it, yet. It’s an interesting balancing act carrying the big camera and using the phone for video, but I’m getting better at it.
Whiptail lizard
I am easily entertained by my window views and think I live in Lizard Land where there seems unlimited days to play. So many different species.
The Gamble Quail strut by every morning, and if not within sight of each other call back and forth, and back and forth, and… Repeat that show in the late afternoon. Could be a nest nearby but I haven’t seen any little ones. I continue to dream about summer travel. Yet may have to be content with days to play on the ranch. It’s not a bad place to be.
I know, I’m pushing the videos. Trying hard to set some goals which include continued traveling on a limited Social Security income. I didn’t plan for retirement because I figured I’d have to work until I die. Seasonal employees for the National Park Service don’t earn retirement. It was a trade off, but retirement reality is setting in. I have skills and should be able to earn supplemental income doing what I love, travel, write, photograph, share stories, and now video. So, I’ve taken on a new job called play. And I’ll share more about that coming up. In the meantime, I created another video introducing myself to the YouTube world. And then ran out of days to play because it was Thursday, and you know what that means. I didn’t make it two weeks between town runs because I HAD to get the laundry done.
Like you, I have 6 days of FREEDOM! I have to pick up the grandkids one afternoon a week due to them getting out early. Next week, however, I have 4 days of babysitting! Ugh. They DO wear me out both physically AND mentally!
One day a week sounds OK. You have plenty to play with the other six. Good luck with this challenge. 😉
Nice playing! Good job. I learned “nursery tree” thanks. I SO get not getting real far with some walks I do! So much to see, do, capture. Happy trailing.
Thanks, practice makes better. I can’t BE in the NOW on fast forward.
Yes, I did check out your introductory video. Looks just like you. Glad I have met you in person so that I know you aren’t adding any filters to make you look so strong and healthy! Speaking of dirt roads that may lead to a highway? Been there done that, and more times than not when I got to the highway there was some kind of locked gate and I had to return allll thhhhheeee waaayyyyy. Ya never know. Keep on playing, Gaelyn.
Thanks for watching and being supportive. Hard to edit my own face. But it is what it is. Road or trail looks different in the opposite direction.
Walk or Hike? A walk is better than sitting on your butt and gets you out of the poor interior environments we all live in, plus a little healthy Vit-D* is always a plus.
A hike is an event of a some what richer measure and great exercise. An epic hike is what your friends are on. All are good for our mental and spiritual health.
There are countertop clothes washers from foot and hand cranking operated manual models, to electric fully automatic ones. Most will do about 10-15 lbs.of clothes. I just use a 3-5_gal. bucket and do a long soak and use a dedicated toilet plunger.
1948 Austin A-40. My families first new car. Ended up upside down in a big irrigation canal in the winter. Luckily my dad had put in airplane seat belts and though both mom and dad ended up unconscious, it kept them out of the water in the rapidly filling car. A brave man jumped in the canal and rescued them both. Dad bought a big 48′ Pontiac after that incident, but his love of small Euro cars persisted and in 1957 he bought mom a new Sunbeam Rapier and partnered with his brother on a new TR3. He died in that car a day after they picked it up in Seattle and brought it back to Okanogan. The new aircraft seat belts were still in the trunk.
I like to saunter. As much as I dislike doing laundry, it will be a laundromat, done all at once and not frequently. I thought the car was European and figured Diane would recognize it. Those are some crazy car stories.
“Those are some crazy car stories.” Unfortunately.
Diane recognizing it _ You would have to be of a certain age and exposure. Few were imported from England.
Later 50’s English sedans, Hillman’s, Sunbeams, Cortina’s, etc. were imported in a higher number, but mostly sold in big city dealerships in the U.S.. In the NW that would have been Seattle and Spokane. The only ‘imported’ car sold briefly in the Okanogan valley was the Nash Metropolitan. It caused quite a stir when a dealer in Okanogan put one on the dealership floor. We went down after school to see it. Still remember hitting my head on the back window when I attempted to sit in the back seat.
Not a fan of ‘Town Tubs’/laundromats, but understand ‘that you gotta do what you gotta do’ and did on occasion when I was on the road for weeks at a time. Now days they are very expensive.
That ‘wannabe cristate’ is interesting and love that jutting rock formation. Vultures a real characters.
Just wait, Diane knows her English cars. Heck, a Rambler might have caused a stir in the Okanogan. Yes, I’d like to get a closer look at the crazy cactus.
“a Rambler might have caused a stir in the Okanogan ” _ Actually, they were quite popular as were Studebakers, Nashes, Rambler American’s, Hudsons, and Willy’s. The only car dealer in the valley was the Nash/Rambler dealer in Okanogan.
I spent a lot of time in Nashes, Hudsons and Ramblers. Grandpa loved them and traded them every couple of years due to the many miles he drove them around the Northwest to the various huge infrastructure projects he headed up in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s. He saw the infrastructure of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana built. He engineered the huge concrete form works, and planned their installation and pours. Dams, bridges, canals, nuclear plants/Hanford/INL-Idaho,* river locks, sewers, silos(wheat and missile). He was always in demand clear into his 70’s.
*INL/Idaho National Laboratory. Site of the only directly chargeable fatal nuclear accident in U.S. History.
A Nuclear test gone wrong near St. George, Utah probably, over time, killed many and greatly affected some 60,000 people with health and cancer issues including those cast & crew for the production of the movie ‘The Conqueror’ with John Wayne.
I didn’t know that about the dealer in Okanogan, way before my time. I owned a Rambler Ambassador and Mom had a Hudson at one time. Your Grandpa really got around. Fascinating.
*Vit-D from UVB from the sun has, in most situations, limited availability. Generally in the lower latitudes and below the 50th parallel(Canadian border, south) between the hours of 10:am to 2:pm, and in some case only a few months od the year, See chart @ Link.
https://www dot grassrootshealth dot net/document/sunshine-calendar/
Sure like the new hat! I will do my town errands on any day but the weekend. Sure like your crested wannabe.
Thanks. I don’t usually go anywhere on weekends.
We have found being retired we wonder how we ever had time to go to work. Of course we have a big garden which is quite demanding during the summer months. At the moment we are doing a bit of work on the house as well, A 200+ year old house needs some time spent on it occasionally!
Love all your photos but also enjoying your shots of lizards and birds. Take care and enjoy the rest of the week.
Hugs, Diane and Nigel
Thanks. When I had a big garden I wasn’t working either. Takes a lot of time but such rich rewards. All houses require maintenance and repairs but especially one as old as yours.
Even with good planning we find that our travels can be more costly then planned.
Glad you were able to meet up with Martha.
Be Safe and Enjoy the play.
It’s about time.
I’m still crossing fingers for some summer travel.
What a lovely area you have to explore. I think you have about the same amount of wild flowers as we’ve seen in the midwest! Love the raven.
It is nice around here. So dry that most of the flowers are few and small.
So glad to hear how very well you are adjusting to retirement. Very nice that you have someone to play with as well. Love the Gamble Quail every morning. I have wild turkeys but not every morning. I’m sorry on my traveling internet that I seldom have the band width to watch videos. I hope your income streams prove successful. It is unconscionable that you have not even a small retirement after so many years and hours of superior service to the NPS.
Thanks. I still feel like I’m kind of working, but will choose to call it play.
I’m loving your retirement. I still have lots of chores and taking care of my brother, and son is still around, but today went on a bike ride, other days hiking. I am reading more and still not daytime drinking. Yesterday I bingewatched the rest of the season of Bosh Legacy. The first time I’ve watched tv during the day in decades.
So far, I’m also loving retirement. Yea, still have those darn chores. You get out a lot but I guess not the marathons where beer is distributed. LOL