I’m trying to focus on both working the now at Bryce Canyon while thinking of the future at the end of the summer season. Like repairing the camper and where to park the 5th-wheel. How I wish for a handyman and private land instead of a RV Park.
So after last week’s high temperatures and sunburned lips I had three days off to heal and do a little shopping in Kanab with lunch at my favorite Escobars. High reached 103° and I didn’t stay long. I hightailed it back up onto the 8000 foot Paunsaugunt Plateau to our livable high 80s. Where I winter near Quartzsite was 128°. And that’s why I don’t summer there.
Chatting to an old friend from high school in Illinois who has moved back to her original hometown in Michigan to a small house with a huge yard in a forest near a lake. She says there’s plenty of space to park my RV. Sounds nice except for winter cold and snow, plus summer humidity and mosquitoes. Still I put her on my list of people to visit if/when I travel east. Let me know if you’d like to be added to that list.
Saturday saw a little rain, very little actually, with dark skies that mostly teased moisture yet dropped dry lightning that started many fires in Utah and Arizona. Discovered one more “needs to be fixed” on the 5th-wheel when I emptied the blackwater tank. The valve opened, but the cable must be either loose or disconnected because now the valve won’t close. Damn system is hidden behind walls and an underbelly skin. Not something I’m going to be able to fix myself. Thank goodness it’s opened and not closed and full. Must run more water through the system to wash everything out of the tank and down the sewer hose. May be TMI. Same problem with the kitchen graywater valve except it’s stuck mostly closed so I don’t run water down the kitchen sink too much right now. Joined some friends in town that night for dinner.
Back to work with a late schedule on Sunday. Ranger T presented the evening program about the “Allure of Outlaws” in southern Utah which includes a lot of Butch Cassidy legend and lore. Visitors love it. After she set up the PowerPoint I walked to the rim and spent about 45 minutes slowly roving not too far away enjoying the last evening light. Makes working a late shift worth while.
Worked the information desk the next morning for an hour then out to the rim for the 11am Hoodoo geology talk with my supervisor attending to observe and coach. She loved it. Then after lunch I roved the rim for several hours before returning to the desk to close my day.
After opening the visitor center in the morning I spent the day at my happy place, Yovimpa Point. In fact because my watch battery died I spent a couple more hours than scheduled. The view was smoky, but I’ve seen, or not seen, worse. So glad there’s no fire now at Bryce Canyon. Talked to over 200 wonderful people out there about geology and fire ecology. It’s not that fire is always bad for the land. In fact many places in the west need fire badly due to over 100 years of fire suppression. But it’s scary stuff when close to residences and primary transportation routes plus the health issues breathing smoke.
The next day I was also scheduled for Yovimpa and because it was my Friday—on Wednesday—I thought about staying after work for the moon rise. However, after opening the visitor center under cloudy skies with predictions of thunderstorms I instead decided not to drive out the 18 miles and mostly sit in my rig. Instead, I went home for the day. I am trying to use some of the hundreds of hours of sick leave I have accrued over my 29 summers of federal service and walk away from once I don’t work any more. Seasonals don’t retire with benefits. That made for a 2 1/2 day weekend when I probably should have driven the 1 1/2 hours to Cedar City to buy a watch battery, but instead I took a nap. Woke up to news that both the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in Arizona were going to close to recreational uses in the hopes of stopping human caused forest fires. The Coconino had already reported over 20 illegal campfires during fire restrictions. What is wrong with people? It’s so hot, and dry, there is no reason for a campfire. Thank goodness, as worrying about lightning strikes starting fires is bad enough. Some areas have seen a little rain, but not much and it’s more dry lightning instead. Come on monsoon rains bring moisture to the thirsty Southwest.
With a little more rain Thursday, and a lot of clouds, I didn’t hold much hope to see the rise of the full strawberry moon.
But it did seem worth dragging my lazy ass out to the rim for a potentially colorful sunset. That didn’t disappoint at all.
Yet I didn’t figure to see the moon rise, or at all with cloud cover. Glad I waited around and got a brief glimpse even if the photo isn’t great hand held after dark.
On days off I give more thought to what and where next after the now at Bryce Canyon. That’s only about three months away. I’ve contacted a couple RV parks located between Prescott and Yarnell, my old stomping grounds, and the prices have doubled in the last four years. How I long to park the 5th-wheel on private land without neighbors as close as 20-40 feet away. Rent would be cheaper over a six month agreement in Quartzsite near where I usually spend a lot of time in the winter, but that means moving again for next summer. I know, having a house on wheels should be easy to move yet not when owning two RVs that I can’t move together. My head’s in a spin trying to figure this out and make a decision.
Thank you for all the wonderful comments, support, suggestions, and empathy over my recent posts as I still work through what’s next in life after the now at Bryce Canyon and on to retirement. I continue to be open to suggestions.
Back to work on a busy Saturday starting with a morning hour at the information tables before the most crowded time from 11am-3pm with temperatures on the rise. I presented the 11am Hoodoo geology talk to a small crowd and after lunch roved at Sunrise Point overlook along the rim for two hours under the mid-day sun at 84°F with no shade. Mistake even drinking lots of water. Then ended the day with two more hours of information tables.
The next day while roving Yovimpa Point two young women from the night before thanked me as they had identified, avoided, and pointed out to others, a Great Basin rattlesnake on the Peekaboo trail because of my presentation. Nice to be of service. And glad it wasn’t me.
