With the weekend over I made plans for propane fix and started packing with the best hope the problem would be easily fixed.  Didn’t put much in the fridge because I could stop at a store on the way to meet Joann at our first campout this fall near Sedona.

Aspen Mirror Lake Dixie National Forest Utah

Besides, I don’t like to travel on weekends and instead spend way too much time online plus I’m always labeling photos.  Just started October 2020.  Yea, I’m OCD that way and only about a year behind.

Monday morning I called the only propane place within 50 miles that actually does more than just fill monster large tanks.  Yavapai Bottle Gas has service people on duty Monday-Friday 8-4:30 in Dewey, on my way to our campout outside of Sedona.  Plugged the fridge into electricity and mostly finished packing to leave the next morning.  Much more fun was watching a Red-tailed Hawk soaring high over the landscape.  With all the grasses I’d think a rodent diet would be rather plentiful.  Email notification that the calendars were shipped via UPS and suppose to be delivered Wednesday so would be waiting for me after this little campout experience.

I actually woke up early enough to catch sunrise, and startled a hawk as well.

With last minute things packed I hit the road by 9:30am and about an hour later the propane diagnosis was a bad valve in one tank.  These horizontal 5-gallon Manchester propane tanks have been a pain in the ass for almost two years now.  An hour later I was back on the road with full tanks and a fridge turned on so stopped briefly for a few more groceries in Cottonwood.

Pulled into camp about 2:30pm.  Joann had already parked with the new-to-her trailer she’s been working on for it’s maiden voyage beyond the driveway.  Forest Road (FR) 525 is about 30 minutes southwest of Sedona off SR89A.  Camp places are pretty close to the dusty FR525 with a rather large berm from road to camp.

Hung out for a while then took a ride in Joann’s van to the end of the six mile dirt road and saw many more campers along the way, big RVs, tents, and everything in-between.

The road ended at a closed gate signed for Palatki Heritage Site, ruins and rockart, presumably open for reserved tours between 9-3.  (I tried to call several times the next day with no luck.)  We got there just about sunset and scored when the red-rock cliffs lit up under the westering sun.

Back in camp, Joann heated up Shepherds pie, made by her son, for our dinner and we shared with a young man camped nearby in a tent.  A great first day start to our campout.

Awoke the next morning to hot air balloons floating by.  Absolutely something I’d like to do.

We left camp around 10am to visit a friend in Sedona.  Traffic in that town is insane and I thank Joann for being the driver, and knowing her way around.

In the afternoon we road north of town following Oak Creek through a tunnel of fading autumn leaved trees.

Pull offs allow several cars to park in the narrow space between road and creek.  Day use only with picnic tables and grills.

We stopped at a couple and one we could actually get closer to the water, though the boulders were awkward to walk on like stepping stones between the slippery carpet of leaves.

What a treat to listen and see the flow of water reflecting trees and sky.  An absolutely delightful day.

I voted for the next day being a stay-in-camp day.  Joann got her paints and easel out, I sat and read in the sunshine or watched our tenting neighbor get a better signal in the “phone booth” above camp.  I truly enjoy quiet days as part of a campout.  Joann made dinner and I provided desert.

We both planned to head out on Friday before the weekend but traffic started picking up on Veterans Day.  I was in no rush to leave as I planned only about a one-hour drive back to Dewey to visit with North Rim friend Vicki and park and plug-in at her place for the weekend.  We hadn’t seen each other in six months and spent 1 1/2 days exchanging stories almost nonstop.  She cooked dinner and I made salad.  I love when someone else feeds me as I really don’t like to cook much anymore.  Does anybody else get bored with their own cooking?

Sunday morning I left for home with a quick grocery stop along the way in Prescott.  After unpacking the camper and putting everything away I didn’t feel like doing much of anything else.  Thank goodness for quick bake pizza dinner.

I didn’t figure to do much the next day either, except go to the post office for the calendars.  However, when I checked the tracking it came up that UPS had delivered the package last Wednesday to the post office in Prescott Valley.  Wait a minute!  Wrong valley.  My address is Skull Valley.  I just came through there from my campout.  I spent most of the day trying to call the post office and UPS office but nobody answers, no option to leave a message.  Online didn’t help either.  Once UPS SurePost delivered, their tracking stopped.  I REALLY didn’t want to drive 45 miles to the Prescott Valley post office.  Frustrating!  By afternoon I’d decided the next day would be driving an hour each way to pick up a package that should be sitting only 10 minutes away in my hometown post office.  Instead I figured out times for the almost full lunar eclipse Thurs/Friday.  It’s the longest partial lunar eclipse in 600 years at just over six hours.  Much better for my blood pressure.

Guess what was at the Skull Valley post office on Tuesday morning?  If you’re still interested in ordering, let me know.