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Tag: chores

23 November 2021

Winter is coming, even in Arizona

trees sunrise clouds Skull Valley ArizonaWinter is coming to Arizona and that brings beautiful sunrises at a respectable hour

OK, I’ve been “retired” for a month and a half, have a beautiful place to live and park the 5th-wheel, and now winter is coming.  Yes, even in Aridzona there is winter.  And you all know how much I dislike cold weather.  My current location in Skull Valley, Arizona is about 4500 feet so will see some winter, not like buried in feet of snow or sub-zero, but anything below 40° overnight is cold to me.  So it’s getting close to time to head further south with the truckcamper and enjoy the Sonoran Desert for a while.

Like always there are chores to be done because winter is coming, the 5th-wheel roof repairs finished, and calendars mostly mailed.  Now that I have a new physical address and post office box I’ve notified all who need to know.  What used to take 10-30 minutes over the phone talking to a paid employee now takes one to three hours online with some automaton that doesn’t understand my question.  Does anybody except Amazon really care where I live?

hawk & kestrel on poles Skull Valley Arizona

Kestrel bird on pole Skull Valley ArizonaTalk about taking time.  I love living rural.  However, when I went to Wickenburg last week it was an all day trip with an hour drive on each end, lunch, groceries, fuel, thrift store, and the last visit to paid mail service.  Bonus was seeing what I thought was seven hawks along the drives.  I live in hawk country with open fields full of rodent meals.  As I drive I note how many hawks are seen roosting on poles, hawk one, hawk two, hawk three…  Just so you know, these shots were taken on a back road barely driving at all.  Then when I zoomed in, I realized one of these birds is an American Kestrel.  I have seen them before although they are noticeably smaller than most hawks and fast in flight so I’ve never gotten a photo before.  Made the long day worth while.

grass trees boulders reverse sunset clouds moon Skull Valley ArizonaNot quite full on Tuesday

grass bushes full moon setting Skull Valley ArizonaSaturday setting

Was cloudy on Thursday so didn’t see the almost full moon rise.  I also didn’t plan to be up all or part of the dark cold night watching the eclipse, difficult to photograph almost straight overhead.  Did happen to wake up about 3am and took a gander outside to see a hazy white orb.  Being much warmer in my bed, that’s where I went.  If I’d been camped in a warmer place maybe I’d have seen more of the eclipse.  Instead, I caught the moon setting Saturday morning at a much more doable hour.  Maybe next month I can capture the full moon over Saguaro cactus in the desert.

trees mountain clouds Skull Valley ArizonaI’ve watched November temperatures go from high 70s and 40s to mid 60s and high 30s.  That should be my cue to head further south as winter is coming.  Yet it’s so nice to have a home base that it’s not so easy to leave.  As I walk around the ranch, the Cottonwood colors have taken on a tarnish and the carpet of leaves becomes more dense.  Definite signs that winter is coming.  I’m sure the cold will chase me south sooner than later.

trees sunset clouds Skull Valley ArizonaI don’t travel over holidays, or really celebrate them much either.  But I did buy an organic duck to cook, my family’s traditional holiday meal over turkey.  Every day, I am thankful for what is given me and grateful for what I already have.  That’s easy because life is good.  Well, except that winter is coming.  I’d love to live perpetual summer with a little spring and fall thrown in.  What’s your favorite season?

I am thankful for all you readers who keep me motivated to continue writing even when there isn’t a whole lot happening like this last week.  I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Arizona, life chores, cold, moon, Thanksgiving, winter 34 Comments
28 September 2020

Getting things done before end of season

yellow Rabbit brush flowers hoodoos valley Table Cliffs sunrise clouds Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahFinally getting things done before end of season less than a month away.  That’s me, always procrastinating.

late light hoodoos trees Sunset Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahBut three days off in a row feels like a treat and makes it a little easier getting things done.  That followed by a four day work week, and two days off with company, then back to work.  Do we call what I do work?  Yes, but a nice balance being a summer seasonal Park Ranger and gypsy.

Last week’s days off were all about getting things done that I put off for too long.  The computer’s been wonky so I did a double backup in case it dies.  Also worked on the 2021 calendar photos and blog post.  Guess the profit from those sales will go towards a new laptop.  Once the final photos are chosen I’ll format and order so let me know if you want a calendar.

hoodoos trees Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahFinally got around to ordering a bunch of stuff—almond syrup for my morning latte, a Bissell pet-fur vacuum cleaner, camping solar shower bag, and Queen-size memory foam topper for the camper’s bed.  Need to have things shipped while I still have a physical address.  Other chores were mundane like laundry and cleaning house—which I can almost put off forever—and replacing a dripping water hose.

Southeast view from Yovimpa Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahView southeast from Yovimpa Point 9-14-20

Gray & White cliffs haze cloud from Yovimpa Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAs above with smoky haze 9-19-20

Back to work on Saturday with the opening schedule, a couple hours at the visitor center, then gone the rest of the day to Rainbow Point, 18 miles, at the end of the road south followed by my choice of where to rove.  OMG!  Another crazy busy Saturday.  Parking lot overfull by 11am so I drive down the road about 1/4 mile to a wide spot and walked back up to Yovimpa Point for a 12:30 and 1:30 Staircase geology talk.  The high wind felt cold and chased me off the point before the second talk.  Finished the afternoon roving at the Natural Bridge overlook for about an hour and then ended my day a little early.  What the heck, I have hundreds of hours of sick leave.

Sunday was just as busy.  I worked the afternoon at the visitor center and after dinner presented the 8pm evening program about wildlife at Bryce Canyon.  Typically, visitation would level out after the holiday to boomers and folks without children.  But so many people are homeschooling that travel to parks with kids is still a thing.  Not to mention all the extra RVs.

fall red & ever green below Yovimpa Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahAutumn red mixes with evergreens below Yovimpa Point

Murphy at work in my laptop Monday morning, and on the website too, while I’m trying to post about the 2021 Geogypsy calendar.  Hoping to use the calendar profits to help pay for a new computer.  Still working on the comment problem here but it basically has to wait until days off, and help from a friend.  Instead my work schedule took me to Sunset Point area that day in high winds that could have blown my hat off.  Thunder boomed with cloud-to-cloud lightning and I managed to present the 11am hoodoo geology talk, but not the 1pm, before sprinkles of rain became grapple (mixed hail and snow) and then turned into a down pour just after I got into my truck.  So I returned to the visitor center to help with inside orientation knowing it would be very busy as people descend on the building when it rains.  Have been spoiled by being outside for that and it’s difficult to hear and talk through plexiglass especially wearing a mask.

Still plodding along on getting things done now that I have an end of work date of October 24th.  The Bissell pet-fur vacuum arrived and works pretty good.  Now I just need to get into the truckcamper with it to de-fuzz the place before moving into it for the winter.  Solar shower also arrived and will be convenient for outside hot water washing.  Set up the towing, winterizing, and storage of the 5th-wheel for winter on the same property as last year.  Can you hear my big sigh of relief?

hoodoos rainbow storm clouds light Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahMy Friday on Tuesday brought another day of rain and hail.  Yet I still led a 4pm Rim Walk with 23 visitors even with sprinkles and we saw a rainbow.  Or at least half a rainbow.

hoodoos trees sunset clouds Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park Utah

trees sunset clouds moon Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahCompany arrived Wednesday and we visited until time to watch the light change on the hoodoos with hope to catch a bit of sunset color.  Then back to my RV to make dinner for a birthday boy/man.

yellow Rabbit brush flowers hoodoos sunrise haze sunburst Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park Utah

hoodoos first light Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahThey even convinced me to get up before sunrise so we could photograph before they left Thursday for fall color in Colorado.  Hard to believe this was the first sunset and rise I’ve shot all summer.

trees sunset clouds from RV window Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSunset

trees sunrise clouds from RV Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSunrise

Well, other than through the RV window or door.  Lazy or what?

Back to work on Friday under clear skies with a light smoky haze on the horizon and roving the busy rim from 10am-2pm.  Most questions are about directions and trailheads.  Then back to the visitor center for the rest of the afternoon and more questions.

Another crazy busy Saturday and not necessarily because it was National Public Lands Day and also fee free as most visitors don’t even know it’s a free day.  All parking lots at overlooks were full and closed several times throughout the day.  Extra shuttles were added.  And even the overflow parking was maxed with mostly RVs.  Volunteer visitors helped us pick up litter at three popular overlooks.

first light hoodoos shadows trees Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahMy afternoon Rim Walk went with, once again, 23 visitors and some wonderful conversation about overflowing national parks.  My cultural history talk/walk includes how people’s connection to the land has changed over time, both historically and as individuals.  I love when visitors share their stories.  I’m still calling this summer “weirdly wonderful” as it hasn’t been quite as crowded as the previous summer.  Really think we need more national parks to accommodate people.

trees sunset clouds moon Bryce Point Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI wrote this on a Sunday off work—not my usual day—because I’m leading an almost-full-moon walk on Wednesday night.  I will post about that soon, or as I’m getting things done.  Then a friend calls and says, “How about checking out the fall colors on the North Kaibab?”  So that has me thinking about my next two days off.

trees sunset clouds Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UtahI found out from a cousin his dad, my 97-year old Uncle Kay, died last week.  He was the last of our family’s elder generation, and now it is us boomers who are the seniors.  Hard to believe.

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Bryce Canyon National Park, Places I've been, Seasonal Park Ranger, United States, Utah chores, end of season, moving RV, photography 15 Comments

Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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