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        • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
        • Colossal Cave Mountain Park
        • Flagstaff
        • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
        • Grand Canyon National Park
          • Grand Canyon National Park North Rim
          • Grand Canyon National Park South Rim
          • Toroweap
        • Havasu Canyon
        • Horseshoe Bend
        • Jerome
        • Kaibab National Forest
        • Lee’s Ferry
        • Meteor Crater
        • Navajo Bridge
        • Oak Creek Canyon
        • Painted Desert
        • Pipe Springs National Monument
        • Prescott
        • Quartzsite
        • Saguaro National Park
        • Sedona
        • Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
        • Vermilion Cliffs
        • Walnut Canyon National Monument
        • Wupatki National Monument
        • Yarnell
      • California
        • Anzaberrego
        • Bakersfield
        • Death Valley National Park
        • Joshua Tree National Park
        • Redwoods NP
        • Salton Sea
        • Yucca Valley
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        • Mesa Verde National Park
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        • IL River
        • Morton Arboretum
        • Starved Rock State Park
      • Michigan
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
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        • Mt Hood
        • Oregon Caves National Monument
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        • Alpine Texas
        • Padre Island
        • Port Isabel
        • Rio Grande Valley
      • Utah
        • Brian’s Head
        • Bryce Canyon National Park
        • Buckskin Gulch
        • Cedar Breaks National Monument
        • Cedar City
        • Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
        • Dixie National Forest
        • Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
        • Johnson Canyon
        • Kanab
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Tag: life

06 March 2024

Busy life

tree Chocolate Mts sunset Palm Canyon Rd AZLife is inconsistently in rapid motion including deliberate acceleration and speedy changes. Therefore, I have no set schedule for posting to the blog. Last post barely entered the new year, and “2024 is so much more” in my life journey. So I’m behind current time, but what else is new. My life is usually one day at a time, maybe two. What about you?

I recommend checking out my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@geogypsytraveler .  Please Like and Subscribe to my channel as I’m working on monetization.

Thanks for following along.

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27 July 2022

Home again and hunkered into AC

Juniper tree canyon view Grandview Point South Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaAfter a week and a half camped in forest and visiting the Grand Canyon I spent one more night camped in a different area then headed home again to high temps and AC.  Zapped by the heat, frozen by AC, I can’t seem to find a happy medium while waiting for monsoon rain.

Grand Canyon Chocolate Factory Tusyan Arizona

fudgeSunday after lunch with a friend I headed out of the park with the intent to camp not too far south of Tusyan, and no intent to stop in town.  Except, I saw a sign for Chocolate Factory and fudge, a weakness of mine.  Price was pretty good so I bought lots because it freezes well.  I only nibble tiny bits at a time to make it last.

Ponderosa Pines sunset clouds camp4 FR306Q Kaibab National Forest ArizonaI then pulled onto FR302 but didn’t have to go far before realizing it’s directly under the flight pattern for the airport. No thanks!  So I continued south and found a nice camp along FR306 instead.  Not very busy out there which is just fine by me.  I walked around sniffing pines to create a sensory image of that special scent.  I believe the area is used as a hunting camp and will share more of that in a future video.

San Fransisco Peaks stormy sky SR64 South Kaibab National Forest ArizonaEarly to bed and early to rise with a plan to stop for breakfast on the outskirts of Williams before heading home again.

Osprey birds in nest snag SR64 Williams ArizonaI became sidetracked by the sight of a huge nest filling the top of a snag and turned around to check it out.  Sure enough, an Osprey nest with an adult and one large chick visible.

Sadly, the preferred restaurant in Williams is permanently closed.  So I got on I40 West figuring my next stop would be Chino Valley, by then time for lunch somewhere.  I’m very bad about making food to eat on travel days.

Ranch House Cafe Ashfork ArizonaWasn’t far to Ashfork and my exit south on SR89.  At the last minute I went into Ashfork hoping to find a restaurant and ended up at the Ranch House Cafe.  Looks falling apart from the outside but is newly renovated inside. Chatted with a friendly regular at the next table. Food was adequately OK, though I ordered scrambled eggs and got sunny up for $12, plus tip. When I went to pay I didn’t have my wallet and panicked a little when I couldn’t find it in the camper or truck seat, so paid cash. Then remembered where I’d stashed it.

I finally headed south on SR89 and stopped in Chino Valley for fuel, once again $5.53 at Safeway, and bought a few groceries.  By 2:30 I was home again unpacking with the AC on and enjoyed getting sprinkled on.

minder tower stand IIAt 98° the next day, the poor AC struggled to keep it 85° inside so it was a rather lazy day.  Packages arrived while I was gone so felt kind of like Christmas, just not cold enough.  First to be opened, a tower stand for my laptop.  I mostly wanted this to set on a counter and stand at the computer as sitting gets old.  It’s a well made mostly heavy metal product and also works to raise the laptop at my desk so I’m looking more straight on to the monitor.  So far I’m liking it.   (If you want one use this link for me to make a few cents from Amazon at no extra cost to you.)

lilly brush pet hair scraper & 300w inverter & 2 1-2 gal water jugThe rest not very exciting, a 2 1/2 gallon refillable water jug to set on the bumper for solar heating and hand washing when I’m parked is really cheap plastic.  We’ll see how long that lasts.  The lilly brush is rubber edged for scraping pet hair off the carpet and works better than just my fingers.  Even “pet hair” vacuums don’t do the trick.  And the red box is a 300 watt power inverter I’ll use in the truckcamper to charge phone and laptop off my solar charged battery.

Gaelyn & SierraWednesday I had a morning eye appointment in Prescott.  Seems like I just got these glasses a year ago but they’re just not right, especially for close up.  Plus I have a few floaters and some fuzzyness, but still not ready for cataract surgery.  Using my existing frames for the new lenses that won’t be ready for about 1 1/2 weeks.  Thank goodness I had a pair of really old glasses in the camper that got me through the grocery store and home again.  The rest of the day was reflective as it was the fourth year anniversary since my dearest friend Berta died.

reverse sunset Skull Valley ArizonaOMG! Thursday 99°, Friday 100°.  The AC is working overtime and at least keeping it tolerable inside, because it’s not tolerable outside even in the shade.

grass trees boulders storm clouds Skull Valley Arizona

sunset clouds Skull Valley ArizonaOnly 92° Saturday under stormy skies with lots of rumbles but no rain.  Such a tease.

grass trees storm clouds Skull Valley Arizona

water in wash driveway trees Skull Valley ArizonaFinally, Sunday below 90°.  AC off and all windows open for the first time in almost a week. It’s humid but doable, cheaper, and not so noisy.  Later I had to close a bunch of windows because it rained hard and even created puddles.  That made me wonder if water flowed in the wash across my driveway, where it flows to, and if I leave will I be able to get back home again.

__________________________________________________

After the major struggle I went through editing the last Rambling Road Trip video I can only say thank you for letting me know about the loud music.  I deleted it completely.  My idea was soft music in the background throughout but also to fill the quiet gaps.  YouTube didn’t get my message.  Hopefully the more recent video about climbing the 80 foot Grandview Tower is better, and of course much shorter.  Super BIG thank you for watching these videos as I’m learning and really appreciate your suggestions and support.  Sadly, my subscriber numbers are not going up like I’d hoped.  Feel free to share them.

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06 July 2022

Monsoon increases negative ions

trees Bradshaw Mts sunset clouds Skull Valley AZMonsoon magic brings delightful clouds, rainbows, crepuscular rays, and plays of light and shadows.  All the activity increases *negative ions and that’s not a bad thing.

yard tree crescent moon Skull Valley AZClear skies are usually full of positive energy, and that might sound good and happy under clear blue sky.  However, our bodies tend toward negative energy that is drawn from the Earth and stormy skies.  It’s all about balance.

grass trees mammatus clouds Skull Valley AZBoy, I needed me some of that energy as much as the parched soil needs water.  Been feeling lazy with no ambition.  It’s been hot.  Even without rain, monsoon causes an increase in humidity.  Anything over 30% feels muggy to me.  I know that’s still dry heat to many.  It’s all relevant to what we grow accustomed to.  That means, running the AC, which I’m not fond of plus shudder at the electric consumption.  Mammatus clouds hung heavy with water yet barely gave a drop.

grass bush Brushy Mt Skull Valley AZ

Years ago while working at Grand Canyon, I described the science behind monsoon here.  The summer weather predictions are repetitive to the point of boredom.  Likely rain and thunderstorm activity typically begins after 11am, comes and goes intermittently, and ends by 11pm.  Sometimes, it rains.

trees Brushy Mt storm clouds crepuscular rays Skull Valley AZThe cloud show captivates as cumulus clouds (fluffy and white with flat bottoms) gather into cumulonimbus clouds with darker bottoms that may produce thunderstorms.

grass bush Brushy Mt mushroom storm cloud Skull Valley AZMost dramatic is the isolated mushroom cloud formed from water vapor forced upward by powerful upper-air currents.

Brushy Mt sunset mammatus clouds Skull Valley AZMammatus clouds at sunset

Clouds continued to gather all around filled with distant rumbles.  Then wind dropped the temperature and gentle female rain fell for 30 minutes.  I felt the increase in negative ions and smiled.

electric poles storm clouds Skull Valley AZBy mid-week I figured the monsoon pattern had truly arrived.  I turned on the AC at 8am, already 80° and 43% humidity.  I turned it back off around noon when it started to rain.  For an hour the rain teased with light sporadic fall.  Suddenly the wind increased and lightning occurred close enough to make me jump.  Storm energy feels awesome, even when it rocks the house. The smell was intoxicating.  As the wind and rain increased in intensity I ran around closing windows to a sideways downpour.  Thank goodness for some jalousie windows to let in air and no water.  I felt exhilarated, high without drugs.  The negative ions were palpable.  The tantalizing high didn’t last long, but the feel good stuck around.  I continued to almost run in small circles from window to window.  I could only make photos with my eyes through the sheeting of water on glass.  I took a small piece of video.  For almost two hours the storm rocked and boomed, and then it moved on leaving soft rumbles and a cool breeze with barely dampened ground.  I went outside and took more video.

double rainbow Skull Valley AZWhat an incredible Wowzer day! And it ended with a touch more rain and a huge, full double rainbow.  I felt the alive of summer monsoon.

side-blotched lizard on log Skull Valley AZAfter that, the skies have mostly cleared and I haven’t felt a drop since.  I went back to my mundane ways, working on videos.  You should check out the video from 4th of July that includes so much more of this week filled with monsoon and negative ions, and maybe just a little of negative me (but no fireworks).  Plus check my Geogypsy YouTube channel later this week for a hint of what’s to come.

Gray squirrel Skull Valley AZRoadrunner bird Skull Valley AZ

Window Wildlife- gray squirrel and roadrunner (bee-beep)

*Negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase our levels of serotonin, which improves our mood and helps to alleviate depression, relieve stress and boost our energy.  This energy is absorbed through skin and comes from water, air, and all of nature.  You probably already knew that.

Sierra cat on camper bed Congress AZWANTED: house/cat sitter, or StayCATion for you, in my 36′ 5th-wheel for one week in Skull Valley Arizona only 30 minutes from Prescott.  This shot is in the small camper.

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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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