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Sonoran Desert boondocking south of Ajo AZ

Cactus Wren bird desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZwhite Desert Star flowers Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert Ajo Mts reverse sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSonoran Desert boondocking during Spring means birdwatching and walks among the cactus and flowers plus expansive and colorful sunset skies.  And even a few sunrises.

desert leaving cg clouds ORPI NM AZAfter a couple days visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Richard and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Granny’s in Why.  He hit the road about 11am and after coming out of my parked camper I thought Paul and Gary’s campers were in the lot so I went back into the restaurant, walked up to a table and said, “you folks really have to stop following me.” Before realizing they weren’t people I know. Oops.  They laughed along with me, or maybe at me.

camper rainbow around sun Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZI continued north to Darby Well Road and found a camp, exactly where I parked in 2020 while waiting to hear about returning to work at Bryce Canyon during the pandemic.

Cactus wren bird Ocotillo Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZGreeted by the song of a Cactus Wren cinched the site.

Purple Phacelia flowers Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Phacelia flowers Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZNot to mention the lovely purple cast of Phacelia to the surroundings.

Sierra cat at camper door Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSierra approved the view.

desert Ajo Mts reverse sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert mts sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert mts sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZAnd at 65° I enjoyed a 360 sunset from my newest home view of Sonoran Desert boondocking.

desert mts sunrise clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Saguaro desert mt Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZA real surprise waking up in time for sunrise and early light on the western mountains.

Saguaro desert light Ajo Mts Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThen I spent most of the day taking care of housekeeping, on the computer because I rarely do housework.  The hard drive was almost full, lots of photos, so I had to back these up on external drives to clear space for more.

Saguaro desert windmill Locomotive Mt Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZIn the afternoon I spent time sitting outside under mostly cloudy skies reading and taking photos as the mood, and light, struck.

desert mts sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZFinally, sunset put on a show.

Saguaro desert Black Mt Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThe next morning my phone switched to daylight savings.  What the hell, we don’t do that in Arizona, especially when Sonoran Desert boondocking.  Took me a while to fix it.

trail-cam coyoteThen I checked the trail-cam, and sure enough a coyote came through the previous night.  I put out a pan of water and they must sniff it out.

Chiliquilies breakfastAfter that delicious breakfast at Granny’s, I was inspired to make one-pan Chilaquiles for breakfast.  Even took video of the process that may eventually make it to my YouTube channel.  Turned out real tasty.

unidentified bird Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

unidentified bird Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZUnidentified bird

Spent the rest of the day writing the last blog post and watching birds through the windows from my truckcamper birdhide while Sonoran Desert boondocking.

trail-cam coyote

trail-cam coyoteOnce again the trail-cam caught a coyote during the night.  They aren’t usually out during daylight when I can see them.

desert camper Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Annas Hummingbird Darby Well BLM Ajo AZPhainopepla bird Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

                                    Anna’s Hummingbird                                                                                     Phainopepla

But I do see a lot of birds during the day, especially when I get out for a walk.

Organ Pipe Cactus desert Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZPlus lots of other discoveries while walking near my Sonoran Desert boondocking.

late light Saguaro desert clouds Darby Well BLM Ajo AZ

desert truckcamper sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZThe partly cloudy day makes for nice backdrops that turn into superb sunsets.

trail-cam view Darby Well Rd Ajo AZSometimes the trail-cam catches nothing at all, could be the wind in the flowers and Palo Verde tree.  Birds don’t set it off flying by.

Curve-billed Thrasher bird Saguaro Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Curve-billed Thrasher bird in flight Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Curve-billed Thrasher bird in flight Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZHowever I saw plenty of birds, especially while walking in the Sonoran desert.  I’d been photographing a Curve-billed Thrasher on a Saguaro in the distance when it took off in flight and headed my way.

desert truckcamper Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZOne of the things I love about walking in the desert, I’m never far from or rarely out of sight of camp and that way my no-trail wanderings don’t get me lost.

Cholla desert Locomotive Mt moon Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

Black-throated Sparrow Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZBlack-throated Sparrow

Wonderful views in every direction and all times of day.

desert late light Ajo Mts Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZCloudless in the morning changed to layers of gray as a prelude of the rainy next day predicted.

desert Ajo Mts dark clouds Bates Well Rd BLM Ajo AZI woke to a light rain that lasted intermittently all day.  And at 70° with windows open the air smelled fresh with creosote petrichor.

Sierra cat sniffing outside air from window in camperEven Sierra enjoyed the aroma.

trail-cam coyote

trail-cam coyoteTrail-cam caught coyote four times between 2-5am.

Ocotillo Saguaro desert clouds Bates Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

desert mts clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZI spent most of the day working on a video and enjoying the cloudy views from my windows while Sonoran Desert boondocking.

desert light on Ajo Mts Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZSun broke through late to highlight the Ajo Mountains to the distant north.

desert sunrise clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZ

truckcamper shadow desert mt Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZAnother partly cloudy morning greeting with a pretty sunrise.

first light desert Black Mt moon clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZOther than a short walk around camp I again worked on a video.  I like the challenge of making videos but it does take a lot of time to edit which cuts into my outside play time and reading.  Plus I need a strong signal to load the finished video onto YouTube.  I’m really not complaining, just stating a fact.

trail-cam coyoteOnce more the trail-cam caught coyote overnight, along with a spiderweb.  Time to clean the lens.

bumper rock collection Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZBumper rock collection from Darby Well Road camp

That’s OK, because it had to be packed away for my trip to town.  I was almost out of cream for coffee and had no fresh fruit.

lunch Tacos el Tarasco Ajo AZPlus I figured to treat myself to lunch at Tacos el Tarasco with green sauce for St. Patrick’s Day. Seems an extra treat because town is only about 20 minutes away.  And while in town I had enough signal to load the next video of my drive from Owl to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  Yes, I am weeks behind posting both video and blog posts.   This all happened between March 10th to 17th.

Gaelyn & Sierra selfies in camper Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZOnce back in camp Sierra waited her turn to get online.  Then we settled in for another week of Sonoran Desert boondocking.

I will make a trail-cam coyote video soon, so watch for it on my Youtube channel.  What, not subscribed yet?  Why not?

How would you feel about listening to my story along with photos and video, instead of reading?

Ajo, Arizona, Places I've been, Sonoran desert, United States , , , 25 Comments

Wind and rain brought Spring in the Sonoran Desert

Saguaro desert clouds on Kofa Mts King Rd BLM Kofa AZSecond week boondocking near the Kofa Mountains brought Spring in the Sonoran Desert.

02a Birthday month

February moved on and March blew in like a lioness—it’s my birthday month after all—so guess that means it will go out like a ewe lamb similar to last year.  Gifts of clouds, rain, puddles, and birds made for some exceptional photography.

Sierra grooming Gaelyn's eyebrowsBath day

On Caturday, February 25th, the first propane tank emptied after one week using a lot for heat.  We crossed fingers and paws the next tank would last a little longer so I could stay and shoot the moon.  It rained that night.

Loggerhead Shrike Ocotillo King Rd BLM Kofa AZ

Common Flicker bird Saguaro King Rd BLM Kofa AZThough I didn’t wake up to puddles or noticeably wet ground the bird song, and sightings, were a treat that felt like a sign of Spring in the Sonoran Desert.  The Loggerhead Shrike with black eye mask might be seen as mean because it impales caught lizards and rodents on the spikes of desert plants.  The Common Flicker often nests inside Saguaro cactus.

Cactus wren bird King Rd BLM Kofa AZ

Raven bird King Rd BLM Kofa AZCactus Wren’s are the most melodious, and Ravens the most commonly seen.

 

I set up a time-lapse in the window and then went for a little walk.  It seems somebody bumped the tripod.

unidentified bird Saguaro King Rd BLM Kofa AZThe next day I took another walk and spotted a bird still unidentified, so feel free to ID please.

yellow Bladderpod flowers King Rd BLM Kofa AZI took mostly video that day that I’ll put together eventually.  It’s not easy to take both stills with the big camera and video with the phone.  The prominent flowers and not in abundance were the yellow Bladderpod.

Saguaro desert shadows Kofa Mts clouds King Rd BLM Kofa AZ

Saguaro light Kofa Mts clouds King Rd BLM Kofa AZIncreasing wind blew February out of the way with amazing clouds leaving light and shadow on the land.

Saguaro desert light clouds King Rd BLM Kofa AZ

Saguaro desert Kofa Mts clouds King Rd BLM Kofa AZThe house was rocking and a sometimes southern wind on the door kept me inside.  But that doesn’t stop me from taking photos through the windows.

Saguaro desert shadows Kofa Mts foggy King Rd BLM Kofa AZMarch blew in with increasing gusts and the rain began about 2pm remaining pretty steady throughout the afternoon.

puddle reflection Saguaro Kofa Mts clouds King Rd BLM Kofa AZWow, reflection!

A gentle rain that made some puddles, definitely a special gift of Spring in the Sonoran Desert.

Saguaro desert clouds on Kofa Mts King Rd BLM Kofa AZ

Saguaro desert clouds on Kofa Mts King Rd BLM Kofa AZ PanoInstead of a colorful sunset, clouds danced over the Kofa Mountains while rain fell below making for a happy desert.  I wondered if they would bring snow to the peaks.

Loggerhead Shrike bird Saguaro King Rd BLM Kofa AZLoggerhead Shrike

By morning under clear blue skies the puddles were almost gone and I couldn’t see snow on the peaks, though someone else said there was some, and it had snowed in Tucson.

Saguaro mt moon King Rd BLM Kofa AZI got busy inside working on a video about safe boondocking during southwest winter weather and the moon snuck up over a Saguaro.

Northern Mockingbird cactus King Rd BLM Kofa AZWith barely a breeze and warming temperatures I enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine and felt Spring in the Sonoran Desert while I listened to the Mockingbird.

Saguaro mts moon King Rd BLM Kofa AZCaught the late afternoon moon trying to hide behind a Saguaro and looked forward to several more nights before the actual full moon.

Arizona, Kofa NWR, Places I've been, Sonoran desert, United States , , , , , , , 16 Comments

Spring into Summer, my favorite time of the year

trees Weaver Mountains sunset clouds Walnut Grove ArizonaBecause it was getting too hot in the desert I moved up in elevation to enjoy a second Spring into Summer.  And now it’s getting warm here at almost 5,000 feet so will be time to move up again for yet another Spring into Summer.

Mary's garden Walnut Grove ArizonaMary’s Garden

I’ve been spoiled during my stay at Mary’s, treated well and frequently fed, power, and even a cool guesthouse to shower and hide out reading during the heat of the day.  And it got warm a few days last week pushing 90°F outside and more in the camper.

Asters & grasses washtubs Mary's garden Walnut Grove ArizonaWhen I realized this is almost the very last of my hibernation/isolation/distancing, I wanted to savor it.  So I’ve been even lazier than the previous four months in the desert.  I spend a large part of the day on the computer, writing, working on photos, answering emails, and way too much time on Facebook.

trees sunset Walnut Grove Arizona

trees sunset Walnut Grove ArizonaPhotography has been pretty much sunsets.

Iris Mary's garden Walnut Grove Arizonabees on purple Lavender flowers Mary's garden Walnut Grove ArizonaIris at sunset Mary's garden Walnut Grove Arizona

blue Southwestern Verbena flowers Walnut Grove Arizonaunidentified yellow flowers Walnut Grove Arizonamagenta 4 o'clocks flowers Walnut Grove Arizona

In addition to a change in environment and temperature, following Spring into Summer offers some new flowers and birds.  (Iris, Lavender, Iris; Verbena, unidentified, 4 O’Clocks)

Javelina Walnut Grove ArizonaJavelinas wander past which I’m used to from Yarnell.

Weaver Mts sunset clouds crepuscular rays Walnut Grove Arizona

trees sunset clouds crepuscular rays Walnut Grove Arizona

trees sunset clouds crepuscular rays Walnut Grove ArizonaAnd then there’s more marvelous Arizona sunsets where it changes so fast it’s not easy to keep up.

yellow Columbine flowers Wagoner Rd Walnut Grove ArizonaColumbine along the Wagoner Road

I went shopping with Mary in Prescott, the biggest town I’ve been to in many months.  Traffic wasn’t as bad as I remember but Costco was a zoo.  They have signs that state, “Members must wear a mask to enter the store.”  Bullshit!  Only a little over half of the customers and staff wore masks.  Shoppers were much closer than six feet.  Couldn’t wait to get out.  Other stores were about the same.  Doesn’t demonstrate that people have learned distancing.  I find it’s hot to breath with a mask on.

Word from B&B is the replacement propane tank will be delivered in Congress early this week.  I’d say it’s about time after messing with this for a year.

hoodoos trail trees Bryce Canyon National Park UtahWe’ve all had ups and downs this year, yet all in all, I’m thinking it was a good winter for me to heal and regroup.  Now, 8 1/2 months after breaking my wrists I am feeling physically healed and ready to return to the job I love as a Park Ranger.  My official start date is May 10th, that’s when I move into Bryce Canyon National Park.  The following day I will report for duty, in a mask, receive paperwork, find out what my duties will be—different than business as usual—and self-quarantine for 14 days while teleworking from my RV.

Bryce actually opens under limited services May 6th.  I can go into the park and hike but not in uniform.  I’ll be polishing up some new program ideas and who knows what else.  I am ready to return to Park Ranger life, though practiced differently than in the past.  I’ll try to keep you updated while working a 40 hour week.

amphitheater mts sunset clouds Bryce Canyon National Park UtahSo, now it’s once again time to move on and up in elevation for a third Spring into Summer at Bryce’s 8000 feet.  Hope to pull out mid-week with a stop near Flagstaff for a picnic with a friend and a night or two on the North Kaibab National Forest near Jacob Lake (and maybe a cookie).

Cinco-De-Mayo-Festive

Park Ranger, RV life, seasons, Spring , , 27 Comments

Lijit

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