Winter 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?
Talk 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.
Not quite full on Tuesday
Saturday 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.
I’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.
I 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!