Monday, June 11, 2007
Western Sky's RV (formerly Vado RV Park), Vado, NM - May 24
As overnight stops go, this was not bad. There are lots of trees that are well-placed to be out of the way but still provide shade, water & electric both function well, as does the free WiFi. And they honor Passport America.
Rusty's RV Ranch, Rodeo, NM - May 21-23
This is another very nice Passport America park that is quite new and has very large spaces. Rusty, the female owner, is in the process of landscaping the park and doing an excellent job. We picked this location because it is only 11 miles from Portal, AZ, another birding "hot spot". We drove the loop road through Chiricahua Natl Monument, stopping at the George Walker House in Paradise for more arm-chair birding and got tips for other birding in the area. 
We then continued on to Turkey Creek where we spotted out first greater pewee. Further on, we stopped at the Southwest Research Station, which does not do research itself, but provides living quarters for scientists from around the world to study the unique ecology of the Chiricahuas. 
They have hummingbirds feeders set up there, and we watched mesmerized as 3 male blue-throats chased each other around trying to establish their territories for at least a half-hour. Looking back on this, I once again realize that, while seeing a life bird is special, the true joy of birdwatching is in becoming familiar with the behavior of each species until it becomes what we call an "old friend".
The next day we got up early (for us) and hiked to the Chiricahua Wilderness Area to try to see the elegant trogon that was reported there. After we crossed the South Fork, near where the trogon was supposed to be, we heard its distinctive call, not unlike a barking dog, and positioned ourselves to try to see it. It wasn't long before Willie spotted it near the top of a tree. After it flew off & came back a couple of times, we discovered what we thought was its nest, a cavity in a tree. Sure enough, a few minutes later it flew up and sat at the entrance of the hole, looking in, then ducked in. 
We waited, and after a few minutes its head reappeared. After it again took flight, we hiked back to the car elated & had a picnic lunch with another birding couple.Turquoise Valley Golf & RV Resort, Naco, AZ - May 14-20
The actual RV parking area here is basically an asphalt parking lot, and as such leaves something to be desired. But its proximity to some of Arizona's hottest birding spots, the lovely golf course right across the street, and the fact that it is one of the friendliest parks we have ever stayed guarantee our return. This is the only Passport America (half price) park we know of that lets you also take half off of the weekly rate. We stayed a full week for only $50 plus the cost of electricity. There is also a restaurant at the golf course that is quite reasonably priced and quite good.
Our main reason for visiting Naco was birding. The Huachuca Mtns sit at the intersection of the Sierra Madre of Mexico, the Rocky Mtns, and the Sonoran & Chihuahuan deserts. They are a "sky island" harboring rare species & communities of plants & animals. The orientation & high walls of the four major canyons in the Huachucas create a moist, cool environment unusual in the desert southwest. The Nature Conservancy owns a preserve in Ramsey Canyon, the most well-known of the four canyons, and we decided to start our adventures there, in part because of the preserves renown, and also because the $5 admission is good for a week, so if the other areas turned out to be duds, we could freely return to Ramsey. Our day at Ramsey Canyon got off to an "interesting" start -- as we just started walking up the path, we were informed that Homeland Security was coming the other way escorting out a group of illegal entrants, which turned out to be about 2 dozen young, healthy-looking Hispanics. After that, we spent most of the day birding (they had to kick us out at closing), but couldn't help thinking of the contrast in social situations brought on by purely random chance. Lifers seen that day were sulphur-bellied flycatcher & two hummingbirds: magnificent & blue-throated. We also got a strong recommendation to visit the Ash Canyon B&B.
The next day we visited Coronado Natl Monument, which commemorates the expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado searching for the Seven Cities of Cibola. These cities were said to be made of gold, so of course they wanted to find them and steal the gold! To make a quite long story short, he never found anything but stone-masonry pueblos and grass-house villages, but after traveling as far as Kansas and back, did manage to kill a large number of Indians outright and quite a few more through disease after forcing them to abandon several pueblos. The main road through the monument was closed due to fire.
The recommendation of Ash Canyon B&B was well-deserved. Run by Mary Jo Ballator, there are two separate areas with bird feeders, one devoted to hummingbirds. This is true "arm-chair" birdwatching -- there's a good number of lawn chairs set around, and Mary Jo readily identifies any questionable species. We saw two lifers: whiskered screech-owl & Lucifer hummingbird. Unfortunately, we only saw female Lucifers, but they were memorable. Her second area is a "back-yard" bird area, with lots of shade, chairs and many different types of feeders. You could really get a bird's eye view of these visitors!
Mary Jo told us about a reliable elf owl (another lifer) at Battiste's B&B in Miller Canyon. Show up at 7pm, pull up a chair, and wait for the owl to pop out of its nest in a hole in a phone pole. The owl made its initial appearance at 7:20, peering around to check out the commotion (there were only 5 or 6 of us), then ducking back in after a couple of minutes. Two minutes later it repeated the whole performance. On its third appearance, it looked like another repeat performance, but suddenly hopped up on the edge of the hole a flew away. I have to tell you, that little owl was ADORABLE.
Another day we went to Beatty's Orchard B&B in Carr Canyon to see the white-eared hummingbird (lifer). For some reason, this is the only area where it hangs out, which is unfortunate, since this place really left a bad taste in my mouth. All of the B&Bs cater to birders, and all have lots of hummingbird feeders, and all have signs requesting a visitor donation, but it's always voluntary, except Beatty's. He has signs saying MUST PAY, PAY HERE, PAY NOW, etc. Added to that, the owner "greets" you and tries to sell his homegrown fruits and vegetables. We did get numerous good looks at the white-eared, which was very cute.
Twice we went to Bisbee, an old mining town now mostly populated with aging beatniks & hippies. Saturday was the Farmers' Market, which was a lot of fun just walking around & chatting with the merchants. There was a guitar duo providing entertainment along with a woman dancing to the music with a big rainbow hula hoop. Doug unfortunately did not have the camera, proving yet again that he should always take it with, no matter how trivial-seeming the trip.
Our last day Doug played golf while Willie rode along, enjoying the fresh air & being off her feet. Because it was a Sunday, we were paired up with three other guys, who turned out to be quite entertaining. One was an excellent golfer but quite friendly about it. The course is beautiful with "The Rattler", a "famous" par-6 hole, & lots of interesting birds to watch.Fairbank Historic Townsite, San Pedro Riparian Natl Conservation Area - Apr 18-May 13
We finished our stay here as volunteers -- the only way to park an RV overnight, although they do allow backcountry tent camping. Our main duties were locking & unlocking the gates to the two parking lots, and emptying the trash cans before they overflowed. The San Pedro is one of the few remaining "wild" (undammed) rivers left. The NCA was established in 1988 as a result of a huge land swap that put almost 57,000 acres of some of the most critical & fragile desert riparian habitat under the stewardship of the BLM. 
It is one of the "special" places we have run across in our travels and cannot adequately be described, it must be experienced.Our last few days were the usual flurry of activity with snatches of getting ready to depart squeezed in. We attended hummingbird banding at San Pedro House farther south in the NCA. It's always a fun way to pass a few hours, and Sheri Williamson keeps up a constant banter full of facts and anecdotes, whether there are lots of hummers or none. We went birding at The Nature Conservancy's Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, a nationally recognized stop for birders, with numerous trails running beside perennial streams.
We saw two lifers there -- zone-tailed hawk & Cassin's vireo, plus a dusky-capped flycatcher at the Paton's house nearby. Unfortunately, on the way out of Patagonia-Sonoita, Willie fell & sprained her ankle fairly severely. This was a fairly significant inconvenience for several weeks but now has healed to about 90%. The Saturday before we left we attended a concert by the Sierra Vista Community Chorus of recent Broadway show tunes. Lots of Andrew Lloyd Webber plus a few others. Our plans should bring us back to the Benson area in the late fall.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Fairbank Historic Townsite, San Pedro Riparian NCA (BLM) - April 18-May 13
Before Ann's passing, we had planned to move here on 4/15, but Willie's MS trip moved that back a few days. When we finally arrived, we found that the former site host had cared for a small colony of feral cats, which it seemed we might inherit. Luckily, he decided (since he lives nearby) to continue feeding them himself, so we enjoy viewing them but don't have to be responsible -- especially since we will be leaving so soon! He has cared for this colony for over three years and personally paid to have all the cats neutered, so he is fairly attached to them. We enjoy seeing them, although they are too skittish to come close, and they don't seem to be at all disruptive to the large bird population.
One of our duties is to visit the site of the old Spanish Presidio at Terrenate. It is usually accessed either by hiking from Fairbank (2-3 miles one way) or from a nearby trailhead where it is a 3-mile round trip. We're allowed to drive in. It is an interesting site with good signage that tells the history of the Presidio. The official name is Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate, established in 1775 by the Royal Spanish Army, and intended to guard the northern reaches of New Spain. It was beset by many problems, including Apache raids, insufficient supplies, low morale and isolation and was only in operation for 4 years. There is very little left of the original structures, but the history provides an interesting account of life at that time.
We have lots of opportunity for birdwatching here. We have feeders up near our trailer, plus there are good areas we can walk to. We continually see new spring arrivals, which is exciting. We have also seen two lifers (so far -- we are hoping for more!), Bell's vireo and brown-crested flycatcher.We have frequently returned to Benson for many of our usual activities and have also had visits from friends. We visited Sierra Vista's duplicate bridge club for a game, since we are so much closer at this location.
The now-tacky tourist town of Tombstone, where we need to occasionally visit for laundry and mail, actually has a bit of charm. It continues the "wild west" theme with gunfight re-enactments, which can be amusing, on the main street. The main street has wooden sidewalks that are shaded, and it is pleasant to stroll along them on a warm day. We have discovered the best fudge at a shop here!!Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Louisville, MS (Willie Only) - April 11-15
Willie flew to Jackson, since the fare was less than half the amount to fly to Columbus. The trip started out pleasantly with Willie having dinner with a family friend in Jackson near the airport. A two-hour drive brought Willie to the Red Hills Inn in Louisville, which had become the place to stay while visiting Ann. When Willie was checking in, the clerk told her a "young man" was there to meet her. It was a surprise visit from nephew Michael Barry from Rock Island, IL. What a pleasant surprise it was! Willie went immediately to his room (waking him up!) for a brief visit before getting settled.
Mike was able to stay for two days and helped Willie with most of the unpleasant tasks. We cleared out Ann's room at the nursing home. We were able to borrow the truck of a friend, who also fortunately took all the stuff we did not want. Everything that was going to Cathy's family in Illinois was loaded into Mike's car, and it fit perfectly. What a joy not to have to pack it all up for shipping and to know that it would arrive safely and quickly! Mike was also able to visit the undertaker with Willie, and they set up the arrangements for Ann's cremation and memorial service, which will be held on Monday, June 25, at the Mt Carmel Cemetery in Noxapater, where all the Kilpatrick relatives are buried.
Mike was also able to visit a couple of family friends & relatives with Willie in between tasks. Unfortunately, Mike had left before Willie's most unpleasant meeting with the new pastor at Noxapater Baptist Church. He spent more time trying to proselytise Willie than discussing Ann's service. Luckily, he will not be available the day of the funeral, since we hadn't wanted him to participate anyway! Ann left specific instructions for her service, and it can be done nicely with members of the family.
Now Willie is back with Doug and the cats and life continues. It feels strange for her to be "an orphan", but it's what happens in the "normal pattern" of life. We will both miss Ann very much. It's hard to realize that the next visit to MS will not have her as a part of it.
Mike was able to stay for two days and helped Willie with most of the unpleasant tasks. We cleared out Ann's room at the nursing home. We were able to borrow the truck of a friend, who also fortunately took all the stuff we did not want. Everything that was going to Cathy's family in Illinois was loaded into Mike's car, and it fit perfectly. What a joy not to have to pack it all up for shipping and to know that it would arrive safely and quickly! Mike was also able to visit the undertaker with Willie, and they set up the arrangements for Ann's cremation and memorial service, which will be held on Monday, June 25, at the Mt Carmel Cemetery in Noxapater, where all the Kilpatrick relatives are buried.
Mike was also able to visit a couple of family friends & relatives with Willie in between tasks. Unfortunately, Mike had left before Willie's most unpleasant meeting with the new pastor at Noxapater Baptist Church. He spent more time trying to proselytise Willie than discussing Ann's service. Luckily, he will not be available the day of the funeral, since we hadn't wanted him to participate anyway! Ann left specific instructions for her service, and it can be done nicely with members of the family.
Now Willie is back with Doug and the cats and life continues. It feels strange for her to be "an orphan", but it's what happens in the "normal pattern" of life. We will both miss Ann very much. It's hard to realize that the next visit to MS will not have her as a part of it.
SKP Saguaro Co-Op, Benson, AZ - March 17-April 17
Early in our visit here, we spent two days in Tucson helping Gayle who was having cataract surgery on his second eye. The first eye had gone so well, he didn't expect to need our help, but that turned out not to be the case. The surgery was a bit more complicated which caused Gayle to feel dizzy and be unable to do much for almost 24 hours. After the follow-up appointment the next day, he was seeing, and feeling, much better in general, so we were able to go back to Benson.
While in Tucson, we decided to visit a nearby gallery that was showing drawings & paintings by John Lennon. This was quite interesting to see and brought back good memories. It made us long for the "good old days"! Many of the drawings were for sale at prices ranging from $650 to $15,000. We were happy just looking!
Back in Benson, we were treated to a visit to Kartchner Caverns by our friend Becky Ruttenberg from Boulder. Along with her friend Brian, we spent the morning at the caverns on one of their guided tours. The caverns were discovered in 1974 by two cavers who kept their discovery secret until 1988, when they completed negotiations with Arizona State Parks to purchase the land. The caverns are still "live", and extraordinary precautions have been taken to protect the cave's natural environment. We passed through six metal doors going in and three going out, all designed to keep the humidity at least 95%. The only way you can view the caverns is by guided tour, and you are not allowed to take any photographs. We enjoyed seeing the caverns but did not find them to be superior to other caverns we have visited. We think the no-photography policy is just an attempt to preserve the "mystique" of the place so others are forced to spend money to see what they're like. It also feels quite restricting to be on a guided tour, because you don't get to linger and admire. There are a lot of detailed formations, and it would be nice to have a longer time to view them.
Since the weather was cloudy with intermittent showers, we canceled our plans for afternoon hiking and drove south to tour the grounds of Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista. This is an active military base, but, due in part to the excellent birding habitat, it is usually quite open for visitors. You just need to show photo id and car insurance information to get in. We drove around and walked a bit. We were surprised at how run down the public areas were. The museum had interesting information on the early days of the fort. Fort Huachuca was made permanent in 1882 and was instrumental in national defense against the Apaches, and has remained key in national defense due to its role in Army Intelligence. There is also an Army Intelligence Museum which we decided to bypass.
Brian and Becky have been playing duplicate bridge, so we spent the evening at our trailer playing bridge with them. They are good competitors, and we look forward to getting together with them when we are in the Boulder area.
While at Chaco last summer we met Bonnie, who works for the BLM office in Sierra Vista. She contacted us about possibly hosting at a site near Benson, and we made plans to meet her there during the March 31 grand opening of the museum. The Grand Opening was indeed grand -- well attended with good food, good music, and an interesting look at the grounds. The historic town of Fairbank is located near the San Pedro River within the boundaries of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA), managed by the BLM. The town was an important transportation hub (railroad & stagecoach) in the 1880s, the peak of the silver boom in nearby Tombstone, which at that time was one of the largest towns in the Old West. But with no railway access and insufficient water to process the ore, Tombstone sent countless wagonloads of ore to Fairbank. The mercantile remained in operation until around 1974, and is the next restoration project. There are several standing buildings, lots of foundations, and many hiking trails with good birding. The schoolhouse was built around 1920, replacing the original wooden one that burned down. Classes were held until 1944. Its restoration was completed in 2007, and it is now open as a museum, bookstore and gift shop, operated by volunteers. We made arrangements to spend about 4 weeks here as site hosts when we left Benson.
Doug's brother Rodger & family (all but daughter Kerry who is now in college at Emory) visited Gayle for Easter weekend. We drove up on Sunday and spent an enjoyable day on the golf course (playing golf would sound too serious for what this outing actually was!). Seven of us rode around in 3 carts (with the seventh one usually walking) and 4-5 sometimes hitting a ball. Three actually played all nine holes. We started in the afternoon so there weren't many people for us to slow down. Afterwards, we had a great dinner together. It was wonderful seeing them again. It happens way too infrequently.
Back at Benson the following day we discovered there were two spaces available on an outing to the Astronomer's Inn, just outside Benson. This is a bed & breakfast which also has several telescopes ranging from 12 to 20 inches. They offer pre-arranged programs for people not staying at the inn. We had been missing the stargazing that we usually do at Chaco and had been wanting to see Saturn while it was in position for such excellent viewing, so we jumped at the chance. The view of Saturn was SPECTACULAR, and we also saw a number of other interesting objects visible only in the winter, and thus not visible to us at Chaco. But it was strange to pay over $16 each for what is free to all visitors at the Chaco astronomy programs.
On April 4, Willie got word that her mother, Ann Haynes, had become unable to eat and was generally taking a turn for the worst. She was admitted to the hospital that night and her condition worsened steadily until she passed away at 9:30 pm on Saturday, April 7. While we were quite sad and will miss her greatly, we were glad her life at the nursing home was not extended overly long. It was not the most pleasant environment, despite the fact that they provided quite adequate care. She was visited frequently by friends and relatives up to her last day, and we are thankful for that. Willie made plans to go to MS the following week to take care of details there. After Willie returned from MS, we spent our time in Benson doing our "usual" activities -- line dancing, playing bridge, and socializing for a few more days.
While in Tucson, we decided to visit a nearby gallery that was showing drawings & paintings by John Lennon. This was quite interesting to see and brought back good memories. It made us long for the "good old days"! Many of the drawings were for sale at prices ranging from $650 to $15,000. We were happy just looking!
Back in Benson, we were treated to a visit to Kartchner Caverns by our friend Becky Ruttenberg from Boulder. Along with her friend Brian, we spent the morning at the caverns on one of their guided tours. The caverns were discovered in 1974 by two cavers who kept their discovery secret until 1988, when they completed negotiations with Arizona State Parks to purchase the land. The caverns are still "live", and extraordinary precautions have been taken to protect the cave's natural environment. We passed through six metal doors going in and three going out, all designed to keep the humidity at least 95%. The only way you can view the caverns is by guided tour, and you are not allowed to take any photographs. We enjoyed seeing the caverns but did not find them to be superior to other caverns we have visited. We think the no-photography policy is just an attempt to preserve the "mystique" of the place so others are forced to spend money to see what they're like. It also feels quite restricting to be on a guided tour, because you don't get to linger and admire. There are a lot of detailed formations, and it would be nice to have a longer time to view them.
Since the weather was cloudy with intermittent showers, we canceled our plans for afternoon hiking and drove south to tour the grounds of Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista. This is an active military base, but, due in part to the excellent birding habitat, it is usually quite open for visitors. You just need to show photo id and car insurance information to get in. We drove around and walked a bit. We were surprised at how run down the public areas were. The museum had interesting information on the early days of the fort. Fort Huachuca was made permanent in 1882 and was instrumental in national defense against the Apaches, and has remained key in national defense due to its role in Army Intelligence. There is also an Army Intelligence Museum which we decided to bypass.Brian and Becky have been playing duplicate bridge, so we spent the evening at our trailer playing bridge with them. They are good competitors, and we look forward to getting together with them when we are in the Boulder area.
While at Chaco last summer we met Bonnie, who works for the BLM office in Sierra Vista. She contacted us about possibly hosting at a site near Benson, and we made plans to meet her there during the March 31 grand opening of the museum. The Grand Opening was indeed grand -- well attended with good food, good music, and an interesting look at the grounds. The historic town of Fairbank is located near the San Pedro River within the boundaries of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA), managed by the BLM. The town was an important transportation hub (railroad & stagecoach) in the 1880s, the peak of the silver boom in nearby Tombstone, which at that time was one of the largest towns in the Old West. But with no railway access and insufficient water to process the ore, Tombstone sent countless wagonloads of ore to Fairbank. The mercantile remained in operation until around 1974, and is the next restoration project. There are several standing buildings, lots of foundations, and many hiking trails with good birding. The schoolhouse was built around 1920, replacing the original wooden one that burned down. Classes were held until 1944. Its restoration was completed in 2007, and it is now open as a museum, bookstore and gift shop, operated by volunteers. We made arrangements to spend about 4 weeks here as site hosts when we left Benson.
Doug's brother Rodger & family (all but daughter Kerry who is now in college at Emory) visited Gayle for Easter weekend. We drove up on Sunday and spent an enjoyable day on the golf course (playing golf would sound too serious for what this outing actually was!). Seven of us rode around in 3 carts (with the seventh one usually walking) and 4-5 sometimes hitting a ball. Three actually played all nine holes. We started in the afternoon so there weren't many people for us to slow down. Afterwards, we had a great dinner together. It was wonderful seeing them again. It happens way too infrequently.Back at Benson the following day we discovered there were two spaces available on an outing to the Astronomer's Inn, just outside Benson. This is a bed & breakfast which also has several telescopes ranging from 12 to 20 inches. They offer pre-arranged programs for people not staying at the inn. We had been missing the stargazing that we usually do at Chaco and had been wanting to see Saturn while it was in position for such excellent viewing, so we jumped at the chance. The view of Saturn was SPECTACULAR, and we also saw a number of other interesting objects visible only in the winter, and thus not visible to us at Chaco. But it was strange to pay over $16 each for what is free to all visitors at the Chaco astronomy programs.
On April 4, Willie got word that her mother, Ann Haynes, had become unable to eat and was generally taking a turn for the worst. She was admitted to the hospital that night and her condition worsened steadily until she passed away at 9:30 pm on Saturday, April 7. While we were quite sad and will miss her greatly, we were glad her life at the nursing home was not extended overly long. It was not the most pleasant environment, despite the fact that they provided quite adequate care. She was visited frequently by friends and relatives up to her last day, and we are thankful for that. Willie made plans to go to MS the following week to take care of details there. After Willie returned from MS, we spent our time in Benson doing our "usual" activities -- line dancing, playing bridge, and socializing for a few more days.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
SKP Saguaro Co-Op, Benson, AZ - March 17-???
Now we have almost finished our short stay on our lot in Benson. Gayle's second cataract surgery did not go as smoothly as the first, as a membrane in his eye folded over just as they were getting ready to put in the new lens. This required a little more doctor supervision after the surgery, but all seems to be well now. The vision in the second eye will probably never be as good as the first, but it is so much better than before the surgery that Gayle is quite pleased.
While here, we haven't gotten much done, except for practical matters (doctors appts, car appts, etc) and social activities (bridge, great line dancing, etc). We enjoy our time here and this is an especially nice time of year.
Another parental issue reared its ugly head as Winston County Nursing Home, where Anne (Willie's mom) was living called to say that her condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Her pulse & BP started fluctuating wildly and she was taken to the ER. After her condition seemed to stabilize during the night, the symptoms returned the next day. She spent several days in the hospital, unresponsive and unable to swallow and she finally passed away around 10 pm on Saturday, April 7. Willie will have to go there later this week to take care of some things, and there is lots of indecision in our short-term future plans.
While here, we haven't gotten much done, except for practical matters (doctors appts, car appts, etc) and social activities (bridge, great line dancing, etc). We enjoy our time here and this is an especially nice time of year.
Another parental issue reared its ugly head as Winston County Nursing Home, where Anne (Willie's mom) was living called to say that her condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Her pulse & BP started fluctuating wildly and she was taken to the ER. After her condition seemed to stabilize during the night, the symptoms returned the next day. She spent several days in the hospital, unresponsive and unable to swallow and she finally passed away around 10 pm on Saturday, April 7. Willie will have to go there later this week to take care of some things, and there is lots of indecision in our short-term future plans.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Snyder Hill, San Joachim Road, Tucson, AZ - March 15-16
This is a strange little island of BLM land in southwest Tucson, only a few acres completely surrounded by the city. There are no delineated spaces, no hookups, and no fees. It is a popular boondocking spot for both short- and long-term visitors to Tucson, and was fairly crowded when we arrived. Fortunately, our hopes were realized as someone had left earlier in the day, leaving us a primo spot. After setting up we drove to a restaurant to meet up with Al Stovall & DeAnna White, good friends who have been on the road since 1983. They now own a house in Tucson and travel part-time. Their neighbors all have happy hour at this restaurant every Thursday, and we were invited. Afterwards we drove back to their house & enjoyed the use of the pool & spa.Next day we drove up to visit Gayle (Doug's dad). He is almost completely recovered from the cracked femur (they couldn't even find a fracture line on the final x-ray) and had recently undergone cataract surgery on one eye. During the surgery, which only took 12 minutes, they removed his old lens and replaced it with a new plastic one. He could tell how remarkable the improvement was with the one eye, and was looking forward to having the other eye worked on a soon as possible.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Darby Well Road, Ajo, AZ - March 13-14
Two more days boondocking in 90+ degrees. Our first day here we decided to see if John Edens, whom we had volunteered with at Chaco, was still volunteering at Cabeza Prieta NWR. He was, they told us, and he was staying on Darby Well road! So we went out for a walk, looking for his motorhome & found it less than a mile from our rig. He invited us in (after getting dressed since he was just stepping into the shower when we knocked) & told us about a talk that night at the Senior Center in Ajo by a ranger from Organ Pipe NM. The talk was on summer secrets of the desert and was very good.
Our second day we drove past the open pit mine (the reason for Ajo's existence) before doing some grocery shopping. We then joined John Edens for a cookout at his rig. In all we had a restful stay in a quiet, scenic & secluded spot.Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Snowbird West, Salome, AZ - March 11-12
We had originally planned to park at a Passport America park in Tonopah, AZ, some 60 miles west of Phoenix where we would enjoy full hook-ups, but we had heard about Snowbird West and realized that we would be passing right by it, so we decided to check it out. Camping without electricity in the middle of a record-breaking heat-wave in the hottest part of Arizona may not sound like the smartest thing we've ever done, but if you overlook the fact that temperatures topped 90 both days, it was a pretty enjoyable stay.
Snowbird West is unique, as far as we know. Open for 7 months out of the year (closed May-Sept due to heat), camping for the entire period costs $350, only $50/month. We paid $5/night. The only hookup available is water, and that only when the park generator is on, euphemistically known as "when the lights are on". There are no light switches in any park building so they all come on when the generator is started, generally from about 6pm to 8pm, depending on various activities. Thus, for example, laundry is only available when the lights are on. We did a load each evening and hung it out, and it was dry by the following morning.Monday, March 12, 2007
Oxbow BLM Campground, Palo Verde, CA - March 8-10
We had another "moving day incident". As we were coming into Salton City, we hit a series of road undulations that caused our truck and trailer to buck violently, and even though we Velcro our kitchen cabinets closed, one popped open, spilling our dishes out. They are Corelle, but we still lost a bowl, a bread plate & two salad plates. When it does break, Corelle shatters into a million TINY pieces! We discovered the loss when we pulled into the Imperial Sand Dunes overlook. Southern California has some of the most diverse terrain in the world, including this 250-sq-mi field of sand, sand, and more sand. Off-road vehicles seem to be the only sign of life in this barren landscape.This was our second time at Oxbow CG; the first was right after Quartzsite in 2004, and we enjoyed a few days of quiet with a couple of other lazy campers. The cg is now being renovated, which means that the word has gotten out; the cg was mostly full, with lots of families with boats. The setting is still nice, on an oxbow-lake of the Colorado River formed after the state line was set, so the cg is in AZ even though it is west of the Colorado.
We drove to the Cibola NWR, but the weather was so hot and so dry that birds were practically non-existent. That evening we did manage to see an American bittern up close after it flew right over our trailer and landed on the bank of the oxbow.Thursday, March 8, 2007
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, CA - March 1-7
At over 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego DSP is the second largest state park in the country. It was set aside to preserve the fragile Sonoran desert landscape that holds vital habitat for thousands of species of native plants & animals, including the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep (borrego). We picked a delightful spot to boondock, near a dry lake, with enough rigs in the area to feel safe, but not so many to feel crowded.
We took advantage of two ranger-suggested hikes: Plum Canyon & The Slot. Plum Canyon starts at the end of a 2-mile sandy 4WD dirt road. The trail follows a dry river bed up a gentle meandering slope, getting more scenic the further up as the vistas broaden. We hiked in about 3 miles before turning around. The Slot is a true slot canyon, carved out of caliche, and therefore lacking the dramatic colors that are present in the sandstone slot canyons of southern Utah. Still, it was well worth the effort of climbing down into the canyon.
Another day we drove to the Salton Sea. This peanut-shaped lake was accidentally created in 1905 when heavy rainfall & snowmelt caused the Colorado River to overflow its banks and pour into the Salton Sink, which, like nearby Death Valley, is below sea level. It was two years before the flow was finally cut off; by that time, enough water had poured through to cover over 350 square miles to a maximum depth of 51 feet (the lake's surface is about 220 feet below sea level). 
The Colorado has actually completely filled the Salton Sink two times in the last 10,000 years, both times the water eventually evaporated away. Now the Sea is sustained by runoff from irrigation, and pollution and salinity are threatening the already unstable ecosystem. The Sea is a major resting stop on the Pacific Flyway, and the water has already been responsible for at least two major bird die-offs, and algal blooms have led to massive fish die-offs due to oxygen starvation.This was Doug's second trip to the area -- the first was in the mid-60s when his family was passing through and listened to a sales pitch for the Salton Bay Yacht Club and community. We got a couple of cheap walkie-talkies for our time, and drove off without investing any more time or money in a venture that eventually folded. For years, empty streets led to deserted lots that an occasional RVer would park on, but now Salton City is being redeveloped. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Salton City and the Salton Sea -- currently a foul odor is noticeable at least 20 feet from water's edge.
We stopped at the Sonny Bono NWR on the south end of the Sea and saw quite a few water & shorebirds, plus a burrowing owl sitting atop a bale of hay out in the noon-day sun. We also watched the Blue Angels practicing their formations. We ate lunch at the NWR Visitor Center, then drove out to east side of the lake where there is a small field of mud volcanoes -- fascinating cone-shaped formations caused by escaping low-temperature gases, rather than the more famous boiling-hot mud pots of Yellowstone. 
We continued on to "Slab City" -- remnants of a WWII training camp near Niland, CA that has been completely taken over by RVers, who camp there free for months at a time. Our friend Bill Garmire was there, and we visited him briefly before having to head back home.We did find a bridge game at the Borrego Springs Senior Center. It's the type where you play a few hands and then trade off partners. Doug came in 2nd, and would have been 1st except for misplaying one card on one hand.
This was an area that we definitely plan to return to in the future. There is much to explore, and the climate is good for those cold winter months.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
SKP Jojoba Hills Co-Op, Aguanga, CA - Feb 2-28
It turned out to be a good thing we arrived a day late, as there was still a rig parked on the lot we had reserved. We thought we would have to spend a couple of nights in boondocking, which was really not much of an inconvenience except we'd have to move again, but evidently the Office Manager got wind of our "plight" and got someone to kick the other rig off. Before we even had a chance to back into a boondocking spot the golf cart was there to lead us to our lot.
Jojoba Hills is yet another Escapee RV co-op, probably the most scenic and certainly the most expensive (still cheap for CA living if that's what you want), although all lots cost the same no matter what improvements have been made, as opposed to the other co-ops where a new leaseholder would have to pay for improvements made by earlier leaseholders. Our good friends Pat & Dennis have a lot here, and they made the reservation allowing us to stay. We always enjoy our time together, and this was no exception. Highlights of our sightseeing include Mt Palomar (more properly Palomar Mountain) to see the 200-inch telescope, a day-trip to a beach north of San Diego in the little town of Encinitas, and a hike to Palm Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert SP. The beach trip included a stop in Leucadia for some wonderful fish tacos. YUM!
We were close enough to Riverside that Doug's daughter Erin was able to come out twice (once with Bryan) even though she was in the middle of a huge financial restatement plus tax season at work. On the visit with Bryan, we decided to tour & then eat lunch at a winery that Erin knew of, since her work had taken them to a catered Christmas Party there. She unfortunately was a little unclear as to exactly how to get there, and after driving around for a while, she had to pull over since her car (a VERY CUTE new Cooper Mini) was about to run out of gas, and we were almost lost. 
So we three piled into our truck, leaving Bryan to guard the Mini, and drove down a mountain on a steep dirt road to the nearest gas station in Hemet to buy a gas can & gas, then back to reunite Bryan & Erin (& the Mini) and unite the Mini and the gas. 
We then drove around some more, finally locating the winery, which turned out not to serve food, which is why the Christmas Party was catered. Anyway, we wound up eating dinner (not lunch) at an upscale Italian restaurant in Temecula and Doug & Erin got some father/daughter time together and Doug got to save Erin and be her hero and a good time was had by all. We all slept well that night.
We didn't lack for things to do in the park. Doug got to play pickleball once, but scraped his knee so badly that he didn't play again. There's line dancing 3 days/week, yoga once a week (and it was evident how long it had been since we had last done yoga -- too long), movies ("Cars" and "King Kong"), a Super Bowl party, etc. as well as a large swimming pool, 2 spas and 2 saunas. 
We tried to get in as many card games with Pat & Dennis as everyone could stand, plus we played some bridge -- twice at the clubhouse, once at a duplicate club in Temecula (came in second in the novice group), and twice with our friend Alice Zyetz and a fourth.Our birding time seems to have dwindled. Still, we managed to see two new "lifer" birds that pretty much forced themselves upon us.
In the cg we saw an abundance of CA quail, which looks remarkably like the Gambel's quail of CO and does produce hybrids, making for interesting ID questions. While at the beach, there were MANY Western gulls, a very local but common gull of the west coast. We tried for a few more, but they were elusive due to the unusual weather patterns -- first too warm and then too cool.
As predicted, the electric cat bed is a big hit, and Amber tries to take it over, but Rainbow will defend her right to be on it when she's the first one there. Otherwise she slowly snuggles up to Amber & they look as cute as can be together. Also as predicted, we'll probably have to get another as soon as we have a mailing address again.
Our last 6 days at Jojoba Hills were spent in boondocking, planned as a way to save money, since it is one of the more expensive SKP parks and does not have a weekly or monthly discounted rate. We chose the end of our stay figuring that the weather would be more conducive to boondocking. Wrong! The day we moved the sun disappeared behind clouds and the temps dropped 15 degrees. We cannot run things like electric blankets or electric cat beds on our inverter, since it produces modified sine wave electricity that tends to fry the circuitry in modern heated blankets. Rainbow & Amber were not at all happy with this state of affairs and sat around looking pathetic or fighting with each other over imagined warm places.
To further complicate things, we bought a used blue-flame type of heater and are trying it instead of our old radiant catalytic heater. It does not produce as much heat directly toward cats on the floor but projects the heat upward. It feels quite pleasant for humans but the cats, especially Rainbow, are not happy about that either!