journal entry 1796

Wednesday     Day 1,796

Nov. 22, 2006

Vicksburg, AZ

Laughlin was a fun stop, with its mix of gambling and riverside palm trees.  But our real mission was to get to the desert southwest, where we’ll spend the rest of this winter.  Yesterday we made the drive to Vicksburg, a tiny outpost on the edge of a large section of BLM-managed public land.  Ah, at last we’re back in the wide open spaces of the Sonoran Desert.  Donna has been craving solitude, and this is it.

Except for our friend's trailer parked 100 feet away from us, there are no other humans visible in our sweeping, 360 degree view.  No other state, except for maybe Utah, has so much appealing public land where one can enjoy remote but comfortable camping.  This is our favorite kind of fun.  It’s sunny and warm for our first day here.  We set up our campsite with campfire, chairs, tiki torches and bird feeders.  Even Bob our Fake Human comes outside to enjoy it.  The afternoon is spent roaming the surrounding desert.  When sunset comes, there are cocktails by the campfire, and then card games with the neighbor.

empty wide open spaces - I love the Arizona desert

peace and quiet

I've recently switched from watching the Today Show to CBS This Morning and I'm liking the change. Charlie Rose is quite good, Gayle King is fabulous and Erica Hill is refreshing. It's like the difference between People and Time magazines. This morning there was a piece on the quietest place in the lower 48 states and YAY that place is in Washington State. Somewhere in the Olympic Rain Forest out on the Olympic peninsula. This is my closest quiet place right now. Wonderful public land on the shores of the Klickitat Gorge. The photo above is looking north towards Mt. Adams and the photo below is looking south towards Mt. Hood. If miss Mount St. Helens hadn't blown her top, there would be a picture of that mountain as well. I love this place. The quiet is real and quite invigorating.

  

yellow like the sun

I love this leopard's bane because it came from my mom and dad's garden. And I love it's tenacity. It survived snow, ice and repeated nights of frost to bring this glory to my garden.

spring is finally here

thought provoking

nature's wonders

the last full moon of winter peeking through the pines

Being a 10-year veteran snowbird, it's been interesting to spend the winter in Washington state this year. While living where it's warm all the time one tends to forget that there are seasons, there is crippling snow and ice storms and that spring finally does return with it's promise of new life. We saw the first Western bluebirds on February 26. The hummingbirds have yet to return to their summer homes here in Goldendale. Owlie is still one of our nearest neighbors along with a pair of pileated woodpeckers. I am thankful for nature's wonders.

a pair of western bluebirds inspecting a birdhouse in spite of our weather station

at 12 inches, the pileated is North America's largest woodpecker

a weather front and Mount Hood

Yay Spring !

happy spring

Weather Lore: The first three days of any season rule the weather for that season.

I am a fan of the Farmer's Almanac on facebook and that was their post this morning.

a flicker and a house finch enjoying some cold breakfast

no Mt. Hood today - just lots of cold rain

Snow is my two day forecast. I wish you perfect weather for the next two days.