Travel day ending in rain at Saddle Mountain...

Our Location: Saddle Mountain BLM, Tonopah, AZ

Thanks for the break last night Riley. Another new hat for you to wear on occasion. 

Our last sunrise on Bouse Road BLM, was quiet dark and menacing...

Yesterday our last day on Bouse Road was a busy one. I talked to my middle daughter Bradey in the morning, catching up and all that good stuff. She was saying they were expecting more snow (it's been snowing for 2 days) and the possibility of freezing rain or sleet. So not a nice day by any means, but at least it was milder than it's been for a while. 

A few hints of the sun began shining through....

A trip to Parker netted us a full fuel drinking bowl for the Big Dog, full cupboards for the Igloo and 2 full salt free water jugs. Plus a few little pieces I need to do a small project over the next few days. It also has us now knowing we want rocker recliners instead of theatre seating in the Igloo. We've been debating but a few things about the theatre seating just didn't work for us, so now we know. 

However we didn't see much of it today.....

We spent the rest of the day packing a few things and just enjoying the much cooler temperatures. 

Not too promising...

A call from my dad as I was outside taking sunset pictures brought the news that his lady friend Marion is in the hospital with two fractures, one to the shoulder bone (collar) and one to the pelvis. She somehow stumbled and fell inside the house on Saturday and that was the end result. So get well wishes goes out to Marion.

A few bright spots....

Now on to the news for today....  

Construction on Hwy 72 had us stopped at this location for about 15 minutes.....

I figured out the 'time' issue and why I missed the sunrise the other morning. I didn't read the clock wrong, or at least the clock I was using. I was using my iPad which hadn't automatically corrected from PST to MST but my cell phone which I checked upon waking was in MST. Mystery solved.

Mural at the Bouse Rest Area...

I didn't miss the sunrise this morning, or actually I was outside in time for it but the heavy cloud cover prevented pretty much all of the sunrise except for a few stray strands of light here and there. A little back drop behind a cloud would hint but not much really showed up. 

Looks pretty dark over that way and we are eventually heading in the direction....

The clouds were dark and menacing looking and I thought definite rain clouds and in the direction we were heading as well. Oh well, we'll see what comes of it. Back inside we had our hot drink and Riley was excited to check for comments on her post last night. Thank you every one for the wonderful comments and encouragement, the compliments and the enthusiasm with which you welcomed Riley into her first foray in to Bloggerland. She was very pleased with herself and her effort and thinks perhaps she may do that again the future. 

Amazing how low the clouds come....

We finished packing up the Igloo and hooking up, hitting the road at 9:04 am, taking a right onto Hwy 72 toward the east. It was a bit more of the rocking and rolling but we managed to get through without HRH Miss Kitty getting ill. I believe that was due to a few stops we made along the way. The first two stops were for construction. The first stop seemed quite long but I'm sure it wasn't more than 15 minutes, the second was only about 5 minutes, so all things being as they are, it wasn't too bad. The next stop was at the little town of Bouse where we found a spot to leave our trash, and to check out their small rest area. It's a monument to their veterans with a tank and a few other pieces of equipment around, some murals and numerous plaques. A very nice spot. 

Wonder where the top of that mountain is?

From there we argued with Pheobe (RV GPS) as she wanted to take us to I-10 but we wanted to stay on Hwy 72. We took a left and kept going arriving at the little town of Salome. We toured the town, found the pavement gave way to dirt and that some subdivisions have no other exits. Nice town though. Back on the straight and narrow we once again continued on our way, this time on Salome Road. A very nice road which we have seen many times before but didn't know where it went it. We passed over top of I-10 with Phoebe once again trying to take us onto the Interstate but by now I knew where we were and we simply turned her off. 

And here come the clouds again....

Within a few minutes of crossing over the Interstate we were slowing down for the familiar driveway at Saddle Mountain. Wow, lots of folks here now compared to last time. Not a problem, our original spot was empty but we didn't stop there, the spot we hoped for  at the back is full so we took another spot between the two places. I'm not sure if being so close to the mountain will be an issue or not but for now we're settled. 

Thicker'n pea soup......

 I called my dad to say we've arrived but he wasn't home and so I left a message. We then proceeded to have some lunch. Riley made herself some taco's and I had a large salad, followed by two small wraps with a few fixings. After that we both headed off to rest for a bit and enjoy just doing nothing. 

There are mountains behind there....I think....

I can tell you that the drive was under cloud cover, very dark at times, very menacing at other times. As we travelled on Salome Road the pavement was kicking up water from a recent down pour but we didn't have any where we were driving. We did hit a few spits here and there but nothing that one occasional swipe of the wipers wouldn't clear up. We drove into a headwind pretty much most of the time, although once we got onto Salome Road it was more a direct hit on the front passenger side corner as the road was angling a bit. 

Glad I"m not flying....

We stopped at one point so I could take some photos of the mountains. It was a visually stunning sight with heavy gunmetal grey clouds layering on top of the mountains. In places it seemed to slide down the sides like a slow moving ooze, obscuring the peaks in dense cover but allowing one to view the lower reaches of the outlines that hinted at mountains or maybe the trick of an eye. It was as if a wall of fog was hovering but was trying to blow away in the wind. Wisps of mist or vapour almost seeming to float past the outline making one wonder if perhaps it was truly there.  The landscape was also faded in colour and views. More of a dull melancholy feel to the air, as if the brilliant blue of the sky and wildly fierce yellow of the sun will never return, and leave this once sun drenched land in shadows and mists. 
 

I wonder if some of that is dust....

We would see bright sun lit patches ahead or off to the side but before long the dark low hanging clouds would cover that up and once again we would be left in a dull dreary shroud. Even as I write this post it is still dreary outside with what appears to be dust clouds far off in the distance, although I'm sure if I were off in that distance it would look the same in this direction. The wind has picked up more since we've set up home camp here but so far it's not too bad. I think the wind is trying very valiantly to blow away the clouds but even the small patches of blue that it manages to spring into view are shortly covered again with in minutes. 

Love this green, I wonder if it's cotton....it sure is green....

A message left for my oldest daughter whom I couldn't reach on the phone. Haven't talked to her for a few weeks and would like to just catch up for a few minutes. Oh well, tomorrow I'll try again. 

Can you see why it's called Saddle Mountain?

We have had some stronger wind gusts and even some splashes of rain since setting up here at Saddle Mountain. My favourite mountain has shown splashes of colour off and on all through the afternoon but is once again dark and cold looking. The clouds seem to be clearing a bit and perhaps we'll manage a sunset tonight but I'm not really counting on it. 

I took this picture standing in the doorway....

The temperature has dropped 5 degrees since we arrived but only reached 64F/ 17C today at it's highest. With the sun once again starting to show it's wonderful bright self it promises to be an interesting evening with all this cloud cover. 

This one was also taken standing in the door way...

Thought I'd end this post with a few pictures of our immediate location. 

That's our fire pit....

 Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your visit. I hope your day has been as enjoyable as ours with lots of fun things to amuse and excite you, or at least to keep you busy and out of trouble. 

We are much closer to the back this time....

Feel free to drop a comment, I enjoy reading them and will reply. Once again thanks to my guest writer Riley for the wonderful job she did while filling in on my day off.

Just stepped around the nose of the Igloo....

 Until next time..... take care, be safe, 

Last time we opened our door to see this view....

Now we see it out the living/dining room windows.....

Deb

Too windy to go any further for more pictures tonight....lots of dust blowing around too...

 

Guest writer tonight.....

Our Location: Bouse Road near Parker, AZ

 

Today I’m taking the day off and Miss Riley will be your tour guide.  Sit back, buckle up and keep EVERYTHING inside.

This was waiting patiently for me this morning  as I went out to catch sunrise....

Hi, this is Riley, I thought I would talk about my whole trip tonight. 

The dark mountains had distinguishable features this morning...

When we left Ontario in late October I was excited to see new things, have some new experiences and to get away from the snow and cold again. The drive was long, but it was interesting and at times eventful. I thought the scenery was beautiful some times, and boring other times. The temperatures were pretty good but I didn’t wear short pants for the first few weeks on the road. I even had to wear a sweater. We found the up and down temperatures to be hard to regulate our bodies.
 

It was a hazy kind of thing again this morning....

The first while the scenery was very much like back in Ontario and not too exciting for me. As we drove further along into the middle part of the country the view outside the window became very different. It was flat, with long rolling hills. The sky seemed to be getting bigger the further we drove.

I know what's back of that mountain just waiting to pop out and greet us folks here....

I don’t remember much about the Mountains but i remember Amarillo,Texas. It was cold and very windy, and I mentioned to Mom that we should turn around and go back the other way since it was warmer back there. After we left Texas still going west  we found some warmer weather.

Yep, it's up.....

The desert weather is very different than I’m used to. It’s what I thought it would be like but Borrego Springs was too hot for me and I didn’t enjoy the weather there at all. I wouldn’t come to this area if the weather was that hot all the time. However the rest of the time I’ve been enjoying the weather and it’s a lot better than sitting in the cold and snow.  

I never get tired of seeing these views....

Some of the places I remember best so far are Tombstone, Arizona; Elephant Butte, New Mexico; Borrego Springs, California; Joshua Tree, California; and  Saddle Mountain, Arizona. At Tombstone I enjoyed the re-enactment of the gunfight at the Okay Corral. I liked the history about the Earp Brothers and enjoyed lunch at Big Nose Kate’s although it was pretty loud and busy. Elephant Butte was a really nice park, we stayed for a while and I enjoyed the peace and quiet there. Borrego Springs I remember for a few reasons. I enjoyed the time with Aunt Janet and meeting her friend Sue. The metal sculptures were amazing. The detail surprised me very much. I enjoyed meeting Doug & Yuma there as well. Joshua Tree National Park I enjoyed the slot canyon we found near by, the hikes in the park, and just the park its self. Meeting Sonya, Joshua and Jack again was also nice. The day trips into the Coachella Valley and Indian Wells to visit with Aunt Janet were entertaining and exciting. Saddle Mountain I remember because it was our first real experience at boon docking out here in the desert. It was very quiet there and I enjoyed the peace with so little noise. This is where we first met Sonya, Joshua and Jack. 

Who said the desert is boring brown?

Some of the other things I really have enjoyed here in the desert have been meeting George & Suzie, as well as Patsy & Bill. We kind of met Deb & Tom but haven’t really chatted with them. I’ve liked trying new things, like difference foods, and doing things that have shocked my mother since they are not in my comfort zone. Things like going in busy market areas, speaking to people before they speak to me, and actually speaking to people that I’ve not met before.  Doing some hiking that was much harder than I have done before. Figuring out how to help with directions while she’s driving.

 

Can you see the reptile head?

The desert has been educational too. I’ve seen lots of new kinds of trees, cacti, poky things, sharp pointy things and things that make me say ouch (or worse). I’ve learned to be less upset by change and more patient when things don’t go as fast as I want. I’ve figured I don’t like the sun as much as I thought I did since it’s much hotter here than back in our summer spot where I am outside much more.

 

Fly on a Palo Verde tree....

We aren’t finished our adventure but I think I will enjoy the rest of the trip just as much as I did the beginning and middle. We’re going home a different route than we came, and I  know we’ll see lots of different things.

 

It sure was dusty or hazy far off over Hwy 95 tonight...

I will back next year if Mom drives me and hope to have a chance to meet some of you again and some for the first time.  I hope I have done a good job filling in for my lazy Mother who didn’t think she could write a post today.

 

It's almost finished for the day.....

So as Mom would say, ‘ Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment or not.’

 

It's sinking fast....

Until next time…. take care, be safe,

 

Just the tiniest hint of the sun still there, can you see it?

Guest writer, 

Our last night at Bouse Road BLM this year....Good night...

 Riley

Trip to Q, a few purchases, and what I see when I look up from my chair....

Our Location: Bouse Road near Parker, AZ

A good night's sleep and when I woke up around 6 or at least I think I did, am my knee felt much better, not that puffy stiff feeling.  I decided I'd read a bit before getting up and one of two things happened, either I read more than I thought or I misread the clock, or maybe both I don't know. By the time I realized the correct time the sun was already up and I totally missed it's entrance. Some days I even amaze myself!

 

I wonder when they realized they had left this behind?

Hot drinks and a few discussions of our day ahead had us moving around shortly and ready to face the day. First job was to load all the garbage into the Dogsled and the drinking water jugs as well. We headed the Big Dog down to Quartzsite to check out a few of the lagging behind vendors. 

I love this knot, it's so eye catching...

The landfill was closed, so scratch that idea of putting the trash there. Southward we continued until we arrived at Tyson Wells, found a parking spot in the parking lot as the road frontage was full all ready and only us and a big rig in the parking lot when we left the Dogsled. Not so when we got back though, it was much busier by then.

Don 't you just love this old tree, it's been through some rough times....

We walked around a few of the vendors but not a whole lot that caught our eye in the first few rows. We did however manage to find a few deals as we wandered along further into the area. We managed to grab ourselves some grill mats that we can cut to fit the Weber. Riley found herself a floppy wide brimmed hat. I bought two 'window washing magic cloths', and a nice multi coloured southwestern blanket or table cloth. We priced the sun shades but they were too expensive at $91 USD for our size. The only deal to be had on those was if we paid cash they would discount the sales tax. Thanks but we'll pass. 

Rows of mountains.....

We had about given up on finding one this year at a reasonable price and were about to start heading back to the Dogsled when we wandered into the 'last tent' that we were going to visit today. We found exactly what we wanted but not in a carry bag, for $35 USD cheaper than the other place. Didn't take long to grab it. It's the perfect colour and size. I think we got very lucky. 

 

They just lure a person in to watching them....

Noticing some dumpsters behind the small adobe building we left our trash and headed home. We didn't stop for water as we're heading out tomorrow to get a few things at Walmart and so we'll fill up then. We did however take a drive around the camping area and checked out a few sites that we would certainly remember for next time. We like the one we have but it never hurts to have a back up. 

The many colours of the desert...

Back home we settled in to do a few things. Riley outside in her new hat and me inside making myself a salad for lunch. Once again I propped my leg up and have been off it since coming back home. Wrapped an ice pack around it and it's even better now. I think one more round of anti inflammatories should do it and I'll be back to my regular self. Riley bbq'd lunch, which of course was excellent. We tried our new bbq sauce, a Jack Daniels blend, we both like it. We've had a few JD blends over the years and haven't found one we don't like yet. Our regular fix of Mike's Country Store BBQ sauce (our favourite being Georgia Southern Peach) has run out and we aren't planning a trip to Georgia so we may have to order it via mail. The best stuff I've ever had. 

There is nothing uniform about a mountain.....

Lunch was a salad for me of course, along with grilled fresh veggies (green beans, mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, celery, sweet onions) with freshly ground garlic, add to that grilled Parmesan potato slices, and JD Hickory Smoked Chicken Breast. I can tell you it was delicious. Riley is wearing a number of hats these days, nurse, bbq'er, navigator, and the list goes on. 

Lots of skeleton's in the washes here, they pile up against the roots of healthier, living version of themselves...

After lunch we cleaned up the dishes and tidied the Igloo before heading off to do our own thing. I'm doing some research for a trip to the east coast this summer and Riley, well, I'm not sure what she was doing but I heard some noises in there that had me wondering if she was being invaded by some unknown force and she was defending her room with ninja type movements and noises. It turns out she wasn't doing any such thing, but I'm not sure I believe that at all!! We'll just leave it there. 

The soft white fluff of a creosote bush...

Not as hot here today as it was yesterday. A nice breeze with some cloud cover helped to keep the day cooler than the temperatures we've been experiencing of late. We're too close to a tree to put up the sun shade but the we do put the awning out until it meets the tree. So we'll try it out at our next location. 

 (ALL sunset pictures are posted as taken, no enhancements, you can see the time stamp in the bottom right corner)

Tomorrow we need to some groceries, fuel and get a few little articles I want to make life easier for us here in the Igloo. I'll work on my little project when we get to Saddle Mountain. 

 We didn't do much for the rest of the day. I took a short walk and snapped a few pictures but the sunset tonight was so spectacular I didn't need to get many other shots. I did however have to come inside for surgery before finishing up the sunset pictures. On my little stroll I some how got a sticker in both shoes and they were in the bottom of my feet. Nurse Riley had to get the surgical gear to take them out. She wondered if I wanted to stay awake during the procedure or if I wanted to be put out. Making note of the hammer in the doctor kit I opted to remain awake through the ordeal. I will say she did an excellent job and no stitches were require to close the large holes she made while digging before extraction. She didn't even give me a band aid after!!

The temperature has been perfect here with the nice breeze that kicked up this afternoon. I see some windows left open tonight as the heat is still hanging on even at this hour. 
 

 

I think this location is perhaps the greenest location we've been in for a while. The bushes, shrubs and trees, yes there are numerous trees here are a lush and healthy green. Sitting outside reading my book I will say that upon raising my head I'm amazed at the view I have. Mountains on all sides, a bluish haze in the far distance, not a crisp image but one that towers foreboding in the back ground, looming large and massive. Nearer than those far blue mountains are the crisper images of lofty heights, tiny valleys, rocky bumps and  dark crags, the outlines of washes and ridges showing up in least expected places. The colours some times black, or green, and some times dotted with various colours, but always clearer than those looming behind.  And closer still is the green sea swaying in the breeze as the leaves shimmer and glisten in the sun, waxen surfaces casting the light away.

 

  The amazingly vibrant green Palo Verde trees with their long willow like foliage dancing and swaying with the puffs of wind in perfect time with the creosote bushes. Yet gangly limbs of those bushes flopping gently side to side slightly out of sync with the others near by. The small shrub like mounds of green here and there with each performing to their own beat and while not in perfect time, not totally out of step either. It is difficult to see the other colours, the whites, ivory, along with desert browns, and the stark grayish bones of other trees and shrubs that haven't been able to stay alive due to fast rushing waters, not enough water, and abuse by mankind not just mother nature.

 

 

 

Above all of this is a vast sky that changes colours as well, from brilliant, electric blue to softer shades of blue, so soft it is almost white. Some clouds tossed in for good measure cause streaks or puff balls to decorate the sky haphazardly. The bright fierce yellow of the sun beaming down on all creation watching over it as it picks on the weaker, less strong, weeding them out, making her domain stronger and smarter, better able to survive. I am witness to this beauty, the life and death struggle of the desert. For that I am truly fortunate and blessed. 

 So there you have it folks, my view from the chair outside today. The day has ended and it's time to publish this post. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Please feel free to drop a comment. I enjoy hearing from you. 

Until next time... take care, be safe, 

Goodnight...

Deb