I just can't get there from here, new neighbours, birthday wishes....

Our Location: Near American Girl Mine Road, BLM, CA

 

 

 

A nice night for sleeping and we both slept well, I think the hike up Pilot Knob may have contributed a bit to that wonderful sleep. 

 

 

  The first sunset of 2020, taken January 1st,  here in southeastern California.

 

We decided to go for separate walks this morning, Riley left first while I stayed behind to have something I haven't eaten for a very long time, eggs and toast.  I just had a craving this morning.

 

 

 It was just so yellow in the western sky.

 

 

I started out heading toward the power lines and met up with Riley just as she was heading home from her walk. She continued home and I kept my feet going toward the big black Cargo Muchacho Mountains. 

 

 

A truly amazing sunset on the first night of the new year, don't you think?

These sunset photos are exactly as they came out of the camera, I did nothing to them. 

 

 

I have been meaning to check out a strip of tailings that I can see each time go back toward the power lines and today  I thought I would do that. It was a really good idea and I headed off cross country in the most direct route I could take. Coming upon a very deep wash I realized I had tried this before and like before couldn't find a place to cross the wash. Alas, I had to turn around and head back home. Close but yet so far. Next time I'll take the truck and start from a different point, one that is too far for me to walk to from the Igloo. 

 

 

 Almost looks like ripples in the sky.

The last shot of dazzling colour before it starts to fade...

 

 

 

 And so ends the first sunset of 2020 here in the southeast corner of California.

 

 

I walked a bit over 4 miles in less than two hours but it wasn't easy walking. This particular area is filled with a lot of rough ground, large stones, dips, washes, troughs, large stones or did I mention that already? 

 

 

 

 I wonder if we need a lawn maintenance company to trim the grass?

 I did not know the inside of an Ocotillo root was hollow.

 But as you can see, this one is certainly hollow.

 

 

Back home Riley and I pulled our chairs out and enjoyed some sun while reading. The wind was a bit chilly and continued to get stronger and stronger as the time went on. Before we headed inside however a cute black Jeep made it's way toward us and behind it came a big motor home, The Stinger Bee. Deb & Tom from Celebrating the Dance arrived and set up not far away. We knew they were coming from our visit yesterday and are happy to have them as neighbours. 

 

 

 Do you see that lighter coloured line back there? That's my goal for today.

 I used the zoom lens today and so it looks much closer than it really is. It was over two miles to the wash that I couldn't cross and I still was a distance from being able to reach the lighter stones.

 

 

The strong winds had us bringing in the big slide as the awing was taking a beating in the wind. About an hour later we had once again put the slide back out and the winds died down as the afternoon continued. 

 

 

It is deceptively close with this lens. 

 

 

Interesting how those little nubs are all so straight, isn't it? 

 

 

With the wind at their backs, Deb & Tom blew in for a visit/happy hour and before we knew it the sun was down and sunset was over without a photo being snapped of the visit or the sunset. The time flew by as I knew it would, a few laughs, a few stories and some wonderful conversation. It was a nice afternoon. 

 

 

Again with the lens, it's deceptive. The coastal mountains and the Imperial Dunes in the background you've often seen in my photos but usually the photo is taken from the general area of the Igloo. In this photo the Igloo is between the Dunes and the power lines. When leaving the Igloo and walking to that power line it's about a mile. I am probably a half mile past the power lines and about 1 1/2 miles from the Igloo. 

I am still a long way from the mountains. I would love to find a path that would get me higher up into those mountains but today I won't even make it to the bottom of them. 

 

A birthday wish for my nephew Jason. He turns a big 30 today. Jason & his lovely bride Leah were mentioned last January in my blog when they travelled to British Columbia for a month long sledding holiday. An event they will repeat this year I believe. Happy Birthday Jason. 

 

 

 Standing on the edge of a very deep wash I can see where I want to get to but just can't find a way through the wash. So I had to turn around and head back home. 

 It's hard to get a good photo of the wash as the sides and bottom are covered with growth in most places and very steep everywhere.

I want very much to hike back there and have a look around just because I want to know what's back there. Another day I guess, or maybe next year. My time here is getting short and I haven't too many days remaining to do this hike. 

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit. 

 

 

 Pretty deep and steep.

No way I could climb down or up that stuff. 

 

 

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

 

 

 Like a beckoning finger it stills call to me even though I'm almost home. Thanks to the long lens I can almost touch it , almost but not quite.

My last photo of the day. 

 

 

Deb

 

 

 

A very cold blustery day here....

Our Location: Tonopah, Arizona


The rain stopped over night some time but I didn’t hear it when it stopped. Much colder this morning than it has been and the day time temps didn’t get overly warm either. A strong wind with a few big gusts had us staying inside most of the day. 

 

Looking off toward the north east, Buckeye is out that way about 25 miles.

I like this view.

 

Not a lot happened today, we spent the day reading and keeping out of the wind. Riley was a braver soul than I this morning and went to the road way for a walk. Her cheeks were quite rosy when she came in and the cold was radiating from her. A hoodie, a jacket, mittens and heavy fleece pants kept her warm outside.
 

Look at the flowering sage in this wash area.

 

You can definitely see this is a water way.

 

And looking the other direction.

 

New neighbours moved in beside us, more friends of Michael’s ( we know this because they’ve all been together shortly after they parked here). I think tomorrow we will look for a different location, not sure if we’ll find one but we’ll look at least. I headed out for a short walk to check on a different location but the cold kept me from going very far. The spot we would have taken is a fair distance from here and closer to the generator running folks and the road noise. There is one other spot near by for us but it is shadowed by the mountain and doesn’t get the later afternoon sun. A motor home moved out of there last evening.  There are a number of other spots available, all good spots but they are too small for us to get into but plenty big enough for the folks that moved in beside us. Oh well, it is what it is.

 

I love the look of that bare rock over there. It looks so smooth and inviting but it really isn't.

This is at the bottom of the flat bare rock I mentioned that I was heading for.

I'm standing at the bottom of the V right now. Remember that Saguaro, I'm going to mention it again.

 

Riley felt inspired to bake late this afternoon and made a very good batch of Chewy Oatmeal C. Chip cookies. They were very good and have been a favourite in our family for a while now.It is daughter Bradey’s recipe with a few modifications from the original. I have no idea where she found it but we all like it. It’s the kind of cookie you just want one more of and then one more and so on.

I'm now slightly above that same Saguaro.

 

This is the view behind me.

 

You can barely see that same Saguaro in this photo but it's just at the bottom of the slope before the slope takes a sharp up turn. It is the top of that bare rock which I climbed yesterday. I went as far as the first dark line that goes down the side.

 

A call to my dad tonight for a quick chat and the depressing news that more snow is on the way for them. They have over 50 cm/ 20 inches of snow left after the warm few days they’ve just had and with more snow on the way with the possibility of freezing rain on top of the snow it does not make for a promising few days ahead. Temperatures are going to fall as well. 

Someone built a break wall here, looks big enough for a sleeping bag I think.

It is a long way down to the bottom.

 

So there you have it, not much new or exciting but we still enjoyed our day here in the southwest. Another day at least of below seasonal temperatures and we’ll be heading back to the higher temperatures and soon be looking for a shady spot. You just have to love the desert, don’t ya?
 

Do you recall that met two young ladies yesterday? They are in this photo climbing that bare rock.

Can you see them now? That is why I didn't go any further by myself.

They are almost on the flat top area now.

They stayed there for a while and then moved a bit more along the top but only to sit down out of the wind. After that they came back down.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Today’s photos were also from yesterday’s hike. A few different views.

 

You can see them standing on the flat top, two small black dots.

 

Until next time… take care, be safe,

Deb