Scenic Sunday – Fall on the North Rim

Lost in memories of the golden aspen.

Filling hillsides with color in a burn from a decade ago.

Rain brings new life.

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Which stick to take walking

I went walking over to my neighbors and saw this Northern Walkingstick on a window screen.

Came home to tell Mike about the walkingstick and he brought this one out.

So which would you prefer?

SWF – Fire in the mountains

Not the prettiest view of the Bradshaw Mountains south of Prescott and north of home.

The Forest Service had three prescribed burns going on at once.

Sure shows off well against this deep blue Arizona sky.

I totally understand that burns need to happen due to suppression for so long.

Yet it still freaks me out a bit to drive past.

Pardon the bug guts on the windshield, I can guarantee they will never do it again.

Made for a very washed out sky on the way back home.

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Dam View

I really need a Red Rock fix.

During the summer Mike and I visited several places I’ve yet to post about. On one of our shopping trips via the Grand Staircase Escalante we stopped at the Dam View in Page, Arizona.

We walked a short trail to the overlook.

Past marvelously eroded sandstone sculpture.

Where shadows stood tall.

Right up to the edge.

The Colorado River far below.

10 million tons of cement called the Glen Canyon Dam hold back and alter the natural flow of the mighty Colorado River. This creates the 186 mile (299 km) long Lake Powell with 1960 miles (3154 km) of shoreline for people to recreate on.

While life looks on.

Kruger National Park South Africa - Day 4

Once again up with the sun.

The baboons greeted us.

A hyena followed us.

I spied a buffalo slowly waking up.

The vervet monkeys entertained us for a while.

White Rhinos trimmed the grasses off the edge of the road.

A family of warthogs strolled past.

This wattled plover looked longingly at the water.

Where hippos floated lazily.

At the faster water this Goliath heron stood patiently fishing.

Joan picked this cute little chameleon up hitching hiking.

We returned to Sukuza Rest Camp.

While waiting to get online we discovered these epalet fruit bats hanging out.

And after a refreshing swim Joan spotted this leaf katydid by the dressing room. Another full day on safari and one more to go.

MWT - Placerita Arizona

Thursday afternoon we took a little drive into the eastern Weaver Mountains where Mike showed me the old town site of Placerita.

Placerita Gulch, located east of Kirkland Junction, was the site of gold for many early prospectors.

The area was and still is used for goat and cattle grazing.

After about an hour drive on well graded roads we parked, backed into a dry wash which was probably also the original road into town.

Gold was first discovered here by Mexican Placeros in 1863 then abandoned after the surface gold was taken.

There is evidence of the old mill used in this hard rock mining operation opened in the 1880s by “Grizzly” Callen.

And loads of rusty stuff, mostly tin cans.

Yet the only remaining building, or at least partially, was the combination post office, church and community building.

Mike says the front wall wasn’t missing when he visited over a year ago.

Placerita's post office was established Feb 1, 1896 and discontinued August 15, 1910. A population of 30 was reported in 1905.

We wandered down the wash and found a trail leading to a mine shaft portal.

Although there’s a claim sign on the locked door into the mine it doesn’t look like anybody’s been there in a long while.

The area is littered with milky white quartz veined with iron. Oh, and that’s mica on the top all shiny.

Yet the primary rock in the area is Precambrian granite, gneiss and schist, and Cenozoic basalt and other volcanic rocks.  We found no gold but had a great time exploring.

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