MWT - Home Sweet Home at Grand Canyon

I never thought I’d get here, but here I am for the fourth summer in a row. Better late than never.

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park opened Sunday, May 15th right on schedule. Boy were we busy!

I worked some at the Visitor Center, roved along the Bright Angel Point trail chatting with visitors, and studied my programs to jog the lazy gray matter. Wonderful to access information thought forgotten.

Flowering Mahogany

It just doesn’t get any better than this.

And finally Qwest got me hooked up to the DSL I just knew was here. Yippee, I’m back on line! Will catch up with every body soon.

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SWF – Miles under a changing sky

Wednesday morning I finally rolled away from my winter home towing my new 5th-wheel under a brilliant blue Arizona sky. I’m headed back to work at Grand Canyon National Park, a paid vacation.

Mt Humphreys

Hours later, heading east on I40 towards Flagstaff a brief yet heavy spattering of large rain drops barely wet the highway while snow fell on the North Rim of Grand Canyon where I’m heading Thursday.

Suppose to be clear skies for the next leg of my journey.

The clouds drifted away with the westering sun.

To view more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here. Thanks meme team.

Upon getting to the canyon there’s a good possibility I won’t have internet in my RV. Unfortunately my smart phone doesn’t work well under the towering Ponderosa pine forest. (It’s a trade off.) Yet I can find places where it will work and get online. Please don’t think I’m ignoring you as I will try to keep up as I can. I will also continue to badger Qwest for my usual DSL.

Ready to roll, again

I had almost given up on getting back to work, which will seem like a vacation.

Thank goodness there’s no snow now but it did hail today, and snow on the North Rim

Got home Friday afternoon. How good it felt to sleep in my big bed in my big new 5th-wheel. Which I had kind of forgotten about as I didn’t live it in very long before being gone two months to Texas, and back twice.

Saturday I unpacked some of my stuff from the U-Haul mostly into the storage shed which is packed from floor to ceiling.

Sunday afternoon, Mike’s brother Max helped me unload the cabover-camper for the last time. I sold it. It’s been good to me and I love it when it’s on the truck but it’s an absolute pain in the ass to get on and off. I have a tent.

Next we delivered furniture, boxes of stuff and clothes to Mom. She seemed rather happy to see her big recliner and plopped right down into it.

I took Monday off. Wow, did that feel good. Went to Prescott with Berta to thrift stores (I really needed that fix) and a few groceries because it’s time to stock up.

Today I packed the 5th-wheel, inside and out and tomorrow I roll as far as Flagstaff 3-4 hours away. Then Thursday to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Yippee!!! I’ll be HOME! And I get to see my sweetie.

Unfortunately, Qwest strikes again and tells me there’s no DSL left on the North Rim. WTF!!!! I’ll be working on that.

Made it to Arizona

Trust me, if I could drive that fast to get out of Texas I would. But instead I go 60-65mph.

Yippee!

It’s prettier already.

The 358-mile drive seemed very long, hot and windy, but I crossed the border.

And made it all the way to Benson. Home tomorrow and praying for a tail wind.

My brain is still on Texas time as I write this. Maybe I’ll be better in the morning.

SWF – A venue for kettling

Turkey vultures are masters at soaring flight. Along a lonely western Texas highway I saw a venue of turkey vultures kettling over some road kill. Their keen sense of smell draws them in to the carrion.

Further down the road a whole other look at feathers in the sky.

To view more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here. Thanks meme team.

A group of vultures is called a venue and the circling in the sky is kettling.

Road trip through West Texas

Day two on the journey home.

Oscar waited patiently…

…while I strolled around the Hidden Valley RV Park in Del Rio, Texas taking photos.

If it seems like a reverse of the trip south almost two months ago, it is.

Back through the inspection stations.

Across the Pecos River.

Past vast landscapes, ranches from the past and present.

Then finally the hills of northwest Texas…

…and evidence of recent fire just outside Alpine.

Today’s long journey took me 312 miles to Van Horn, Texas. Hoping to cross the Arizona border tomorrow.

On my way Home

Nothing much left at Mom’s house except the mess, which someone else gets to clean up. The sale was Very successful. Most of the furniture sold on Friday and we dollared them to death on Saturday. There wasn’t enough left to open on Sunday so Auntie Kay and I went to breakfast.

Monday morning, after an oil change for the truck, I picked up the 6x12’ U-Haul trailer. Then with much help loaded what I’m taking to Arizona, some to Mom and some for me.

Tuesday morning I hit the road north through some pretty desolate oil and ranch country. Sure are a lot of fancy gates into these vast landscapes.

Made it 375 miles to a Del Rio, Texas RV Park. Hoping to get to Van Horn today. Takes SO long to get out of Texas.

MWT – The Gift of Memories

Packing has been a long and stressful time for Mom and I interspersed with many stories.

This nursing rocker previously belonged to my Great Aunt Effie. I remember as a child visiting her resort with cabins on a small lake. Her big house had several rocking chairs. The chair had been covered with so many coats of paint that the carving was barely visible. Mom slowly scrapped the multiple layers of paint off the intricate carvings and lattice. She used to be able to do many things, a creative and imaginative womyn. Mom is giving this long time coveted chair to me and it will have a home in my new 5th-wheel. Continuing to bring me memories.

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I find out today if the movers are coming Tuesday or Wednesday. Don't know if I'll be posting or reading much in the next many days. We fly to Arizona Thursday morning. And I'll be able to sleep in my own bed that night. Yippee!

SWF – Birds of a feather

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

…flock together.

White-throated Swifts

Birding has been my salvation while here in South Texas.

To see more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

One of only two whistling-duck species native to North America.

Formerly known as the Black-bellied Tree Duck they nest primarily in natural cavities in trees. Their monogamous pair-bonding is unique among ducks with both parents sharing with the raising of young. Ducklings leap from nest cavities within two days of hatching and can feed themselves immediately on plant material and bugs.

They look like no other duck with their pink feet, long red bill, pale grey head, mostly grey-brown plumage, black belly and tail, thin but distinct white eye-ring, and chestnut brown on the back of the neck. The distinctive white wing patch is most obvious in flight. Males and females look alike and juveniles are similar but have a grey bill and less contrasting belly.

As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear whistling waa-chooo call. I can always hear them coming and usually in large flocks.

Sweet tweet

While sitting outside under Mom’s carport having a cig (yes, I’m smoking again, too much stress down here) I spotted two Harris’ sparrows (I think) making a nest in the gutter. I only had my phone to take photos and this before I learned not to zoom with it.

Both the male and female were sitting on the swirl, one on top and the other inside. But do you think I could catch that, no.

Yet I thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed their antics as they build a home.

Including the male’s rope dance.

SWF – Black-bellied Whistling ducks

These crazy ducks also perch on high wires, which I haven’t seen yet.

Sorry for the poor quality photos. Just learned that the phone camera doesn’t zoom very well.

To view more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.