DESERT CAMPING.
Day 109 – Desert camping is interesting. We’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s mostly flat land with some hills in the distance. Talk about big skies! No towns of any size are visible. You can see 360 degrees around you. It’s just us and the other campers, no one else as far as you can see.
When you are camping, so much depends on who is camping near you. Even in this campground & the last one we were in, where there’s plenty of space between campsites, one bad apple can spoil everything. It’s been quite a while since we had any bad apples, thank goodness. Here, people are far enough apart that you barely hear them. People walk by occasionally, with or without their dogs, no cats yet but a man did walk by with cats in a wheeled carriage at one campground. Everyone is friendly but not intrusive. People that do talk to you often have a story to tell. All is good.
Today was very windy, from last night throughout most of the day, with some strong gusts. For several days the temperatures have been ranging in the 40’s at night to low 70’s during the day. Quite pleasant, except for today’s wind. When there are no clouds, the sun is quite hot as there is nothing around to deflect it. Alot of people here have put up screened tents.
The ground is gravel, dirt, and sand. Dust can kick up. No serious dust storms yet. At this campground there are not many cactus; at the last one, West Pinal Park, there were lots. This campground has more bushes and scrub brush. In all the desert areas we have camped, dry washes run through – signs that at times rain/flash flood waters can run by. It hasn’t been the right time of year for many flowering plants or bushes, just occasionally.
We have not seen that many birds here, or recently; maybe there isn’t that much for them to eat? We did have a hummingbird visit our campsite yesterday, checking out tail lights and anything else “red” that it could find. There are plenty of holes in the ground, all over the place. Something has been digging them. Supposedly there are snakes, we look out for them. We’ve heard they are hibernating, but it’s not that cold! Supposedly there could be a bobcat, coyotes, or mountain lions – haven’t seen or heard them either. We look for lizards, too, but only saw one at the last campground that peaked its head out of a hole occasionally. Rob saw a large rabbit at that campground, also. Mostly, it’s just quiet & still, and a time of peace & contemplation.
