931 March 22, 2023 Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge
Last night the sun finally broke through making us hopeful for the day ahead.
It was chilly but sunny this morning as I walked loops in the campground.
We went for a ride to the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge. This was such a pretty place.
Long before we got to the end of the road we could hear and see the rushing water. There was a water authority officer sitting in his truck. He told us that Alamo Lake had been released yesterday and that the water here would continue to flow for several days. The road was closed. It was disappointing that our exploring came to such an abrupt end. The system of dams and levees is certainly being challenged with this huge influx of moisture. Snowmelt will also be an issue in the coming weeks.
Hawk.
Buckhorn cholla.
The ride out was just a nice.
This afternoon I rode my bike, again loops in the campground. The main road is too busy for walking or biking.
This evening we took a walk as the sun was going down.
The atmospheric river that is sitting off the west coast has brought havoc. Most of the state of California had been in a state of significant drought. The recent rains have improved that situation. This bounty of precipitation also brings floods, mudslides, rock slides, power outages, and downed trees. We have been spared all that because we have moved. We are only 3 ½ hours from Borrego Springs; creeping along and again in a holding pattern and deciding how long to stay. If we didn’t have plane reservations for April, we might have already gone east!
The rain started here early this morning and was steady until lunchtime. Tim walked in the rain, carrying an umbrella. I was not that loyal and I waited until the rain stopped before I went out.
This afternoon, we took a Jeep ride. We went across the Parker Dam.
We explored the backcountry road on the California side.
The skies were dramatic and threatening and the mountain scenery was stunning.
As we headed back to the main road, I spotted a group of four burros. We stopped to take pictures.
A mom headed toward us, her foal following closely, trying to nurse.
The burros did not appear to be afraid and continued to approach. It was time for us to leave.
We decided to travel along the California side of the river back toward Parker.
We crossed back into Arizona. The rain began again as we arrived home. We were glad to get outside and grab the best of the day.
We found this quote online today. Coddiwomple is an Irish word and it describes what we do quite accurately!
I took an easy walk in the campground, taking a few pictures as I went.
Crimson bottlebrush tree.
False bombardier beetle.
Cactus garden.
Tim and I both hiked the Wedge Hill Trail from the campground to the top of the ridge.
Can you see the blue bench on top? That was the goal.
The beavertail cacti have blossoms.
The yellow sundrops are blooming and the hillsides were covered.
Along the trail.
The view of the river from above.
We made it to the top…it wasn’t that hard.
Bufflehead ducks.
This afternoon we went into Lake Havasu City. We accomplished several missions. First, we went to the BLM Field Office. The guy there was able to help us download Avenza Maps, an app that has detailed maps of all the 4WD trails on all of the BLM land in 12 western states. I really like having hard maps as well but now there are fees to buy them so we will try this!
Second, we went to the bike shop and Tim was able to get his bike tire repaired. We also bought a couple of extra tubes!
Our third successful mission was to order a new side step for the Jeep. We will go back later this week to get it.
A bumper sticker today. We are looking forward to our trip this summer!
We are watching the weather and it looks like there is more messy stuff coming. Happy Spring!
We took our 4 mile walk along the river together this morning. It was a beautiful day.
After walking, we pulled out and headed north on California 95, leaving Blythe behind. We crossed the river at Agnes Wilson Road and drove on Arizona 95 to Parker. We stopped to get diesel fuel in the RV. We realized that we had successfully avoided having to fill the RV while we were in California! We filled with 60 gallons.
We drove another 15 minutes to River Island State Park. As soon as we left Parker, the landscape began to change. We rode among the mountains and red rocks.
As soon as we arrived at the park, I knew that I loved it. This is a beautiful park and we are excited to be someplace new.
Tim watched the NASCAR race and then we went for a walk in the campground. There are several hiking trails here but we had already taken a good walk today so we will save those for another day.
We went for a ride to explore the area. We started at Buckskin State Park where we could walk on the river’s edge.
I took my walk along the river. The cottonwood trees are really shedding today!
The sky is brilliant blue and gorgeous.
We are moving tomorrow and so we spent some time this afternoon doing some laundry, getting fresh water, and groceries. We are going to be at River Island State Park in Arizona for four days. We are not sure whether or not we will have WIFI or other services there so we will be prepared!
This evening, we went to the Blythe Fairgrounds for the Colorado River Fair. We started at the 4H auction. We watched young kids showing their prize goats, sheep, steer, and pigs.
We wandered through the midway and the rides
And games
And on to the exhibition hall where there was a beautiful display of quilts.
We had some bad Mexican food for dinner and then shared (kind of shared) some ice cream.
There were Farm Olympics. The competition began with a prayer and the National Anthem. Then there was a parade.
The first event was hay loading.
We watched hay squeeze and a potato race.
There was a tug of war with volunteers from the spectators.
This is small town America at its very best. As we watched these hardworking farmhands competing, it became clear that they are very skilled at operating this expensive equipment. The job they do is dangerous and strenuous and they are susceptible to the whims of the weather. What they do is based on science. Every job has its own special skillset and farming is a craft and is no exception.
I started the day with another walk along the river.
Red brome is an invasive grass here in California.
Cottonwood seeds are floating everywhere!
The storms last night were mainly to the north. California 95 was closed today because of washouts.
We packed the Jeep and went for a desert overnight. We took Midland Road and then followed the powerline road into the Big Maria Mountain Wilderness.
We hardly ever research an area before we set out, preferring to be surprised by what we find. Rarely, this might be a disadvantage; we might miss something. Usually, we find cool stuff which just adds to our adventure. We took a road that looked like it lead up into the mountains. We stopped short when the road became impassable.
We backtracked a short distance to find a level site. We found a place with a fire ring. It also looked like there had been some sort of structures here. We later found some tin cans; tuna cans, sardine cans and bean cans. We also found really thick clear glass and pieces of dishes in the wash below. We think that this might have been some sort of mining camp.
Tim’s videos.
The scenery was amazing and we both took walks and we both took lots of pictures. This portion of the desert is very stark and barren with very little vegetation but there is ample beauty here.
Tim took pictures from the top of a ridge. I couldn’t see it from our campsite but he was actually standing on the edge of a 50-foot drop-off into a wash. Can you see the Jeep in his picture.
The white bands in the mountains are white quartz.
I wish I knew more about geology. There were all kinds of rocks here. I thought this was particularly interesting. I downloaded a rock identifier app when we got back and learned that this was a piece of petrified wood.
Little barrel cactus.
We did the usual stuff…dinner and campfire and stargazing; all of it brings us joy every single time. We realized that we were out Jeeping in this area 2 years ago looking at all the cool places there were to camp. It was then that we decided to look into getting a rooftop tent…and a week later we had it installed. That was a decision that we have never regretted.
The sunset; gorgeous.
It was really windy most of the night but we were plenty warm enough. We woke to bright sunshine.
We decided to take the long way home. The road was really rocky and rough for miles.
Breakfast break after the pass.
Ahead we could see what looked like sandy roads.
Then we were in an area of sand dunes. The sand had drifted across the road and luckily there were tracks to follow.
Then we were back in scrubby desert and in a few of the washes there were flowers; desert lilies, sand verbena, desert primroses and desert dandelions. This was such a diverse and pretty ride. It took us more than 2 ½ hours to get back.
We were tired the rest of the day!
Tim took a short bike ride but I didn’t even have the energy for that!
We grilled dinner and then took a nice walk in the campground. Until tomorrow…
It was our intention to go out overnight but the forecast for today was for wind and rain. We have had a few drips and dribbles over the course of the day…enough that we were glad not to be getting everything wet.
I tried to take my morning walk. I didn’t want to go out to the ecological preserve in case the dogs were running. I decided to walk in the neighborhood. There was a gate standing open and two dogs barking and heading toward me. I turned around and a small but fierce chihuahua was chasing me and barking his fool little head off. I went back to the campground, resigned to walking loops. It was then that I saw the lady from yesterday with one of her border collies…the aggressive dog. I went to speak to her. Her dog was so off the hook that she had to put her in the RV in order to hear me. She agreed that her dogs should not have been off leash and was acutely aware that her dog had a tendency to be overprotective and threatening. She made her apologies and gave me her reassurances that the dogs would not be running freely again.
With that resolved, I went for a lovely walk along the river. Tim was going in as I was coming out.
Later, we both went to the laundromat. As we were waiting for the washers, we were working to plan the next phase of our trip. We looked at weather forecasts and decided that Death Valley National Park might be the warmest place to go. When we got to the website, we saw alerts about the road conditions in the park. Only the paved roads are currently passable. Summer flooding has destroyed many of the backcountry roads. We have seen the paved portion of the park several times…what to do…where to go???
We had light rain this afternoon and we rested and read.
We made mushroom and spinach omelets for our dinner.
Then, we began to try to make a plan again. We decided to stay here in Blythe for another couple of days. Next week we will go north a short distance to Lake Havasu and then, check the weather again and decide where to go after that!
I started the day with a long walk in the ecological preserve. I saw a coyote running across a grassy field and into the woods. As I returned, I saw the father owl sitting on a branch in the cottonwood tree, keeping watch over the mama and her nest.
Tim took his walk and then watched the NASCAR race.
We had packed the Jeep for an overnight adventure. We traveled just about 10 miles to a spot above the Palo Verde Diversion Dam. The mighty Colorado River is tamed by 15 dams along the main tributary. This is a small dam. From our campsite we could here the rush of water passing through.
Our site.
It was such a pleasant evening. There was no wind. There were plenty of birds to watch. Songbirds and hummingbirds flitted through the scruffy trees adjacent to the campsite. There were coots and other ducks floating on the river current.
There was a solitary white pelican.
We had our dinner.
At sunset, the coyotes began their concert. The sounds came from across the river. We heard them all night. With dusk came small swarms of mayflies. As the sky grew dark, tiny black bats flew about jerky and erratic feasting on the bugs.
We waited for the stars, finally glimmering and bright.
We slept with the tent door open, enjoying the mild temperatures.
This morning Tim awoke to the beginning of sunrise and took a picture from the tent.
I heard the click of the camera and we got up to watch the sun make its appearance.
We got back to the RV and unpacked.
I took a walk in the neighborhood and then feeling good continued on getting a good three miles done.
As I returned, Tim was just setting out. He had finished his stretching and strength training. In order to get to the ecological preserve you have to cross a large open and dusty field. An older couple had let their two border collies off leash and the dogs were running. As Tim approached one of the dogs charged at him snarling and growling with teeth bared. Tim was in fight or flight mode. He threw out his foot and the dog dodged him and backed off. In the meantime, the second dog had circled around behind him and was crouched low and posed to pounce. Tim kicked backward and connected with the dog. The two dogs then ran away. Tim was very angry. He is a dog guy and not easily intimidated but this was a scary episode. The couple stood there stupefied and gaping. They never apologized or even tried to call their dogs off. Tim yelled at them to learn to control their animals. How he went on to take his walk…I’m not quite sure. He was still upset when he got back. He was glad that I hadn’t gone to walk there. He knew that I would have been petrified and that I might have gotten bitten. I’m not sure I want to go and walk there again by myself. I will be looking for the pair of dogs before I go.
This afternoon, we drove across the border into Arizona to get gas for the Jeep. Gas prices there are $1.50 less per gallon! There are lots of other people coming from California with a similar idea. That gas station was crazy busy!
We went into Blythe. We washed the Jeep and got a few groceries. Then we went to Garcia’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant for a very early dinner.
This evening, I took a bike ride and then Tim and I went over to check on the owls.
It is so nice and mild. I was able to sleep with my window open for most of the night.
I began the day with a great walk in the ecological preserve. I was talking with my mom on the phone as I do most mornings. I had just hung up and was attempting to start my audiobook. 18 inches in front of me on the trail was this…
I backed away, my adrenaline coursing, my heart pounding. I didn’t see a rattle. The 4-foot snake was not in any hurry to move along. I saw a parallel dirt path and walked as far away as I could, my eyes on the snake. He stayed still and I was safe. Later research indicates that he was probably a harmless gopher snake…shew!
What a beautiful day to be flying!
Every time we have stayed here at Mayflower, there has been a pair of nesting great horned owls. The tree that they nested in last year fell over in a storm this summer. Owls don’t build their own nests but usually take a nest abandoned by another larger bird or sometimes a squirrels’ nest. They like to stay in the crotch of a tree. There was a ravens’ nest in the large cottonwood tree on the edge of the campground. The ravens were occupying their nest when the owls decided that they needed it. Apparently, a battle ensued…the owls won. The mama owl has been sitting for almost a week. This morning I caught sight of her tailfeathers.
Today, I spent 1 hour and 23 minutes on the phone with DISH TV to restore our service. I needed them to send a signal to our box and the only way to get that done was to be patient until I could get help. They have had a serious cybersecurity attack and things are a huge mess!
Later, we took the Jeep to Midland-Vidal Road and drove into the desert…always looking for campsites.
We went to town for a few things.
This evening after dinner, I took another walk. The owl was situated facing out in her nest. She knew I was there and eyed me suspiciously.
This is the magnificent cottonwood where the owls live.
