Bird list updated: Check out blog "By Special Request"

Fellow birders, check it out:  I've updated the new (this year or lifetime) bird sightings by locale.

Until next time,
Pam

A Grand Adventure

Sunday, March 27

We arose early to start what promised to be a long drive, the first of many on the way home through the west and central U.S. However, since we'd driven all this way, we couldn't just leave without driving to Portal, AZ where the birding is said to be outstanding, especially for hummingbirds. Of course, the fastest way, no let me correct that – the most direct way - to Portal is over the Chiricahuas rather than around the mountains or “sky island.” Last night we camped on the west side of the range and Portal is located on the east, at the “portal” to Cave Creek Canyon, hence the name. Getting there? No problem. Just a small issue of unpaved, unmaintained forest service roads. What's that to Duffy, the adventurer? (Picture Lucy and Desi with their long, long trailer in the movie classic of the 1950s. Thank goodness we were pulling the short, cute and cozy Baby Beluga.)

Certainly there would be birds along the rough, washboard, one-lane road. That's mainly why we chose the route. The harsh reality of being between birding seasons began to hit when we either saw the same birds we've seen everywhere or no birds at all. Now, I don't mean to say that we're bored of seeing birds that excited us on our first sighting of them. It's just that there's so many more species to see. And, we're hungry to add to our annual and lifetime lists. Well, we saw a few birds, but not many. Perhaps the time of day was not prime. The forest was very still. About giving up sighting anything, we startled three white-tail deer by a stream. We'd hoped to encounter a ringtail (cat) or coati-mundi that inhabit these parts, but that was not to be. At the summit, we paused to take photos of the valleys to the west and east of this range, part of the Coronado National Forest.

When I say it was still, I mean nothing and no one else was on the road. Could it be that no one has ever driven the road and no one will again? That we're the only ones silly enough to brave the rugged and narrow terrain pulling a trailer no less? Of course, someone has driven it if only to build it. And, surprisingly, there were road signs all along, unlike forest service roads in Washington. Well, we're both here to tell you that we made it across that 25-30 miles of road driving in first gear at 10 miles per hour all the way in under four hours. We were so eager to come down off the mountain, which rose from 5,000 feet on the west to 8,000 feet at the summit and back down again, that we missed Portal. Now, to say that Portal is a metropolis would be to mislead. We did see the Portal Cafe, but did not know that this was pretty much the town. (Fellow campers had told Duffy Portal was a “cute little town,” so he expected more.) A few homes and, can you believe it, a post office, is all that was there, with other homes and ranches dotted around the countryside. I mailed post cards from Portal, so if they never get delivered, I guess I'll know why – maybe mail is only picked up and delivered here once a week, or month, or quarter. Hey, Henry, the bear had a great time; he appears in a number of photos taken on this adventurous ride. So, if post cards aren't received, we've got pictures to prove we were in Portal.

Back to my story. We actually turned around after passing this little speck on the map, because we were so eager to see the hummingbirds for which Portal is known. Again, the reality of between-birding-seasons hit - no hummingbirds, but we did see oodles of pine siskins, acorn woodpeckers, and sparrows of unidentifiable markings, better known as LGBs or LBBs (Little Gray or Brown Birds). Of course, it helped that the operators of the Portal Cafe have nearly a dozen bird feeders hanging outside by the picnic tables.

Next stop, somewhere southeast of Albuquerque. Well, maybe not. Too much time spent crawling across the mountain. All along our trek I could envision wagon trains setting out for new horizons, breaking new ground, fording streams, breaking down, building roads.  My imagination was obviously going wild.  The road we were on was much better than the ones the pioneers experienced. Our trek across the pass took up enough time that our drive for the day ended at...well - Deming, just a few miles over the state line in New Mexico. We can hardly call it progress. Besides we lost two hours when we passed into New Mexico. Arizona is on Standard Mountain Time and New Mexico is on Central Daylight Time. The day was pretty much over right after lunch at Portal in Arizona.

An aside: On the way to the RV park, where we stayed in Deming, we stopped for groceries. Duffy shopped while I stayed in the van typing this blog. (He was sure gone a long time. I think he was sleepwalking all around the store trying to remember what he was looking for.) While I waited, a dark pick-up truck drove alongside; the passenger motioned for me to roll down my window. It turned out the folks are Casita owners from Maryland, traveling the country from corner to corner, coast to coast over a period of six months. We've made new friends, Bonnie and Billy, and are camped near them tonight in the Little Vineyard RV Park, Deming. Part of the fun of traveling.  They are golfer, fisherman (he) and flower-presser (she); we are birders - no fishing poles along this trip.  She, too, blogs while her husband drives and keeps track of expenses on their laptop like I do.  Small coincidences, small world.

Until next time,

Pam

Spelunking in Kartchner Caverns – tourist style

Saturday, March 26

Having bought tickets to tour the smaller of the two caverns here at Kartchner the day we arrived, once again I arose early for our 9:20 tour. The ranger recommended getting to the Discovery Center about an hour early, so that's what we did. Pat on the back for Pam.

We have been nothing short of amazed at the design and construction of both the discovery center and the concrete, easy-access paths into the mine. First we rode a small tram car to the entry point from the Discovery Center, then we entered three sets of what looked like vault doors, and did not pass through the next until the entire group had come through the one door behind and which was closed before opening the next. It was like visiting a butterfly exhibit at a zoo: two sets of doors ensure no butterflies escape. The reason for these doors in the caverns were to keep contaminating pollutants out that might threaten the ecosystem of calcite formations and the animals and organisms that thrive among them. While it's nearly impossible to keep from carrying contaminates in on our clothing, shedding hear and skin cells, or rubbing up against the rocks in tight spaces, the rangers and maintenance crews do their best. While on the tour, any tourist who brushes against or touches a rock or formation is instructed to tell one of the ranger guides who then marks the spot with a red flag. At the end of each day, crews enter the caverns and hose down the walkways and the areas inadvertently touched, washing away contaminates down and out through plumbing installed in the system of walkways and curbs. We couldn't imagine how much such preparation and protection must have cost, and wonder if the preservation of these caverns was a public-private cooperative project.

The engineers who designed and the workers who built the paths, did what was thought impossible, in fact what they were told could only happen in their imaginations: Bucket by bucket of concrete were carried in and poured to create level walkways and curbs with railings throughout. Because they were told it would be impossible to build in such a space, the pathways have been dubbed “imaginary pathways.” Much of the caverns are off limits to preserve what nature has been creating with the help of water over an estimated 200,000 years. I've been to Carlsbad Caverns years ago as a child, and Duffy visited Mammoth Caves in Kentucky during boot camp in 1967, but neither of us has seen such care taken to preserve and protect a natural resource. The lighting is low and controlled by buttons in control boxes along the tour route operated by the ranger guides as the tour group moves along. As we moved to a new area, the depressed control button dimmed (turned off) the lights behind us and gradually turned on the lights before us. In each instance, lights had been placed strategically among the formations to softly highlight various shapes, or to give soft illumination to the the entire area being viewed. Often, the ranger guides use flashlights to illuminate a particular formation, such as soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, drapery, flowstone and bacon, to name but a few. Kartchner Caverns boasts the tallest column in all of Arizona and one of the longest “soda straws” in the world at over 21 feet long. The area where Kubla Khan, the tallest column so named by the discoverers, included benches for viewing as soft music played and programmed lights came on to illuminate a particular formation. Incredible design and planning.

Have I enticed you to visit yet? Go to Arizona Parks' website at www.azstateparks.com and select Kartchner Caverns.

Since we toured the cavern in the morning, we decided to stay over another night. What we did not plan on was the popularity of the caverns on weekends, even in the spring. The past three weeks have been spring break for school kids in Utah and Arizona, which we've evidenced by the presence of more families in campgrounds. Thus, whatever the reason, the state park's campground was full for the weekend and we needed to move on. Getting our priorities straight, Duffy prepped for travel while I toured the gift shop. (Sometimes it's easier to buy postcards than to take pictures, especially where cameras are not allowed, such as in the caverns or where the landmarks are located along hiking trails that we're not taking, such as in the Chiricahua National Monument, our new destination. And, don't you know, it takes a long time to choose just the right post cards, so much time that the trailer prepping was almost done when I returned to camp. Is my timing exquisite or what?)

It was about 4pm when we arrived at the Chiricahua National Monument, another unexpected surprise. I can't tell you how happy we are to have a National Parks Senior Pass. Entry was free and the campground cost us a mere $6, that's half the normal $12 – a bargain in anyone's book. This campground, Bonita Canyon Campground, was built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) during WWII. As such, it was built for tent camping at the time with short “driveways” for the campers to park their sedans. We got the last semi-level spot (level trailer pads weren't required in the '40s and level tent pads were provided in most sites in areas inaccessible to vehicles).

Chiricahua National Monument in the Chiricahua Mountains is another one of the “sky islands” rising up out of the valley floor, a result of volcanic activity thousands of years ago, 1,000 times greater than Mt. St. Helens. The result? Vertical rhyolite columns rising above the tree-blanketed hills. Beautiful. The canyon is narrow with rocky views on either side. Certainly not what we expected.

After setting up and unhooking our trailer (easy with no hookups, just a leveling act), we drove up the canyon to the end of the road at Masai Point. From here, braving the buffeting wind, we could see the valleys below on both sides, Sulphur Hills Valley to the west and the desert of southeastern New Mexico to the east toward Deming and Las Cruces. After dinner and a nap for Duffy, we attended the ranger talk and slide show in the amphitheater for some stunning photos of flora and fauna that inhabit the monument and rock formations with descriptive and colorful names. Very well done.

Well, time to turn in for the night.

Until next time,

Pam

Exploring the old west

Friday, March 25

I'm not much of an early riser unless I need to be, and even then it's a push. So, deciding to eat breakfast out, we drove to Denny's in Sierra Vista where we knew breakfast is served all day.

From there we drove to Tombstone, AZ, home of many legendary stories of the old west, and the subject of many Hollywood movies: Gunfight at the OK Corral, Tombstone, and others. Nicknamed “The Town Too Tough To Die,” the only reason Tombstone seems to survive today is because of its history and tourism. We watched the Historama, a multi-media presentation narrated by actor Vincent Price (undoubtedly made many years ago) in a building next to the OK Corral where Wyatt Earp and his brothers along with “Doc” Holladay shot it out with the Clantons in a form of vigilante justice back in 1885 or so. Electing not to watch the gunfight re-enactment, we did tour the museum, looking at the old saddles, buggies and buckboards of the day. A blacksmith shop was open with a smithy raised on an Idaho ranch making various items of iron for tourists. While I watched, the smithy finished up a “Rockin' L” brand for a woman from Oregon. Each brand he makes gets burned into the wood-paneled wall before delivery to the buyer.

Our next stop in Tombstone was at the Tombstone Epitaph, the town newspaper, still in production quarterly and offered by subscription for anyone wanting to be kept apprised of news from the Old West. We toured the print museum housed in the same building and collected our two complementary copies of the Epitaph. Shirts for sale were imprinted with the phrase: “Tombstone, where before breakfast everyone reads their own epitaph.”

From Tombstone we drove the 25 or so miles S to Bisbee, another surprise discovery for us. I only knew this town as the other home of mystery author J.A. Jance. What I didn't know was that Bisbee was the home of the Copper Queen Mine and is built in a canyon sitting, if not literally then figuratively, above the mine itself. Time only allowed us to tour the mining museum and briefly at that. Next to Tombstone, Bisbee looks like a boom town, although much of its commerce is based on tourism as well. The mine is no longer in production. But, in it's heyday, over two million pounds and a billion dollars worth of around 320 different minerals were taken from the mines beneath Bisbee and the Copper Queen Mine. Among them of course were copper, as well as silver and gold.

A stop at a landmark is never complete without a visit to the gift shop, and that's where we met a young woman who shared that one of the minerals removed from the mines around Bisbee is named after her father who worked the mines. It's called Graemite (Gaelic spelling of Graham), and was determined by those who make such decisions to be a new mineral, never before seen.

It was a great day of discovery and diversion. I love watching birds, as does Duffy, and we both enjoy exploring history. Tomorrow morning will be filled with much older history than either Tombstone or Bisbee.

Until next time,

Pam

Excitement of the day: Ft. Huachuca Gobblers

Thursday, March 24

Our bird sighting identification conversations go something like this:

• Duffy:   “See that bird over there?”
• Pam:      “Which one?”
• Duffy:   “The one up there on the branch.”
• Pam:      “I see it.”
• Duffy:   “It has a white eyebrow and a light yellow belly.”
• Pam:      “It has a black cap, but it's more buffy- or olive-colored than yellow.
• Duffy:   “And, it's got a long tail.”
• Pam:      “The tail looks short to me.”
• Duffy:   “No, the tail is long, and its belly is definitely yellow. Can you see the shape of the bill?”
• Pam:      “Yes, it's short and thin.”
• Duffy:   “It looks like a finch bill to me – heavy.”
• Pam:      “No, it's thin. And, I don't see any definite yellow on the belly.”
• Duffy:   “Rats, it flew away.”
• Pam:      “No, it's still there.”
• Duffy:   “Are you looking at the same bird I am?”
• Pam:      “I'm looking at the bird on the branch at the tippy-top of the tree.”
• Duffy:   “Mine was on the right side of the tree, down lower. I don't think we were describing the same bird.”

This seems to be a daily occurrence, but not with these big birds in Huachuca Canyon on Ft. Huachuca U.S. Army base. After getting clearance to enter the fort for birding (an easier process than at Ft. Lewis in WA), we drove to Garden Canyon. Seeing signs for No Admittance – High Fire Danger, we backtracked and drove to Huachuca Canyon.

We saw the same signs at Huachuca Canyon that we saw at Garden Canyon.  This time Duffy called the MP's number we'd been given, and learned both canyons were accessible, the covers had been removed.  So, after a short drive to the end at the creek's widest point along the road, we disturbed a herd of white-tail deer, many of which were young and smaller than the others. Even though we spooked them when we parked the van and got out to look for birds (this is supposed to be a great place for birders), the deer only moved off a short distance up the hill.

Then, without warning we heard commotion from up the hill on the opposite side of the creek from where we were parked. Eventually, we could see a flock of males and females approaching the bottom of the hill and the creek. All but one of the males, about six in all, came down first and gathered on the flat concrete picnic area strutting their stuff, tail feathers broadly displayed to attract the hens. These males seemed to be huddling in discussion, standing tall with bright blue heads and red wattles, tails open and upright just like a peacock during breeding season. Once the hens arrived almost to the bottom of the hill – there must have been more than 20 in the flock – two of them - delivering a quick shot of the foot at the nearest “tom,” kicking him smartly. Nothing deterred the two rivals. We just stood in amazement with binoculars and camera watching the show. The jousting males were oblivious to our presence and at one point worked their way to within 20-30 feet of our van. I caught much of it on video. It became the highlight of the day, and much unexpected.

What we expected to see in the two canyons didn't materialize for the most part. We're beginning to realize that we arrived in SE AZ in between seasons: too late for the winter and migrating birds, too late for the spring birds. That's not to say we aren't enjoying what we see. Beautiful weather, beautiful and varied scenery, much like Cuyamaca or Pine Valley in San Diego County – memories from our past as kids.

After a quick stop in Sierra Vista for supplies, we headed back to the Kartchner Caverns State Park campground for the night. Tomorrow will be a change of pace.

Until next time,

Pam

Goodbye Tucson, Hello Benson, AZ and Kartchner Caverns State Park

Wednesday, March 23

First things first. While packing up, disconnecting, battening down all the hatches for our trip to SE Arizona, Duffy found his Swiss Army Knife. It was right where I always say my lost things are, right where he left it (only my lost things are right generally where I left them). Hallelujah, we're not losing our marbles, or if we are we're, losing them while we're fully equipped!

Up and at 'em bright and early, or at least as early as I can be on a day when I'm not trying to get up at o'dark-thirty and leave by six in the morning. We did pull out of the campsite before 11am, when check out time is supposed to be (2pm at the latest is allowed). We made a couple of side trips, including Safeway to get some last minute supplies and our cup of Starbucks. After dillydallying around for long enough in Tucson and environs, we got on the road for the long, long trip of 70 miles to Benson, Arizona and the Kartchner Caverns.

Arriving at about 4pm, we lucked out in finding a campsite among the six that are still available. We didn't know much about these caverns until we read a brochure on the southeast area of Arizona. Discovered in 1974 by two young spelunkers on a couple's ranch (their explorations over a long period of time unbeknownst to the rancher-owners) the land was explored and the caves opened in 1978 or later. Now there is a beautiful state park and visitor center here with lovely cactus gardens surrounding the building. The caves are supposed to be quite remarkable, colorful, and filled with many and varied formations created over tens of thousands of years or more. Evidence of a prehistoric, giant ground sloth has been found in the caves among other creature's having once inhabited this once inland sea. With luck we'll be able to tour the caves before we leave the area. Our plan is to stay here until Sunday, when we plan to do a bit of birding in the Chiracahua Mountains east of here on our way to New Mexico.

Tonight, we're being lazy. Reading and writing this blog. Tomorrow we'll go on the hunt for bird species living in these parts.

Until next time,

Pam

Rain-washed and ready to go to Madera Canyon

Tuesday, March 22

I misplaced my car and trailer keys, together on the ring with the electronic door opener for the van. Feeling a bit lost without them, and after checking with the campground host and the park entrance station, I set out for the day saying a little prayer for them to turn up with Duffy's spare key fob in my bag. Story of our lives – lost sunglasses, Duffy's misplaced Swiss Army Knife (unseen for several days now), and now lost or misplaced keys. Senior moments, aarrggh!

Madera Canyon, south of Green Valley (south of Tucson) is a favorite spot for birders. It's about three miles up a climbing canyon that ends at about 5,000 feet above sea level. This is where I chanced to see an Elegant Trogon two years ago, a parrot-sized, colorful bird I'd never heard of before that last visit. No Trogons this year. Not too many other birds, but we did see a few new ones for the year, and new for us (check out our bird list prior to the March 3^rd blog if you're interested).

At the top of the canyon, there is a picnic ground and trails that lead to Mt. Wilkerson and Mt. Baldy. We did not take either of these to their destinations, but did walk a short distance up one of them. Duffy's knee (the one he had arthroscopic surgery on last November) still bothers him due to ongoing degenerative arthritis. Luckily, in this canyon one does not need to walk far to see, and hear, bird life. Easier to hear than see due to all the scrub oaks and drought resistant “trees” at this altitude. Madera Canyon boasts several bed & breakfast lodgings, each one with multiple bird feeders hanging around. You may call this cheating, but it's not really. Why not invite the migrating birds in for a bite to eat, while providing front row bench seating for onlookers?

Our greatest finds, and new to us, in the canyon were the Painted Redstart (oh my!) and the Mexican Jay – blue yet bigger and stockier than a Western Scrub Jay. I also saw a Bridled Titmouse, a little black-and-white bird with a black and white masked-face and a black crest. We saw this little bird, the size of a nuthatch or chickadee, the last time we were in southern Arizona, and don't mind seeing them again and again.

On the way home, we stopped at the Tohono O'odham casino for a short penny slot tournament between the two of us (we lost 35-cents), then drove back to camp for the night. We don't spend much time in camp – there's too much to see and do in this part of the country. Tomorrow morning we leave Tucson with a long list of unseen sights for our next trip.

We called Brett after 9pm. I told him about my keys and asked him to think good thoughts for me to find them before leaving Tucson. After hanging up, I searched one more place in the trailer. Lo and behold, there they were behind the seat cushion that makes the “mattress” for my bed. Naturally, I called Brett right back to thank him. It had to be his good thoughts that located my keys. :)

Good night, Ahna. Happy Birthday. We love and miss you.  Henry misses you too.

Good night, Gloria. Happy Birthday.

Hope you both had wonderful days.

Until next time,

Pam

Rockin' 'n' Rollin' all night long

Monday, March 21

We made this an administrative / housekeeping day due to the weather report. Tucson is in the midst of a long several-year drought and rain is forecast for today. It's hard to tell if any rain here in the desert will materialize or just evaporate before hitting the ground. The wind blew all night long (those of you who remember the rock 'n roll, bee-bop hit of way back when - “Rockin' Robin” - that's not the name of this tune. More like Rockin' Beluga. Gusty winds rocked us and blew through our open-just-a-crack windows, but Baby Beluga stayed put on her tires and leveling points. At times throughout the night, I could hear the sides suck in, then out, like the wolf did in “The Three Little Pigs” or as the story goes down here, “The Three Little Javelinas.”

The morning dawned gray with ominous clouds and windy. It seemed that nary a bird was flying except those catching wild thermals in the sky. A good day for doing laundry, catching up on the books (Duffy for Kurt's business) at the at the new and local library in Oro Valley near Catalina State Park in north-east Tucson, and shopping for gluten free food for me at the conveniently situated Whole Foods and Sprouts grocery stores. (There's a Trader Joe's in the near vicinity, too.)

Tired and hungry – the general state of things for us at the end of a day – we stepped into our trailer before the rain began. Yes, amazingly, it rained! Not enough to create a gully-washer, but enough to freshen the too dry desert plants, cacti, and shrubs. It even rained enough for us to hear the pitter-patter of raindrops on the Casita roof, but not enough for Brett to hear them many miles away in Alaska over our evening cell phone connection. Though we're not yearning for rain just yet, familiar sounds like raindrops make for a sound night's sleep.

Until next time,

Pam

A Change of Pace

Sunday, March 20

Some days we travel over 200 miles from one campsite to another driving from town to town or state to state. Today we drove that distance to Peoria, AZ and back to watch the Seattle Mariners beat the San Diego Padres 4-1. Thus, the journey was not for naught. Woo-hoo – eat your heart out, brother Skip!  (He and I have a friendly little rivalry going since the Padres are his team.)

The game was well into the third inning when we arrived, but our tickets were waiting at Will Call, so we had seats waiting for us. We might have arrived earlier, except our GPS, “Miss Nuvi,” chose a round-about, through-town route for us to follow. It's always nice to have “someone” else to blame, even if it is an inanimate object such as a satellite in the sky.

Sweet Tomatoes has become our restaurant of choice for healthy salads and gluten free options. We found one just one mile from the Peoria Stadium and fueled up before the long drive back to camp. Trays and plates in hand, ready to begin grazing the salad bar, a young male employee wheeled a cart filled with open-lidded five-gallon buckets of ades and refreshing drinks through the nearby service door. Trying to make way for us, the bucket of lemonade fell from the cart and flooded the floor of the entry with sticky, clear liquid. Guess who got a sticky shower from the knees down? Yes, that's right. It was us. He was so embarrassed and we were very forgiving. Well, to a point. I did ask for free drinks since we were wearing and slogging in the icky, sticky stuff. And they gladly obliged (actually I think the cashier and other employees were relieved we were not angry, demanding a heavier restitution).

I drove home, and here I sit updating the blog before hitting the hay. Tomorrow will again be an “admin” day. We'll do laundry, bookkeeping, make a few minor repairs, and so forth. A lazier day than the today and yesterday.

Until next time,

Pam

I did it!

Saturday, March 19

Those of you who know me well, know how hard it is for me to get up early in the morning and to get places on time. Well, I...did...both! I arose at 5am to my cell phone alarm and got on the road at precisely our target time of 6am. We cheered when we arrived early for the guided bird walk at Arivaca Ciénega (marsh), a part of the Buenos Aires NWR (BANWR). I suggested Duffy remember my victory for posterity, and while he promised, I guess this blog is the closest my being on time will be to a record in history.

We walked around the wash for over two hours and saw both familiar and new species of birds. All in all, it was a successful morning. One guide and another volunteer accompanied us. Someone tell me – how is it that these guides can identify a bird through binoculars, when I can barely see them through mine; how they can so confidently recognize bird songs and know the owner of the song is around the next bend (and sure enough, yep, there it is); and how they can be so sure of what they are seeing even when colors are muted against the sky. I'm sure it's experience tested in the fields over many days, months, and years. I'm just having a hard time imagining ever being able to tell all the LBBs and LGBs apart. (That's bird-speak for “little brown birds” and “little gray birds.”)

From the wash, we drove the additional miles to the NWR Visitor's Center on the west and opposite side of the refuge. On the way in we saw a Loggerhead Shrike, a beautiful black and white bird that we saw once or twice before in our campground in years past. However, we learned that this bird is on the endangered species list as of late and the few remaining are primarily within the BANWR.

It was quite pleasant to sit on the bench outside the visitor's center and watch the sparrows coming to the fountain to drink. Still, no matter how long we looked, described for one another, checked our resources, and compared notes, we still could not identify these little birds. The closest I could come was Grasshopper Sparrow, which does occur here, but I was not confident enough in my assessment to log it in our birding journal. Duffy did see his first Green-Tailed Towhee in this courtyard, however, enabling him to put that bird on his life list at last.

From the visitor's center we drove the short distance over graded dirt roads to Aguirre Lake, a pond that, from what one other visitor shared, is a mystery as to why there is any water in it at all. The little lake was originally filled created as a watering hole for the cattle on this one-time cattle ranch. The Southern Arizona area has been experiencing a drought over the last three or more years, and many ponds, creeks and rivers are dry. Aguirre Lake, though, has water that attracts ducks and shore birds alike. We may be a little early for the migrants that frequent this pond, but we did see Shovelers, Killdeer, and possibly some Common Sandpipers.

Hungry and tired, we drove to the Casino of the Sun on the Pacua Yaqui Indian Reservation where we ate lunch. Too much cigarette smoke fogged the casino for us to stay even a short while for our usual penny tournament. Before we left the restaurant, we noticed our waiter left...walked out, and no one else came to our table to bring the check or replenish our drinks. So, initiating contact by standing up and walking to the cash register, we learned the waiter was sent home because he had pink eye. Hopefully, no diners that day contracted the ailment from him!

It took little persuasion for us to hit the pillows early. I do believe this was my best night's sleep in the trailer so far this trip. Exhaustion pays off!

Until next time,

Pam

Change of plans for the day

Friday, March 18

We got up this morning a little later than the last two days since we were not having to be ready to move when summoned. What a great feeling. And, this turned out to be a Vermillion Flycatcher morning around our campsite. They were present in threes and fours. Wow! What a gift!

The last time we were in Tucson and vicinity a couple of years ago, we saw only one of these bright little birds. They are black-backed with red heads, throats, and breasts. If you've never seen one, first imagine the brightest fire engine red you might ever see; that's what the throat and breast of this little bird looks like. Now, imagine that red even brighter and more stunning – that's what the head looks like, especially when the sun illuminates it. We wonder how these birds ever catch insects announcing their presence with such brilliance as they do.

After doing some housekeeping, we set off for the Tucson Audubon Society store, a birders' resource, before driving the 80 miles or so to Tubac and Tumacacori, historic sites southwest of here. However, we spent so much time at the Audubon store that we never made it to the two Ts. One of the things we wanted to look for was a spotting scope to better see birds that say put more than a minute or two. We found one, and after talking with a helpful young man, we purchased a scope and tripod that fit our needs.

We also found that birders vests would be helpful when we were on the bird walk Wednesday morning. You should have see me that day, laden down with my fanny pack (bum bag in the UK), “healthy back” bag for carrying bird book and water, camera and binoculars around my neck. Not to mention sunglasses on a neck strap. I can only imagine that trying to switch from one to the other or get in the bag for water was comical to watch. So, we decided to hunt for vests for each of us. The Audubon store didn't have much, so we drove to two other stores before finding what we wanted at REI-Tucson. Yea for REI.

The day was pretty much gone, so an early dinner at Sweet Tomatoes then a little birding and scope practice at Sweetwater Wetlands right in Tucson again filled the rest of our day. Now, tomorrow we'll be ready for Arivaca, a two hour drive SW of Tucson, where there is an Audubon-led bird walk beginning at 8:00am. So, it's up at 5:00am tomorrow to leave the campground by six. Needless to say, I'm wrapping up this episode of Pam & Duffy's Wanderings right now.

Until next time,

Pam

Campground Roulette - or - Human Migrants chasing Migrant Birds

March 17, 2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

The last three days have been a game of campsite roulette.  Either we came earlier to Tucson, Arizona (where we are now) in previous years or other snowbirds have discovered our favorite spot here:  Catalina State Park located NE of Tucson in Oro Valley.  It's at the base of the Catalina Mountains and Mt. Lemmon.  There's wonderful birding here, and more open space per campsite than in a typical RV park.

When we arrived on Tuesday at about 3:00p.m., the campgrounds were full and only overflow camping was available.  'Overflow' is near the group campsites and is a big dusty open space where the RVs are circled like so many wagons until 'dry' or 'electric/water' sites are available.  We were given a number indicating our place in line for a spot in one of the campgrounds.  Luckily, it's easy for us to disconnect the trailer from the van and reconnect again.  We disconnected so we could go to town to get some supper, not wanting to bother with cooking without water to clean up the dishes.  And, the next morning we needed to be ready early as the hosts anticipated 20+ rigs would be moved as campers vacated their sites in Campground A (dry & hook-ups) and Campground B (all electric/water hook-ups). 

As the next day was Wednesday, we elected to go on the park sponsored weekly bird walk - naturally! - and hope our number (15) hadn't been passed up, or that the overflow area hosts would indeed, as they said they would, give us first priority when we returned from birding.  The bird walk (with an experienced volunteer leader helping identify the birds we would see) lasted about three hours, and when we returned all the rigs in the overflow lot from the day before had been moved to a campsite in Loop A or B.  Our number had been passed up.

Now, you have to imagine what this process is like.  The overflow camping lot this time of year is a constant revolving of RVs.  They come, they stay overnight, they go and others come to replace them.  The hosts in overflow get no rest, and take a lot of heat unfortunately from unhappy campers.  In our view, there's no point in getting angry at the hosts; we were grateful for an overflow option. 

Our preference was to be assigned a campsite in Campground B (much nicer with larger, clean bathrooms with great showers).  The host in overflow told us we were next when we returned from the bird walk.  However, we are so small - our Casita 16' travel trailer is dwarfed by the big RVs - that the hosts in their flustered state with so many angry campers, completely forgot us and sent three or four other rigs to Campgrounds A or B when the call from the hosts in those loops came in - "Vacant spot, send over another RV."  Finally, I asked the host in Overflow when it would be our turn.  He was totally embarrassed to admit he and his wife both had forgotten us.  Right away with the next call from 'A' or 'B,' we were sent over. 

It turned out to be Campground A, a dry camping spot.  So, one more night we stayed without hookups until once again this morning we got "the call" to move to Campground B (whew!) to a spot with hook-ups.  Now we feel settled, but for a while there we felt like we were caught in a game of roulette, and I guess we kind of were.  Seems like we've lost a few days, plus we're not really sure what day it is as the web of campground roulette held us hostage until we were assigned a "permanent" spot.  We'll stay here four or five nights before we leave the Tucson area.

So, yesterday we took two bird walks, one at the campground in the morning and one at Sweetwater Wetlands, the city water reclamation area - a great place to see birds, but not too aromatic - in the evening.  Today, we set up camp, showered, got haircuts and called it an administrative and maintenance day. 

Tomorrow beckons - we'll hop in the van and go exploring. 

Until next time,
Pam

By special request - birds we have seen in our wanderings

New birds sighted this year to date (not necessarily new birds for us and not including ones we've already seen in and around Olympia in 2011); in the interest of space efficiency, I am only indicating the location where a bird was first seen on our trip, not every location:

So. Oregon – Acorn Woodpeckers

Paradise, CA – Lesser Goldfinch, California Towhee, Anna's Hummingbird, Golden-Crowned Sparrow, House Finch

Oroville, CA – Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Cedar Waxwing, Common Merganzer, Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Ord Bend Park (on the Sacramento River) – Black Phoebe, Western Bluebird, White-Crowned Sparrow

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa, CA – White-Fronted Goose, Cinnamon Teal, Dusky Flycatcher, White-Faced Ibis, Long-Billed Curlew, Black-Necked Stilt, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Sand Hill Crane

Desert Hot Springs, CA – Mourning Dove, Costa's Hummingbird, Great-Tailed Grackle

Rancho Bernardo Community Park and Lake Hodges, Rancho Bernardo, CA – Brewer's Blackbird, Audubon's Warbler (a species of Yellow-Rumped Warbler), Bushtit (we did see these at the end of our driveway at home for the first time earlier this year; must be migrants), Cassin's Kingbird, Says Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Meadowlark, Western Grebe

Buena Vista Lagoon, Oceanside, CA – Brown Pelican

Batiquitos Lagoon, Encinitas, CA – Willet, Green-Winged Teal, Marbled Godwit

Santee Lakes at Padre Dam, Santee, CA – Double-crested Cormorants, Wood Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, Pied-Billed Grebe, Ring-Necked Duck, Northern Shoveler, American Goldfinch, Great Blue Heron, Red-Winged Blackbird, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Nuttal's Woodpecker

Tijuana River Estuary, South San Diego Bay – Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Avocet in breeding plumage (whoo-hoo!), Kestrel

Borrego Springs, CA – Ferruginous Hawk

Wiest and Finney Lakes and Salton Sea, CA, (south end) – Burrowing Owls, Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, Caspian Tern, Rufous-Crowned Sparrow, White Pelican, Abert's Towhee, Roadrunner, Moorhen, Eurasian Collared Dove, American Avocets in winter plumage, Cattle Egrets, Gambel's Quail, House Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Golden Plover, Violet Green Swallow, Cinnamon Teal, Pintail Duck, Eared Grebe in winter plumage, Glaucous-Winged Gull, California Gull, Killdeer

Boulder City, NV – Verdin (whoo-hoo!)

Floyd R. Lamb State Park at Tule Springs, North Las Vegas, NV – Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Slate Colored Junco (a color variation of the Dark-Eyed Junco)

Zion National Park on the Colorado River – Common Mergansers (unexpected here)

Hwy 89A on the way to Marble Canyon, AZ – Mountain Bluebird

Black Canyon City, AZ north of Phoenix – Curve-Billed Thrasher

Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, AZ – Blue-Winged Teal

Catalina State Park, Tucson, AZ – Gila Woodpecker, Vermillion Flycacher, Cardinal, Black-Tailed Gnat Catcher, Pyrroloxia, Ladderback Woodpecker, Lesser Goldfinch, Canyon Towhee, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Cooper's Hawk, Common Yellow Throat (Warbler), Yellow Warbler,

Scott's Oriole (?)

Roger Road Water Treatment Plant & Ponds, Tucson, AZ – Harris Hawk

Sweetwater Wetlands (again) – Tucson, AZU – Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird (in display), Cactus Wren, Juvenile Spotted Sandpiper

Buenos Aires NWR, Arivaca, AZ – Orange-crowned Warbler, Black Vulture, Marsh Wren, Loggerhead Shrike (endangered), Cassin's Sparrow, Allen's Hummingbird

Madera Canyon, South of Green Valley, AZ – Painted Redstart (display behavior), Mexican Jay, Yellow-eyed Junco, Acorn Woodpecker, House Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Hepatic Tanager, Bridled Titmouse, Wild Turkey, Cassin's Kingbird (?), Juniper Titmouse (?)

Kartchner Caverns State Park, Benson, AZ – Black-throated Sparrow

Huachuca Canyon, Fort Huachuca Army Base, near Sierra Vista, AZ – mob of Wild Turkeys

Bisbee, Az – White-winged Dove

Highway 181, Chiricahua National Wildlife Refuge, Sunizona, AZ – Evening Grosbeak

Pinery Canyon Road, from Chiricahua NWR to Portal – Prairie Falcons, Botteri's Sparrow, Band-tailed Pigeons

Portal Cafe Bird Feeders, Portal, AZ – Pine Siskins

Other Critters Seen Throughout Our Travels – Coyotes, Bobcat, Mule Deer, Ground Squirrels, Jackrabbits, Bunnies, Deer (? - Madera Canyon), Stink Bugs (Beetles)

Driving day – we're heading south

Monday, March 14

Glenn Canyon in the morning sun – what a sight! Everywhere we looked there was color, color, and more color. We found ourselves camped on a promontory surrounded by ravines on two sides and the Colorado River flowing past the end. Tiny wildflowers of two varieties in purples; it's still early for wildflowers in the desert. Not many birds flying, but we did see House Finches and White-Crowned Sparrows, that were more brightly colored than sparrows of the same species we've seen elsewhere.

Somewhere I lost my sunglasses. I'm hoping they are in the van or trailer somewhere. After taking pictures and spying birds for a short while, we backtracked to the gas station and restaurant where we stopped the night before in hopes of finding my glasses. No luck. If I don't find them soon, I'll have to replace them. The sun and desert sand here in Arizona give off quite a glare. As I write, we're approaching Cameron, AZ where we hope to find a cafe for breakfast.

Yep, we found a great place for breakfast, but they were no longer serving by the time we arrived. And, since our stomachs were set for breakfast, we headed instead for Flagstaff. Found just what we wanted at Coco's, and by the time we finished it was nearly 1:30 in the afternoon. I offered to drive for a while, and really was needing some sunglasses. First stop was at a K-Mart, or at least what our GPS said was where a K-Mart should be. Nope. Only Kohls. I know they both start with a K, but they are not the same store. Next, our Nuvi GPS found Target, the store that has everything, right? Nope. The young man stocking the sunglasses told me Walgreens has them. When I asked where Walgreens was located, he pointed out the front door and said, “It's over there.” So much for directions.  I evidently passed Walgreens in my search for it, so irritated that something like finding a pair of wear-over-the-glasses-sunglasses could be so hard, I decided to drive south and forgot all about getting gas in the van - we were mighty low.  Lucky for me I found a gas station out of town on the way south.

Tonight we're staying in a KOA in Black Canyon City, Arizona just north of Phoenix. I'm glad we bought the Virgin Mobile USB WiFi connection for our laptop, because the free WiFi here at the park does not work – we must be beyond it's range at the far corner of the campground as we are. Saved by Virgin Mobile and Walmart (did I say that?).

Until next time,

Pam

Detour to Zion NP on way to Tucson – we couldn't resist!

Sunday, March 13

Up and out early. First stop Starbucks to get our motors running. We're in a little corner of Utah that is on Mountain and Daylight Savings Time. Hurray for Daylight Savings Time (DST)!! Later today we'll cross into Arizona, which is on Mountain Time, but does not change to DST. Nevada, where we were yesterday, is on Pacific and DST. How confusing. I don't think I'll bother to change my watch every time we switch time zones, ST, DST.

It's a beautiful morning in St. George and places east. Sunny, yet crisp. It's higher here, so the temperatures are a bit cooler than the lower desert. This is red rock country – my how we love the colors here. It really is a beautiful part of our country.

As I write, we're driving through Hurricane, UT. The last time we came through, about twenty years ago there was virtually nothing here. A community sprouted up out of the desert in our absence. And little St. George has grown in the past decade to about 85,000 - A real magnet in the southwest.

We're climbing to Zion – isn't there a hymn about Marching to Zion? I think we could reach out and touch the snow on the mountain peaks across the valley. If you've never been in this part of the country, it's other-worldly. I can only imagine the geologic upheavals that created such beauty. The road winds through vertical red and white rock formations of undulating hues through such landmarks as the “Court of the Patriarchs,” the “Great White Temple,” “Emerald Pools,” “The Grotto,” “Weeping Rock,” and at the end of the road the marvelous semi-circle of steep canyon walls dubbed “The Temple of Sinawava.” I cannot even describe the beauty here, except to say it was Sunday and this is where we praised God's unrivaled creation.

Stretch our legs we must – a hike to the Lower Emerald Pool up a narrow red-rock trail was a respite from driving we couldn't resist. The trail led up to the lower of three pools at the bast of the cascading waterfall. We slogged in our hiking shoes through sticky red mud on the trail that led behind the falling water and then curved back the way we'd come on the other side of the horseshoe-shaped canyon. We chose not to climb to the two upper pools, but instead took the fork in the trail that led down to The Grotto, a landmark (?) we never did find, but where picnickers laughed and played at the picnic grounds.

Okay, so we forfeited most of our driving day to nature. Crossing into Arizona, we weren't even close to pulling into a campground before dark (no DST in AZ remember). Instead, we pulled into Marble Canyon (after passing the outstanding Vermillion Cliffs at sundown) at about 7:30 pm. Luckily, there was a gas station, restaurant, and campground at Marble Canyon. After dinner at the Marble Canyon Restaurant, we wound our way down toward the river (Colorado) to Lee's Ferry Campground in the Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area. Little did we know in the dark the beauty that surrounded us when we set up the trailer. No utilities here, but all we needed was a place to sleep.

Until next time,

Pam

Las Vegas without the glitz and glamour!

Thursday March 10 (continued) through Saturday, March 12

Our decision to make the short drive to Las Vegas was determined by friendship. A long-time friend who lived in Washington for many years moved here last year to take a new job. Since we were in the area, it was an easy decision head north out of Laughlin instead of east to Phoenix. We'll get to Phoenix and Tucson, just in a round-about way.

Funnily enough, our friend and neighbor in Olympia came to Vegas to visit the same and another friend of his, so our first stop was in Boulder, NV to see Gene at the home where he was staying. After visiting for two hours or so, we made our way back to our campground for the night.

Friday was a free day for us, so first we took our laptop to the Geek Squad at Best Buy for diagnostic testing. Turned out to be too many programs wanting to run the show on startup. Whew, an easy fix. Now we can get back to business. I know, I know, some would say we're on vacation and not supposed to be working. But retired folks, you know, keep weird schedules. Next...catchup time for the laundry. And so it goes, just can't get away from routine chores.

Saturday morning found us up and at 'em early to make connections with our other friend in Vegas at a local park and natural springs. Visiting and birding are a wonderful combination, and we all enjoy birding. Sunshine, warmth, reconnection with friends, and birding thrown in – idyllic for us.

Leaving Las Vegas with no regrets – it was not a “feel good” place for us – we headed to St. George, UT to connect with another friend of many years that we last saw five years ago. Hungry by the time we pulled in, we met at a restaurant and caught up over a delicious meal. I confess it was hard to part, but we tore ourselves away and found our campground. Good place to catch up on the blog.

Until next time,

Pam

A Retirement Celebration with Pam's brother and Sis-in-law in Laughlin, NV

Sunday, March 6 through Thursday, March 10

We met Skip and Susan in Laughlin on Sunday evening. We parked our trailer and headed for a room at the Aquarius Hotel Casino. Rooms in Laughlin on weekdays are quite reasonable. Plus, with 2-for-1 coupons for breakfast and buffet, most days we did well on economizing. Well, as food goes the only economy was realized in our pocketbooks. Eating out encourages over-eating, and enticing menus tempt imprudent eating. Basically, we all need to diet after this fun week.

The highlights were spending time together - the four of us, shopping at the Laughlin Outlet Mall – Susan and me, a jet-boat trip down the Colorado River through Topock Gorge to Lake Havasu City – Susan and me, and lots and lots of laughter.

Picture this: After finishing a penny game of Monopoly on the slot machines, Susan fed her player's card back in to see how many points she had accumulated. (If you don't already know, it takes years and hours and hours of slot play to accumulate enough points to amount to anything.) It wasn't until the card's near disappearance into the slot machine that Susan realized that she had fed the card into the money slot instead of the slot for the player's card. Because she was wearing her playing card lanyard around her neck, the machine started to pull her in. Got the picture? Susan managed to extricate herself with a sharp tug after first making an expression I wish I'd caught on camera. Forgive me, Susan, for telling this tale, but it was just too good to pass up.

We did decide to purchase the 3g USB WiFi connector and card from Walmart. While Susan and I were jetting down the river to Havasu, Duffy tried to connect to the Internet. While the connection was a success, the quality of connection was not. It turned out to be our laptop that was having issues, so Duffy gave up the work he hoped to get done. Concerned about compromising Internet security, we chose to wait to use the laptop until it was checked out or repaired. After dinner on Wednesday, in an effort to determine whether or not the laptop was on the fritz because of the WiFi USB hub or not, I intended to take it to the Starbucks in the Aquarius Hotel where there was free WiFi. Wouldn't you know it, Starbucks was closed by 8pm. Did they know I was coming, or what? Another delay in WiFi progress. Rats!

On Thursday, we all went our separate ways, Skip & Susan back to San Diego (El Cajon really) and Duffy and me to Borrego Springs. Snowbirds are beginning to discover this gem in San Diego County, a desert rimmed by mountains, with Bakersfield to the west and the Salton Sea and Palm Springs to the east. Campsites with hookups were filled up, so we opted for a spot near the bathroom with no hookups. We're prepared for dark evenings with our headlamps, flashlights, and for me, my NookColor eReader I got for Christmas. It's backlit so I can read without need for lights. And, because it's evening when we arrived...

Until next time, Pam

Saturday, March 5

Salton Sea, a birding treasure trove

The Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge on the southeast end of the Salton Sea is a great place to see birds. Over 400 varieties of birds have been recorded across the seasons in the vicinity of this inland sea. We saw a tiny percentage of these and identified only a portion of those we saw.

Until next time,

Pam

Friday, March 4

Good luck finding this campground on the map!

Today we left Borrego Springs somewhat reluctantly – it was beautiful there. But, it was time to move on. California's Salton Sea was calling.

Duffy found a series of small lakes on the map in the Southern California Birding Guide we brought along. An Imperial County park and campground called Wiest Lake was the southern-most of the small lakes on the map. Actually finding it was a challenge. Even “Nuvi,” or “Miss Direction” as we refer to our GPS, couldn't find the park. After driving in circles for a while, we came upon little Wiest Lake.

Hardly anyone was in the park. The weather had warmed up to the low- to mid-80s, signaling the end of winter in the southwest, so maybe many snowbirds had gone home. The other campers included a couple from Salt Lake City, avid bicyclists both, the husband of which discovered the park while on a Bicycle Adventures ride from San Diego to Florida several years ago. Also in the park was a trailer with a U.S. Government plate that we were told was being used by a “coyote hunter” (of the four-legged variety) hired by the county. The government employee, we were told, sleeps all day and hunts at night...or whatever.

This small county park was neatly trimmed and managed by several maintenance employees and two rangers, incredible in these times of government layoffs and park closures. One of the rangers told Duffy they are very proud of their park, but do not advertise, which keeps the good campers coming back and the bad eggs out. I don't know how the campground is kept open with so few people coming through, except that everyday there were locals fishing the lake.

We tried setting up camp in a spot on the lower level of Wiest Lake Campground under a eucalyptus tree where the hookups were better aligned for our small trailer's electric, fresh water, gray and black water connections, but the gravel was so soft that the trailer slid backwards off it's blocks as we tried to disconnect. It was not easy to raise the trailer hitch high enough to get back on the van's ball hitch. Once we did, we chose to move up on the hill where the utilities were spaced for a very large RV. The best part about this choice was the great view of this pond-sized lake from this higher elevation, where the next morning we saw groups of white pelicans and double-crested cormorants – a real gift.

We learn all sorts of things from other campers. The bicyclists told us about a do-nut shop in Calpatria, the nearest small town, where the purchase of a cup of coffee came with a free do-nut selected from a wide variety of yummy looking goodies. Duffy really scored by getting to eat both his and mine - seventh heaven. We also learned from the “bicycle couple” about a portable WiFi hub in the form of a USB WiFi drive provided by Virgin Mobile and purchased at Walmart. Buy the USB drive (one time purchase) and a 3g card for $20 that provides 30 days of WiFi use or 50 hours, whichever comes first. Sounded intriguing. I'll let you know if we give it a try.

That's all for now. Until next time, Pam

Movin' On

We left Santee (a.k.a. San Diego area) yesterday afternoon after a lazy morning and a few errands like banking and replacing my broken sunglasses - must be pair number 25 - and broken headphones for my iPod - first of 25? - ...  For this trip, i'm technologically ready!  iPod.  Nook eReader.  Laptop.  And, I'm enjoying them.  However, camping without hookups, like we are here in Borrego Springs State Park near Borrego Springs, CA creates a problem when the batteries die. 

At the moment, we are sitting in the Borrego Springs Library where Duffy is working - yes, working - on the laptop and I'm using a library PC to type this blog.  And, can you believe it, we're here in the afternoon to escape the growing afternoon heat outside?  It must be in the low 80s out there!  No complaints - sunshine and warmth are what we came south for.

We are missing the company of Skip & Susan, and Sport, of course.  We will see them again in Laughlin, NV on Sunday evening.

This is a layover to allow us to rest up before the next leg of the journey.  Plus, there are birds to see in Borrego Springs, and a few plants beginning to flower.  In coming days, I will catch up on bird sightings for those of you who are interested.  For now, I'll just say we've seen Mockingbirds, which were conspicuously absent in San Diego, Lesser Goldfinch, Verdin, House Finch, and Costas Hummingbird, a beautiful little bird with a rich purple gorget (like a collar).

That's all for now.  We hope spring is springing, budding, etc. where you are.

Until next time,
Pam (& Duffy)

Away for three weeks & sun finally!

We left home pulling our 16-foot white Casita trailer, dubbed Baby Beluga, on February 9.  Here it is March 1 and we've had sun and warm - in the 60s - temperatures for two days now.  Finally!  NO, we did not bring the wind, rain, and cold with us.  We left it behind - we thought.  Instead, it followed us!

Our second through fourth nights we spent with Duffy's sister, Debbie, in her newly purchased home, a small two bedroom older home just perfect for her.  So good to spend some time together.  The fifth night we spent with Debbie's daughter, Kristen, down the road along Hwy 99 just north of Merced, CA.  Again, wonderful to spend some time with her, even if it was only an evening visit over dinner.

The next two nights we stayed first at the Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield, CA (our grandchildren remember this one because it's where they got sick last August as we traveled south together), and second in Desert Hot Springs, CA near Palm Springs.  Very windy here in the desert - the storms we would meet in San Diego during the next week were on their way.  And, I guess it's windy more often than not, because there are lots of electricity-generating windmills near the Palm Springs area.

We accepted the invitation to stay with Pam's brother, Skip, in El Cajon, a bedroom community to San Diego, where we enjoyed a respite from trailer camping for 1-1/2 weeks before camping out in Santee, another neighboring community.  We've had a great time with Skip and Susan (Skip's wife) and seeing old friends from our school days, plus we attended a family wedding reception soon after arriving that afforded us the opportunity to see many relatives on Pam's side.

We've gone birding at the lagoons near the Pacific Ocean near Oceanside and Encinitis, at Lake Hodges near Rancho Bernardo, and today at the Tijuana River Esturarine Research Center located north of the border in or near Imperial Beach.  Always hoping for sightings of birds new to us for our "life list,"  we've added several this trip to our delight.  Friend Mike from high school joined us on today's three-mile <> walk.  Should any of you readers be concerned that we were too close to Tijuana, Mexico, you may be relieved to learn that we were walking along a marsh adjacent to the Naval Air Training Station with five to six helicopters circling overhead.

Two days ago on Sunday, we moved our trailer from Skip & Susan's driveway to Santee Lakes at Padre Dam in Santee, where we are at this posting, while S/S's house is being fumigated for termites - a real and constant problem down here in the southwest.  This is one of our favorite places to camp because of all the birds and waterfowl.  Funny how we look so hard to find Wood Ducks at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near our home in Olympia, when all we need do is come here to Santee Lakes in the winter to find them nearly tame near our camp spot.

This evening we had dinner with another friend from our school days here.  Tina used to live in North Bend, WA for close to 20 years +/- before moving back to San Diego about ten years ago.  It's always a joy to get together with both Mike and Tina when we come back for a visit.  And, twice now we've eaten out at favorite Por Favor Mexican Restaurant in El Cajon with old school friend, Jim, and his wife Gail, and with Tom and Cathy (she was one of my bride's maids 40-some years ago).  We sure enjoy these reunions.

Another reunion I enjoy is with my Aunt Bonnie, my mother's sister who lives in El Cajon.  Last Tuesday, we shared a girl's day out, with lunch and a movie matinee, just Bonnie, Susan and me.  We had a great time.

Two funny - maybe even ha-ha - things happened in the past few days.  On Sunday, Feb. 27, the day we left Skip and Susan's for the campground, I was heating a gluten-free muffin in their relatively new microwave.  Naturally, their microwave works differently than ours.  I'm convinced no two are alike.  I set it for what I thought was 30-seconds, when in fact I must have hit the Express 3 button, which sets the microwave for 3-minutes.  I turned away to wash a few dishes.  Susan came in from the garage and shouted, "What's going on?!"  I turned to see smoke billowing out of the microwave.  I don't know what was in that muffin that caused so much smoke, but it gave me pause.  Of course, the house smelled of smoke while a cloud hovered near the ceiling.  While I felt terrible about it, I couldn't help laughing.  It seemed fitting to me somehow that the house would be fumigated the next day.  It sure needed it when I got through with the muffin in the microwave (that could be a title for a new children's book!).  I hope the smell is gone when S/S get home tomorrow.  Oh, and the muffin?  When I could get close to the plate it was on, I turned it upside down, and nothing happened.  The muffin was fused to the plate.  No worries.  A little water and dish detergent loosened it right up.  And the microwave still works fine.

The second "funny" thing that happened was the discovery that our trailer door lock was broken.  We became aware of it just before leaving for the campground.  Duffy rigged a piece of nylon clothesline rope tied to an upright table support inside the trailer to the outside door handle so we could drive the few miles to the campground.  Yesterday morning he removed the lock to take it to an RV store for a replacement, leaving no door handle for securing the "rope lock."  Instead?  A small twig tied to the rope, pushed through the opening where the lock had been, then turned horizontally to prevent the twig from slipping through the hole.  Not secure in any sense.  Just a way to keep the door closed.  Replacement found, door handle replaced.  Once again we have a locking door.  We rewarded Duffy's ingenuity with a quick trip to the San Diego Zoo to see among other things the koalas, the new Elephant Odyssey habitat, and wild birds flitting through the trees.  Yes, we took our binoculars to the zoo!  True tourists!  Granddaughter, Ahna, sent her Brunca (that's Rader grandchild-speak for Grandma) away with Ahna's small stuffed orange bear named Henry.  Like a "flat Stanley," Henry appears in a photo with the koalas.  Henry rode around in Pam's pocket at the zoo.  You could say he had a pocket's eye view!

Oh, and last evening I, Pam, won at a newly-learned card game called Threes.  I have to document my win, because it is so rare.  The guys are out for revenge.

Following posts should be shorter.  This, as the first, added fairly late in the trip, is correspondingly lengthy.  I (Pam) am new to blogging, and don't spend a lot of time on the laptop, at least not here in San Diego where we have so much family and many old friends to see.  I'll try keeping in touch on a more regular basis now, as long as I can find a WiFi connections.