Arizona bound

North of Yakima, WA

Left Comox Valley October 9

4 AM departure to drive two hours to the first ferry and a couple of long road trek days.

Vancouver Island to the ferry, the 1 1/2 ferry ride and drive to Motel 6 in Pendleton = approx. 15 hours

South of Baker City, Oregon is what is left of an old homestead in the middle of nowhere.

Fossil beds along the Snake River (just N of Hagerman, Idaho)

Second day - drive to Hoover Dam Lodge, Nevada

A huge room and peaceful sleep at the Hoover Dam Lodge following another long travel day.

View from the Lodge overlooking Lake Mead National Recreational Area.    Lake Mead is a reservoir of the Hoover Dam, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.   Formed by the damming of the Colorado River, Lake Mead extends 115 miles (185 km).   Recreational activities include sport fishing, kayaking, and hiking.  Trails lead to Black Canyon and hot springs.

 Hoover Dam photo courtesy of Hoover Dam Jeep Tours

Remains of a former underwater colony:  

Pioneers settled into land around the Colorado River in 1865.   A town called St. Thomas was formed.  In 1938, the final resident rowed away from his home as the city made like Atlantis and became submerged by the rapidly rising waters of what would become Lake Mead.  Today, visitors can take tours exploring the raisin of homes left behind now that the water has receded.

The Hoover Dam exists on the border between Nevada and Arizona.  Nearly half of the power goes to S. California, the rest to Nevada and Arizona.

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October 11 

we arrive to Our Blackstone Trailer at Happy Trails after a short four hour drive.

Monsoon season (mid June through September) this year wreaked havoc in the area and within the Happy Trails Resort.    People's roof covers (like ours) were blown and ripped off, trees uprooted and a huge dust storm left a layers of dust on everything.

A haboob (an intense, widespread dust storm) moved across parts of the Phoenix area.

Photos taken by weather station helicopter news.

We weren't sure what we would come back to but all was in our favor.   Just had to wash everything down, inside and out because of a dust layer but nothing broken.

Tazz has happily found her spot and settled in well after three days of being stuck in the back of the crew cab.

October 13 we had our first rain storm.   It was several hours long so accumulation of water makes little ponds a fun time for ducks and dogs.

Our favorite walk from Happy Trails, around holes five and six on the golf course, and back beside Traditions (housing community).   

More than average rains have happened through the monsoon season so the flowers are still blooming and vegetation very green.

Average for the year is usually 9"

This well manicured wash is a stopping off area for dog walkers (and frisbee players). 

Walking Tazz along this pathway along the golf course and I turned to look behind us, sensing something was there.

A large Javelina crossed the path behind us.   

A peccary (Javelina) is between approximately 45-85 lbs and is not a pig.   They belong to a completely different family.  They are identified by a band of white fur around their neck that resembles a collar and have no tail.   They are primarily herbivores and consume prickly pear cactus, grass, roots, nuts and berries.  They form herds usually numbering from 6 to 12.

Coyotes lying in wait as the sun is sinking below the horizon (mostly for rabbits but they are known to attack peccaries - mostly the young).

The gorgeous orange glow as the sun sets, end of October.

Just walking along by Tazz's favorite play spot, the sandpile, the sun peaked through the bricks in the fence and these 'ghosts' appeared.

Roofers working until dark to 'get 'er done.'

In the meantime, have been working on this season's christmas composite.

Began with this . . . . .



and ended up here




Hoping you have a safe and wonderful holiday season.  Will be back in the New Year.