We had just eaten breakfast when Linda called. We talked a while then Phillipand I took off for the desert.
It was a beautiful sunny day. Couldn't have asked for a better one. Phillip wore
his all time desert wear, shorts and muscle shirt.
When we got down there we went to a location we don't often go because of all the BIG gravel trucks traversing the roads and sending dust a mile high and wide. Since it was Sunday the trucks weren't running.
There were flocks of bluebirds all camping out down here in the sun. Just too cold up north right now. They were flitting around singing up a storm. I found where one bluebird had become the lunch for a raptor because there were blue feathers laying around. I picked up 3 of them and put them in the brim of my sunshade.
As usual all the ways to good rocks were up hill. I lugged this fat butt up the hills for about a mile to where Phillip said he knew where there was some opal and better yet an old Indian encampment. I was beginning to wonder where this place was and Phillip kept saying " just a little ways farther". After about 4 more little ways farther I said I was going back toward the car, because all I had found so far was a few desert roses. Phillip asked me if I was sure I knew the way back. I told him all I had to do was wet my finger, hold it up to the breeze. As every one knows when you go somewhere you always have a head-wind so the car had to be in the opposite direction. Right ?...I started to go back and he said to watch out for wolves and mountain lions. Hey! not to worry, I'll just tell them I'm too high cholesterol for them and to look him up.
Coming back to the car the cutest little fox jumped up on a big rock and was watching me. Before I could get the camera out of the case he jumped down and scooted off.
Since I didn't take the same route back to the car I ran across the old Indian camp. Found 2 broken arrowheads and a knife. Lots of pottery around, and some of it had red painting on the pieces. First time I saw painted pottery in this part of the desert. Picked up a few pieces to show Phillip.
The desert has started to green up some since the rain. There were the tiniest white flowers about 1 inch tall. The bees were having a feast. Some ranchers have put out hives even before the rains. There are lots of wild bees around as well. The week before we saw a huge hive in a crevice in the rocks. Phillip was going to get a piece of the comb since it was cool that day but the lower part of the comb was too dry and crumbled when he cut it off. I told him to leave it alone because the bees may not have enough for themselves if the winter is too dry.
Lots of lizards out and about. I almost sat on one when I decided to park my fanny on a big rock.
I started to find some opal. Found a couple of pieces with pale fire. Nothing spectacular.
As usual, the way back to the car was twice as far and all up hill. Got back to the car and planked my butt and had a can of cold pop while I read a while. About an hour later I looked up on a hill in front of the car and watched while 8 deer ambled along grazing on some of the new greenery under the greaswood brush and paloverde trees. Deer are a very dark grey down here.
Too far away to take pictures of. I watched them while they worked their way around the side of the hill. Pretty soon they all looked off across the top of the car and over on the hill behind me. They stood very still and kept looking. I figured Phillip was coming back, and they were watching him.
He got back with a pack full but not opal. I asked why and he told me he changed his mind and since I wasn't with him he checked out another place and found some agate. Right? What he means is he couldn't find the place again. Oh well, That means another trip back there, but I'm going to go my way, not his.
And that was another Sunday on the desert.
Granny
