Travel Report – Page 15 – The Hermits' Rest

Things of Note, Sedona Edition

What notable things happened today?

Do they mean in history or in 2024? I’ll answer for today. Notably, I was surrounded by bushtits, an unfortunate name for a tiny and loud bird. They are a total hoot as they flit from tree to tree eating whatever it is they eat.

Here are two of them, one flitting and one sitting.

That was notable to me. They make such sweet sounds! As you can see, these scruffy bits of bird are quite entertaining.

I also saw my first Arizona Tan Mantis and enjoyed watching the Gambel’s quail again. That was plenty for around the condo.

We did leave the property today. Since I started work so early, we were able to go back to the Native American museum, the Verde Valley Archeology Center, which featured amazing finds from a nearby cave dwelling. No photos, because I was busy looking.

I enjoyed driving through the Verde Valley again.

We also found the historic downtown of Cottonwood, which we’d missed yesterday. It was a cute place that would be fun to visit sometime. We were told some of the restaurants are good and not so expensive.

After that, we went into Sedona to eat at Anita’s favorite restaurant, the Coffee Pot, which is next to the Coffee Pot rock formation. This is an OLD establishment beloved by locals, and serves 101 kinds of omelette. Mine came with grits and a really nice buttery biscuit, which was really a dinner roll but was good. I got Anita a new shirt from there, because her old one is wearing out.

Not too exciting in the outside, but great inside.

Then we braved the Uptown Sedona experience. It was nowhere near as bad as I’d dreaded. We looked at lots of rocks, crystals, and t-shirts. Sadly, the camera shop we were hoping to go to is no longer a camera store. But it’s named after my son’s partner! Or they have the same name.

We came back and I worked more, then the maintenance dude came to fix our televisions. He turned out to be nice and fond of birds, so we chatted away. And now the TVs work. I guess we didn’t need them earlier in the week!

Crow conference. They and the ravens are very busy every morning!

Tomorrow I hope it isn’t rainy. I have a bucket list item to check off!

A Passion for Learning

What are you passionate about?

Yeah, it’s probably the same answer many people give. But I think it’s a great passion to have. It fuels my love for nature, animals, human behavior, and science. I’m also certain that my curiosity and love of learning are what keeps me mentally sharp, healthy, and willing to stay alive in these hard times.

Today I learned about mining in Arizona…

I also learned about the importance of map reading skills. In my morning walk I went out in the neighborhood and had a plan to go about 2 miles.

Wise mountain cottontail knew my mistake

Well, when I got to the road I was going to take back to the condo, the sign said, “Dead End.” Oops. I should have zoomed in on the map a wee bit when planning my route. See, useful learning!

By the time I got back I was pretty tired, but at least I went out very early. It was extra hot here in the afternoon. And now there’s a big fire around 80 miles from here. Weather. Ugh.

Bee in a yellow bird of paradise blossom. It’s a dry heat. I’m fine.

When I was finished working, Lee and I set off to explore. I’d intended to go to a Native American museum in Camp Verde but it’s not open in Wednesday. See, now I learned to read not only the hours of operation but the days of operation for places I want to visit. Ah well, the road we went down was very wild and beautiful. And the Verde Valley, formed by the Verde River, is an amazing oasis with huge trees. No photos came out.

So, off we went to Jerome, Arizona, an old mining town with a fascinating history and incredible views.

This place is cool! We visited the state park that used to be the Douglas mansion. They had all sorts of mining equipment, samples of the copper, silver, turquoise, zinc, etc. that were mined there. It was fascinating.

We also checked out what’s left of the town, which is quirky and charming, not all polished and perfect like Sedona. That was truly fun, other than the twisty roads nerving Lee out.

So, even after my boo-boos today, I had a great time. But I must be awake at 4:45 am tomorrow. I hope someone in Europe shows up to make my open office hours worth it. The things I sacrifice for travel and learning!

Nature Girl Reigns Supreme

It was a good day for seeing nature in all its glory. After work, Lee and I went on a tour of Sedona and the surrounding area. Wow, was that fun.

By the time we did two of the stops, the tour guide figured out that we were way more interested in scenery and nature than shopping and that we were more to the New Age end of the spectrum than traditional folks.

We ended up going off script because we turned down going into a church. Instead we drove around and looked at all the different terrain and natural beauty around here. I was pretty excited to find some water-carved rocks.

Nice church. Great architecture. Didn’t want to go in.

The highlight for the early part of the trip was driving through Oak Creek Canyon, which has huge trees in it. We even got to see the creek that made the canyon.

We went through town, which was fine, then out to the hills to the west. There were lots of fancy houses, but also places with horses. Then, ah, wilderness. Well, empty land anyway. There was much evidence of the powers that be working hard to shew away campers and people parking on the roadside. I sorta get it.

Our tour guide decided to take the minivan off road and show us some more remote areas. It was fun and very quiet. I liked that. It was fun to find interesting plants out there.

Our final stop was the airport mesa, which has a great lookout. You could see nearby towns.

We were thrilled to find out our tour guide also likes tarot. She also identifies with the Hermit, like Lee. It was sure lucky to get such a compatible guide and to not have any more people than us.

After a wee rest I went for an evening walk to get the rest of my Exercise and Move points. I got bonus adrenaline points when I ran into a guy who said they had just seen some javelinas. Well, of course I wanted to see some (AKA collared peccary). So I went in the direction they were headed (also the way I was heading anyway), and soon saw the whole group of them nonchalantly making their way across the edge of the golf course. It was a big family!

I missed getting a video of them arguing, but here’s one where a wet one shakes off water.

That wasn’t even the end of my nature excitement. I finally got to see the Gambel’s Quail I’d been hearing. I watched them play around in the bushes. And I got to get a photo of a desert or mountain cottontail. I’m not sure which it is. The bonus photos are pollen on the sidewalk and a male Anna’s hummingbird. I do enjoy them.

What a great day. Now I gotta sleep so I can get up real early to work.

Rocks, Crystals, and Stones

Today was excellent. I got lots of work done AND enjoyed Sedona. Waking up at my normal time, which is 5 am here, lets me have a lot of time left over for fun, so today I enjoyed all things rocky.

The fun started when we went to the condo place and got help booking some tours for tomorrow and the weekend. This way Lee won’t have to drive and can actually see the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon. There happened to be some lovely women selling jewelry and I got some small things there.

We drove around Sedona and stopped to get some views of the red rock formations all around us. The drive between Oak Canyon and Sedona is breathtaking.

One place we stopped was the trail head for an equestrian trail. I hope to go hike it, since it’s probably not too steep. I was happy to find out that our National Parks pass covers the entry fees for the hikes. I’m glad I went into a hiking shop to figure that out. I also got the ideal Texas hiking pants: long but weightless. That will keep bugs off but breathe.

In Sedona, we had dinner (Texas time) in a place with delicious fresh food and a wonderful view. We met some other diners who it turned out lived near me when I was raising my kids. We then saw them at the nearby crystal shop. I love me a good crystal shop. No, I did not get my aura read.

Finally we went to a store with real Navajo rugs, which made me swoon. The big Two Gray Hills ones were very impressive. Someday…

Lee talked to this guy so much he froze.

We drove through the fun touristy shop area, found some not-wealthy people housing, then went to the western part of Sedona where there are banks, grocery stores, and non-woo woo establishments for people who live there. Still, very pretty. Lee met someone in the bank who knew where Cameron was! This whole visit has been full of things like that.

And after I finished reading my novel (report tomorrow) I went on another bird walk. My only new bird was a Scrub Jay. Note: It sure smells good here with so many trees blooming. I took one of Lee’s allergy pills, so now I’m fine in the sinus department.

Birds, Birds, Birds

Today of course I was up extra early, since I’m two hours ahead in my body. So I took off a walked through the pretty neighborhood adjacent to the resort. There is also a pretty golf course here.

This combination meant for a lot of birds. I couldn’t have had more bird fun if I tried. There were six new ones, many of which I saw, too. So, here are my new birds so far. Note how many are described as “dull.” But some are pretty spectacular!

But the highlight was this: I heard a flock of House Finches screeching and went to check it out.

I saw what was making the fuss. It was a spectacular Cooper’s Hawk noshing away on a finch. It was so preoccupied that it let me get decent photos of it. I had a great time watching it. Wow!

I also got photos of other birds and beasts today. I’ll just dump them here. Sadly, the rodent I saw hid too fast.

The other thing I enjoyed were plants. The neighborhood I walked through had beautiful xeriscaped yards with all kinds of native and other plants suited to this climate. Combined with excellent weeds, I had a lot to look at (sorry if you already saw this on Facebook but I wanted to share with others). I can’t ID them all.

Sorry to once again not ID, but I have to go to bed early to get up and work. Well, I’ll have a lot of time in the evenings to do stuff.

We did have a nice brunch and get some groceries. Driving all around Sedona was confusing. Too many roundabouts and New Age shops. I mean, I’m new agey, but there are so many places to get your aura photographed.

I didn’t get any city pictures due to our dirty windshield. But here’s the fancy CVS pharmacy.

The views, though, are spectacular. I can’t wait to go hike.

A Good Life…Wherever You Are

What are the most important things needed to live a good life?

Today we drove across New Mexico and Arizona on the northern route, where I’d never been before. As I got teary-eyed with wonder, it became easy to remind myself what constitutes a good life for me.

A huge component is appreciation for every day and what new experiences it brings you. Today I had so many new things to enjoy.

Look, Field Bindweed looks like candies. So pretty.

Another part of a good life is striving to be kind to yourself and those around you, while setting appropriate boundaries. I think I’m getting there!

Finally, a good life is one in which you keep learning and keep active. These things keep me young and engaged.

I learned about cities we passed and what nations we drove through (Pueblo and Navajo).

Today I also learned a lot about Billy the Kid in one of our stops. He came across as a much more nuanced person than in some portrayals. Of course, I also enjoyed plants and animals there.

Oh I’m so tired. I’ll add captions later.

We later stopped in Gallup, New Mexico, a place I’d always wanted to visit. Lee and I both got some Navajo jewelry there that had meaning for us. Mine shows my strength and protection.

The drive in Arizona wasn’t overly exciting other than colorful rocks until we got into the mountains and forests, which was pretty spectacular. I did take a LOT of pictures of rocks, hills, and mountains.

We made it to our resort and like it so far, other than being REAL close to the pool (supposedly the quieter one) and on the bottom floor. But there is so much to do that I won’t mind. I already got new birds for my life list, so I’m happy.

I hope to go see the town of Sedona and hike some tomorrow.

Spending Time on the Road with Lee

Who do you spend the most time with?

For sure the person I now spend the most time with is Lee, my spouse. When he lived at the ranch and I spent weekdays in Austin, I may have spent more time with Anita, who shared a couple of dwellings with me. I now only see her once or twice a week and Lee every day. Good thing we get along 90% of the time

Yeah, we both get grumpy sometimes. Lee is easily frustrated and snaps. I’m conflict avoidant. But we manage. And we know when to give each other space.

Anyway, we embarked on one of our periodic road trips today, going west this time. We are headed to Sedona, Arizona, where there’s now a condo we can go to. I’m pretty excited about all the nature I can see.

And small towns. No Interstate monotony. That’s tomorrow.

Today we got as far as Clovis, New Mexico. the drive over was filled with oil wells, windmills, and cattle. There are many mega-dairy farms that have to generate massive amounts of methane gas and poop. I feel sad for the cows who never see grass or get to walk around. At least our local beef cattle get to be happy before they get harvested.

More fun was getting to see many big quarter horse ranches and some beautiful horses. Just like at home, we also saw lots of horses in trailers, all saddled up and ready to go work. Modern cowboys work that way.

One of the prettiest towns we went through was Post, where Cameron’s former City Manager went when he got frustrated. It’s quite pretty and has a big lake. Clovis is also pretty, probably because we went through the nicest part of town to find the hotel we are in. They are like oases in the desert.

I didn’t get photos of any of the things I described.

We did see some pretty geological formations in the hilly area we went through before it got REAL flat. It may be flatter than east-central Illinois (the flattest place I ever lived).

I did go outside and find two new birds, even though it was very windy outside. But hey, I was NOT covered with sweat! Dry heat! The birds were Say’s Phoebe and the Curve-billed Thrasher. Both are common here but not where I live. Cool!

I’m looking forward to seeing more new terrain and plants tomorrow.

What a Scary Weather Day

Yikes. Today started out just fine. I got a bunch of work done, then in mid afternoon Lee and I drove to Waco, with me doing my meetings and stuff. Have laptop, will work. Lee was called to Federal Jury Duty, and wanted to check out the courthouse before tomorrow and not have to get up quite so early.

As we drove, we started getting severe thunderstorm warnings. I still had time to check out the lovely river area near the Waco Hilton. They’ve done a great job!

As I was taking pictures of urban birds, I heard thunder. So I went inside and we went downstairs to eat dinner. That was a good idea.

It started to rain, and it got as bad as rain gets in a hurricane, along with similar winds. It was quite a show outside the restaurant windows. Then things went downhill when the kitchen had to stop making hot food, then some roof collapsed in the convention center part of the building. Water was pouring in.

We only had a couple of power glitches. Unfortunately it was not as good back at home. The hospital where Kathleen is staying went on generator power and moved all the patients into the hallways. She said there was a bit of chaos and screaming when the big hail came. They had 80 mph winds.

At home it was bad. Our house, family members, dogs, horses, and chickens are fine. Many trees are down and water was over the roads. Luckily everyone got home safely. My chicken pens blew away. The pool, which had just had a repair today, is full of lawn furniture and a greenhouse frame. But that’s nothing.

Roofing blew off the cabin where my son lives, and the material covering their patio is now in Sara’s horse pen. Glad we have the RV where they can stay until repairs are made. A tree fell on Sara’s horse trailer, and Mandy’s balcony rail is gone.

It was a mess. What is good, though, is how we all checked up on each other. My friends, family, and even the insurance agent/friend started texting and offering to help each other out. It really made me feel safer and like I belong. Plus I was so worried about everyone!

I haven’t heard from the people in our Red House Airbnb. There are so many trees around it that I get worried. Someone will check tomorrow. I just hope we don’t get much more rain tonight.

There IS something more positive out of today! Lee’s trial got canceled, so he doesn’t have to go in tomorrow. I may be able to visit a friend in the afternoon, since tomorrow is my extra early work day. And Lee met the lady who is the court clerk and she told him our planned vacation in a couple weeks would excuse him from the next trial. He still might have to go at the end of June, though. It’s our duty to do this service, so Lee is happy to do so.

I’m Too Cautious, or Was

Have you ever broken a bone?

This is an odd question. I thought most people had broken a bone before. Not me, though, other than a cracked rib I suffered when a rotten baseball bleacher collapsed under me when I was a kid. I’ve always been rather cautious, you see, and not fond of potentially bone-breaking activities.

I always try to stick to the trails and not court danger.

Like today, since I’d been dizzy yesterday, I took my hiking stick with me when I went out. I did find it helpful when going up and down hills. But I didn’t get dizzy again, thankfully.

I sat at this bench and attended the Church of Gaia, where the birds preached and sang.

Only since I started riding horses did I begin to play dangerously. Oh wait. I drive a car. Never mind. Still, so far so good, even in a couple of accidents.

Anyhow, today was another day of fun in the outdoors, other than mosquitoes. I took off in the morning and did the only trail I hadn’t done yet, plus most of the others. There were more clouds today and a bit of breeze, so I figured I better enjoy it while I could!

There were many birds to see, and I was gratified to encounter a whole flock of white-eyed vireos who hung around long enough for me to get recognizable photos.

Other than that, I was surprised that Merlin heard many kinds of flycatchers, but I’d just learned from Kenn Kaufman that this isn’t unusual (see earlier book review post) so I didn’t start questioning Merlin’s pattern recognition.

They were in there, somewhere. Look how many trunks this tree has.

I pretty much checked all my to-see items off the Palmetto State Park bucket list, too. I found a cute little green tree frog that I’d missed yesterday, I saw a flying parula (warbler), and I found a venomous snake. Check!

After all my walking, Lee and I drove around some and walked in downtown Luling, Texas, home of the Watermelon Festival and a lot of oil wells. When we used to always go to Yorktown to see Lee’s dad, we drove through but never stopped. It’s a cute but smelly town. We enjoyed window shopping.

On our way back to the campground, Lee suddenly stopped, and I soon saw why. A huge black vulture was sunning itself on the roadside. It looked so regal. For once, my photo through the windshield did the subject the justice it deserved. I love the images!

Not a bad day at all! And no broken bones!

Can I Take It Easy?

In my current phase of life I have way more energy than I did in the pre-menopausal years. I think I finally have my thyroid and hormones tuned optimally, so I’m much more active. That’s all good!

But today, after 17K steps the day before, my head reminded me it had been whacked recently. I had balance issues and more headache than I had before. Then I got nauseated and realized I had a rare migraine. I had things to do and places to go, though. could I make myself stop?

Luckily the morning walk was slow and easy, since we took Martha through the Palmetto trail to show her the pump house and the wheel with trees growing through it. I did okay then, distracted by cute frogs and butterfly chrysalises.

Mike found this leopard frog. I found one later but it’s invisible in my photo!

We went to historic Gonzales, Texas (I think “historic” is part of its name) for lunch at Lee’s childhood favorite barbecue place, the Gonzales Meat Market. That was fun and delicious, even while dizzy. Lee got me a cool crape myrtle walking stick afterwards, with stones inlaid in it, so I wouldn’t fall down. How sweet!

Historic Gonzales. It’s where those Come and Take It flags originated.

After that I admitted defeat and realized I was not hiking for mikes today. Instead I slept a long time. Upon awakening I felt better. Whew. Before you start lecturing me, I’ll go to a doctor if I have more symptoms.

Wrens live in our grill. I took this while resting. It’s the male.

I was able to walk the river trail, shortened, and I’m glad I did, because there were wrens everywhere. It was so much fun watching them. I also finally found a snake. It was a pretty ribbon snake. I got pretty hot, so more resting occurred. I really couldn’t do my usual stuff!

After we ate our favorite camping meal, cheese and crackers, I couldn’t stop myself from heading out again. I just wanted to make my movement goal on the watch. This time I didn’t get too hot, and I got some good river photos. I needed a few more steps so I just went a little ways down the swamp trail. I was rewarded by the sounds of a wild turkey and pileated woodpecker. They were cool, but a bit spooky, so I went back!

All is well now. I got my goal taking a short walk with Martha, then we all enjoyed a campfire and s’mores. Of course, I’m wide awake now, thanks to that healing nap.

I never thought I’d ever be a person who felt weird if they didn’t get enough exercise. Where did Slug Suna go?