Checking Out the Neighborhood

Tuesday,  December 10, 2019

I am not sure why but I cannot seem to get the song out of my head, It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. I think tomorrow we will be putting in some Christmas CD's to replace it with a Christmas Song. It really was a sort of do nothing type of day and after a late breakfast I decided to check out the area around us. Tom went into Quartzsite to get a bladder of water and a bag of ice and a couple of groceries for dinner. The sky was blue with some white fluff floating around and it felt good to be out in the fresh air. I made a wide loop around the Stinger "B". 

Three of the Saguaros around us. I often wonder just how
old each of the different ones surrounding  us are.

I have read that Saguaros produce there first arm anywhere from 75 years to 100 year of  age. Then I have read as early as 50 years old yet some never produce an arm. The over all consensus seems to be it depends on the precipitation where they live  One article I read said they do not reach there full height until they are 200 years old and another said they live to be 150 to 175 years old. Though biologist believe that some live over 200 years.  The most interesting thing to me is how slow they grow, up to 10 years to reach an inch in height. One year I would love to be here to see them bloom. I do know one thing for sure they are beautiful and I always enjoy spotting the first one each year and feel a certain amount of sadness as the last one fades in the rear-view mirror. For the next couple of months we will just enjoy seeing them out the window.

The thing that surprised us both that first year,
the desert is not sand. Pictures of the floor of the desert.

From a distance I could see this one standing tall and proud
then as I got closer I could see it was not in real good shape.

As I was walking today one of the many things I thought about
was the mark that various cultures leave on the landscape.
It struck me as I was walking that the mark we are leaving out
here is tire prints, little rock fences, rock stacks (which I have
 not seen at Roadrunner.) and fire rings.
 I wonder what those that come after will think.

Whenever I see these plants in the headlights it looks like
they have frost on them. The one on the left I took just
after the sun set this evening. 

I always like seeing the little spots of green as I am walking.

Not sure exactly. I could see grates that looked like they had
been used for cooking. I am thinking a collapsed stone oven.

Circling back I can see the Stinger "B" getting closer.

This Saguaro, when our head lights hit it at night,
tells us to turn and you are home.

I just like the various sticks on the ground.
I am always seeing some shape.

 I snapped some pictures of the various small washes in the
area. It never ceases to amaze me the power of water as it
 runs through washes. When these fill in the rain, as small as
these are, you can see currents running down them. 

The only way to describe tonight's sunset is blue/grey.

A brighter blue looking south and a little east.

I turned and the moon had risen.

 

We never actually saw the sun slip down behind the mountains
today. It was behind the clouds then a little light and it was gone.

The internet was slow tonight and it seemed like forever uploading these pictures. It is time to call it a night. From our home, the Stinger "B",  to your home Tom and I say Good Night.

We are so glad you took the time to stop by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.