Piddling In Place

This IS a color photo

Having had our way with Laramie, we went north to Arlington where a wet, gouged out, two-track led steeply up. Even in 4 whl we were at risk for slipping into the trough between the tracks...a situation that would likely disable her refrigerator. (Oh, the travails of accoutre-ized rigs!). That plus the fact we didn't want to damage the road by driving on it when wet prompted us to take the first spot available. We stepped out to a magnificent view that included a flat-topped hill be-furred with the oscillating fans of a windfarm.



Only about a mile above the freeway and its endless stream of trucks, we were fortunate that the wind was in the right direction and it was quiet. And the hills are (well, they were yesterday afternoon) ALIVE with color from myriad wildflowers.

The Beaufort Scale lists 37 knots (42.5788 mph) as the low end of Gale. I think it qualified. And somehow the exhaust fan cover developed a crack. Not a major issue with snow, but likely to cause annoyance with rain. But she had an idea. I'm too fat to go aclambering. But SHE is an animal! (It was June 23rd, not 24.)

Spring thaw courtesy of her iPhone 8....

The next morning....

The Worst!!!

I was late getting out of Flagstaff on Feb 8 and didn't make it all the way down the hill. The weather was closing in and it was nearly dark when I made  camp on Silver Spring Road (west side) at about 4,000 ft (just over 1,200 m).

The Goddess smiled as she took aim. Unable to quell her beneficence she waited until the hatches were battened.

It began as a nice drizzle and I, who REALLY dislike rain, might even have enjoyed it...except it was cold! 

On the edge of an arroyo, an ill-advised locale during the Monsoon Season, I surmisalled a flash-flood was unlikely at this time of year. On the other hand, what with all the climate change these days, a Nutria can never be too sure. Sometime during the night it stopped....or so I tho't.

Upon awakening, my first tho't was...Whiteout!! Almost, but not quite as dramatic was, perhaps, an inch of SNOW! Shivering and with teeth chattering, I cleared a patch (on the ground); I thanked my luck as I savored the fact it wasn't frozen...and squatted. Fortunately there was no wind; no breeze either (couldn't resist).

When asked, the station attendant in Kingman said, “It doesn't usually snow in February...and it caught the weatherwoman by surprise too.” Perhaps you'll empathize when I admit to a bit of shadenfreude from that little factoid. 

The quiet is incomparable. It's nice to be back in the wilds....less than a mile from the freeway. Rumor has it it’s warmer further south.

Set from Lost In Space?