beluga

beluga

Friday, November 17, 2017

at Cave Creek Regional Park

This is working just fine......Warm days, cool nights and a relatively empty campground.

We haven't done much that anyone would consider exciting but we're happy.  Second cup outside in the sun or shade and the same for Happy Hour.   In between we either sit and read, do a little housework or go exploring.   We have been coming to this desert for many years so not a lot is new.    Familiar is soothing.

such interesting clouds lately


 We're waiting for the temps to drop a bit before doing some hiking in nearby Spur Cross Ranch Conservation area but the other day we went auto hiking into the desert.


We were heading into the Tonto National Forest surrounding Bartlett Lake but discovered the two jeep roads that we had earmarked were closed in an effort to restore the areas after a fire some years ago.    We had lunch with us and wanted to eat by the water so we just went on to Bartlett Lake, a place we've been many times before.


We didn't have Lewis with us, in the past we found the lake to be a fairly busy place.

lunch view

We were sorry we left him home this day - the lake shore was virtually deserted and the water level was low enough that we could drive along through Bartlett Flats to the every end of the lake.   He would have had a ball.





We took out our chairs and enjoyed a pleasant riparian lunch with our feathered friends.

I can't decide.....
Sharp Shinned or Cooper's Hawk?





peeking quail

sorry for the fuzzy picture, he was in constant motion -
 Say's Phoebe perhaps?




Yesterday we hosted Happy Hour for two familiar faces and two new faces.  Ingrid and Al are staying at a nearby campground and their good friends David and Faye are staying in this campground and volunteering at the Spur Cross Conservation area.

here's my candid shot of Al, David, Dave and Lewis with Ingrid photo bombing

Thanks, Ingrid, for the more formal photo of us all!
(David, Faye, Al, me, Dave, Ingrid and sweet Lewis)

Today we drove around busy Scottsdale gathering the ingredients for our quiet Thanksgiving dinner at Usery Mountain Regional Park next week. 

We returned to find our empty campground filling quickly with the weekend crowd.      We had an abbreviated happy hour outside, Dave found his chair to be  quite small tonight.   He's a good sport and Lewis sits very still so Dave is still able to  enjoy his gin and tonic.


Our site has given us a front row view to some very pretty, very different sunsets this week.




Tomorrow evening we'll meet good friends Dave and Linda at the nearby Tonto Grill at Ranch Manana.





8 comments:

  1. Looks like a lovely, warm, relaxing time:) Glad Dave is able to wear shorts. Sweet Lew made two photos! Awesome! Arizona is the place of reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Beautiful sunsets!

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  2. Looks like you're having a lovely time in the desert! Beautiful sunsets and fun times with friends. As for your feathered friends, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks are challenging to tell apart -- but we're thinking you have a Cooper's there (the tail appears rounded, and the head shape is blocky). You're good at your bird ID!

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  3. Enjoyed the candid shots of the three men in various moods, they seemed to be in deep thoughts. A lovely portrait of my favorite friends with sweet Lewis (he posed too!) in the desert.
    Thanks Laurel for the ID, I would have a hard time figuring the Coopers Hawk too.

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  4. Bummer the Jeep roads were closed, but your little lake is still so pretty. Love that green stretch of tuft along the top. Wonderful birdies - such a great variety you had visiting! My dad loved quail and they always remind me of him :-) A big poodle and a G&T makes for the perfect happy hour - they're so cute. Gorgeous skies!

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  5. Oh how I love seeing those beautiful skies. It is raining and miserable here in Ohio.

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  6. I'm glad you're getting good sunsets in Cave Creek. They have been sort of anemic in Tucson. Lewis looks as darling as always.

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  7. Aaahh...a lovely group photo with my two favorite friends (and Lewis!)

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  8. You guys are in one of our favorite parks. Looks like you might be in the same site we left two weeks ago. Site 17. HeeHee. Looks like ya'll are enjoying your time there! Say hello to Ingrid for me and give Lewis a big hug! Enjoy!!!

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