Playing in the desert

 Saturday was a nice day so after lunch we drove out into the desert to see what we could find.  

  I had seen a road, from a distance, that looked like it wove up into the mountains.   I finally figured out which road it was and where it intersected with a paved road so that was our "soft" destination.    Too bad.....it turned out to be a private road, and posted as such.     I had my maps out so I plotted another course behind a small, private air park community and out into the San Felipe Wash.     We kept away from the airport because it was private, again, posted as such.     We didn't exactly know where we were going, the road came and went in the sand as is often the case in desert areas, but the basic road was on the map and on our Jeep's GPS.   No posted signs, no private property signs, gates, fences, etc. anywhere.     Out of nowhere an American flag festooned "vintage" cut-down range rover appeared on our bumper.     It's driver, a hefty -ahem- gentlemen loudly informed us that we were on his private property and we needed to GET OFF immediately.    Of course, we acquiesced immediately.    We do not drive on private property, ever.   

Once in the San Felipe Wash, we decided to take the long way home.  Navigating in a wash is an inexact science.     We were always going in the right direction, but sometimes we found ourselves in fairly deep sand in narrow, twisting branches of the main wash.    In such cases, one always has the option of getting out and climbing up the side for an affirming look around before continuing.

Long story short, we found our way out of the side wash, and once back on track, it didn't take us any time at all to make our way home.    Another adventure for the books!

Yesterday we explored small Hawks Canyon.    We had passed it's entrance last year with Pam and John (back when people actually rode together in the same vehicle!) on a wildflower discovery exploration and commented that it looked interesting.    We took the sand road to it's end, left the Jeep and set off on foot.   There was no one else there - Yay!

  Since we had no directions or map we followed footprints in the sand as they led up to a path "foot carved" into the green rock.     Below us was a narrow wash with water smoothed boulders and interesting rocks,    As you know, I don't like to be "up" I like to experience canyons from the bottom so we backtracked to a spot where we could drop down into the rocky wash and continue our exploration there.

When I say "backtracked", I meant it quite literally.   We not only went back the way we came, but I went down some of the steeper, sandier parts on my back end.   I crab crawled backward down them to avoid a sure slip and fall - I'm not an agile hiker.......  It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done.   Luckily I carried the camera and the phone so there is no record of my style.

rocks within rocks

We made a slow exploration of the wash and canyon walls, just the way we like it.   No time limit, no pressure, no one following.    Lots of interesting rocks and even a few bushes beginning to flower.

Today was a golf day, as will be tomorrow.  Wednesday we'll make a last drive over the mountain for pie, Thursday we'll make our annual trip out to Fonts Point for an early afternoon, non-alcoholic happy hour with dear friends and Friday we'll be off again.   Tough life, but someone has to do it.

a waddle of widgeons aerating the golf course on 9