Happy New Year Everyone!

This is the first blog for me using my new iPad keyboard/case.  Since I’ve retired, my lap top seemed cumbersome and not as needed.  I use my phone a lot, but I dislike the small screen.  I begged to be allowed to have an iPod with cell service.  I didn’t have to beg hard.  On the way to pick up the iPad I went through my usual, “I don’t deserve this, it’s too expensive, I can do without......”

   Now I am thrilled with this.  And here is the blog
    Today it was sunny without wind for the first time in a long time.  Almost 60 degrees!  People are outside all over the park.  I stopped and talked to several people.  Ah community.
     On Monday we went to Oatman where the donkeys roam the town.  It was fun, but windy and cold.

A scarlet tanager.  Pretty bird

A cat, pretty cat.  Lol

This is Picacho Peak, which sits between Casa Grande and Tucson.

This picture is looking the other way.

We took a trip down to Ajo, AZ.  We stayed there two nights so we could go to Organ Pipe Cactus National Park.

  Another wonderful National Park.  There is a nice 2 mile round trip hike from the visitor’s center to the campground.  We didn’t stay at that campground, we stayed in one in Ajo.  I didn’t take as many pictures because there were so many things I had already taken pictures of.  What was new were the organ pipe cacti.  There is a small inside area with a room showing what you can find around the park, with the usual gift shop.  This is where Richard always gets his NP passport book stamped.  I always get a refrigerator magnet.  

   I am always amazed at woven baskets and how similar they are all over the world, and all over time.  Here is on for sale in the gift store.

     You may have heard about illegal aliens, illegal Mexicans, and border patrol.  There was a park ranger killed in duty who is honored at this park.

     Unlike Saguaro cactus, organ pipe cactus are not as prevalent in this part.  I don’t know if there are a lot more south into Mexico.  We hiked maybe 3/4 of a mile until we really saw the organ pipe cactus.  The one in the above and below  pictures were at the visitor’s center.  In the picture below you can see the difference in width between the organ pipe cactus and the saguaro cactus.  

I have lots of pictures of these, but this particular one was huge!  They were all so tall in this park.

Maybe I should have made this brighter, but I liked the dark silhouettes.

Enlarge this one to see the cacti on the hill.  BTW, I looked it up and both cactuses and cacti are correct to use as plurals, or have I already said that in an earlier post?

I like this minimalist bench.  Petrified wood?

Well, there is something about this that is frustrating.  Now when I bring pictures from Photo to this blog they get out of order some how.  Richard says that is why he does one at a time.  I’ll try to put them in as best as I can remember.  This picture shows very well how the jumping cholla cactus grows.  Little pieces fall off and just start growing.  I remember I could take a jade plant’s leaf, put it into the soil, then harvest a new plant.  You must be very careful with this one.  There is a reason why it is called a jumping cholla.

Prickly Pear is still my favorite.  I think I did quite well with this pic.

A very good example of an organ pipe cactus.

Teddy Bear cholla?  Looks huggable.

The rocks along the way were fascinating and colorful.  

Like I said, the walk we took lead to the campground.  For different scenery we took the road back.  I always like to take pictures of Richard going uphill ahead of me.  

Getting closer to the visitor’s center we came across a few bushes with these yellow flowers.  They were full of butterflies!  I saw at least 3 different kinds.  Like an unplanned butterfly garden.  

Can you name the three cacti in this picture?

I call this one ballerina.

This picture was taken at a wayside driving back to the RV

Right before we left the next morning a family of javelinas went strolling past.

Our next spot to park was in Quartzsite, AZ.  We dry camped.  That means no hook-ups.  It was on BLM land.  We did go and visit someone we had met last summer at the 4th of July RV meet-up.  They are parked there, off grid, for the winter.  At this point, we have decided that we are more RV park with power and hot tubs residents than Boondocking anywhere you want residents.  

From Wikipedia...

The pyramid shaped monument was interesting in materials used to build it.  I’m not sure what the blue stones are, but the bottom was petrified wood.

We saw several beautiful sunsets parked there.

And a rainbow

The plaque with Alaska and our name was made by a friend in Fairbanks.  All free hand drawing.

I’m going to end this with a few pictures of dogs.  The Yorkies belong to Camper Van Kevin, a You Tuber that we met in Arizona.  That’s Baby MaeMae (spelling?) and Martini.  Tucker ducked in and didn’t want his picture taken.

Thanks for reading!  Please comment below or on facebook.