Monsoon Season, I'm sorry. Please come back

It's been a horrible monsoon season.  When you live in the desert, rain is good.  Rain is GOD.  This time last year, we were inundated with storms.  We haven't been blessed with heavy rain in months.  We've been side swiped by storms or have seen them in the distance.  But no glorious rain.

Last night was a side swipe. We got an excellent show to the east of us though.  I set the camera and the automatic timer up and watered my front yard.

Until a rattlesnake raised the alarm and tried to give me a coronary.  Blessedly, he didn't strike at me, nor did Elly try to go to at it.  She seems to have learned her lesson.  Unfortunately for the snake, trespassing is strictly enforced. 

After dispatching the snake, I set up again, and caught a few more shots.  The storm broke east and the strikes were so close, they washed out the frames.  I tucked my tail and went inside when the sand blew in and it was apparently the lightening was minutes away from me.

Monsoon of the Year

The last few monsoon seasons have been mediocre.  Last night topped every storm I have ever experienced.  60+ MPH winds tore through the area.  I wasn't sure that our American flag would survive the storm, but good ol' American craftsmanship prevailed.  It rained side ways and instantly filled every wash. We were land locked by our terrain.  Washes on both sides of the house over flowed, trapping us.

Our shared drive flows during an active rain storm.  Apparently so does our actual driveway, as seen on the left.  And a small lightning tail peeking through on the right side.

 Once the storm pushed north, it was safe and dry enough for me to step outside and try to capture the amazing light show that was going on.  I took hundreds of pictures and wound up with 3 usable ones.  I really need to invest in the timer/remote I've been eyeing for my camera.  It would've made the process easier.

Photographing lightning is tough without proper equipment.  This storm made me realize how badly I need some camera additions.  I LOVE STORMS!

My favorite shot of the evening:

The storm pushed north and slammed Phoenix.  Within an hour, the washes went down, but my road was full of storm debris.  Friends lost trees and had damaged cars, so I think we fared well.

Bring it on Arizona, I want more storms like this!

Unfortunately Home Again

July 27, 2013

We were all reluctant to head home.  We lazed around camp much longer than we should have.  Everyone of us took a shower to help deplete the water supply and make for an easier trip south.  Mandy and I prepped lunch for later, since we knew we had about 500 miles to cover today.

Its funny how recognizable Arizona is.  Of course, you are greeted with a sign at the state border, but the Arizona landscape is so distinct.  We cruised through several Reservations towards 89.

Storm clouds lingered around the peripheral all day.  There was no way we would avoid the rain all day.  Near Cameron, we hit it.  Or it hit us.  At one point, we could only see about 50 feet in front of the Jeep.  It was coming down hard.  We were smack in the middle of a monsoon.  The lightning show was incredible.  One strike landed less than a mile from us; the crack was deafening.  I tried and tried to get a shot through the windshield. But the only photo that came out was an accident.  We were driving next to an unused suspension bridge. Mike mentioned that he liked it so I took a picture....

Awesome! I love a good storm.  Driving through them doesn't faze me.  I would have preferred to sit under a porch and enjoy it, but it was invigorating to be in the thick of it.

Once we hit I-17, it became more difficult to find easy National Forest access.  We pulled into a small neighborhood and had a quick lunch in between storms.  The approaching clouds hurried us back onto the road.

Once we hit Flagstaff, the storms were long behind us.  We joined the hoards of weekenders heading back to Phoenix after escaping the heat for the weekend.  The temperature gauge slowly climbed the further south we went.  Our last fuel stop in Anthem was a stark reminder of what we left behind...104 at 7PM.

Once home, Mike and I stripped the trailer long into the darkness.  Better done now than in the heat of the day tomorrow.  Dogs were bathed and fed, and heaps of laundry and other miscellaneous items were strewn about the house. I was depressed.  Every time we go on vacation, it gets harder and harder to come back.

The four of us have begun discussion on where we will venture to next year.  Colorado again? Utah maybe?  We shall see.  Until then, we will venture out on weekend trips.  Can't wait for our new trailer! Stay tuned for that!!

Day 7: Farewell

Today would be our last day in Colorado. The boys began breaking down camp while Mandy and I made a simple breakfast. The trailer was broken down and prepped for travel. I gave our beloved little campsite one last look and we headed out.

Our plan was to do one more trail in Silverton before leaving. We began down a good dirt road.

The road became a one laner up a mountain. While we have taken the trailer up much more complicated terrain than this, we were not looking for a difficult morning. We had a significant amount of mileage to accomplish. All in all, we were less than impressed with the trail book we bought. The trail descriptions were less than accurate and the maps were difficult to read.

It was a beautiful area and I was sad to turn around but it was necessary.

We were looking at spending the majority of the day in the Jeep, zooming down countless miles of slab towards Arizona, so a play stop was in order.

One last look at Silverton. This small little town will have my heart until I find another more spectacular vista to cavort with.

Relucantly we bid adieu to Colorado and began the southern journey home. As the odometer counted up, the temperature rose, mountains shrank in the distance and trees became a memory. The dogs slumbered in the back while Mike and I discussed the weeks activities.

By dinner, we were in Showlow, Arizona. We pulled down a "forest" road and hasitly set up camp for the night.

A storm was quickly approaching. We had just enough time for a quick dinner before the lightening set upon us.

By morning, the camp was mud. Sticky, red mud. Paws were caked with it. Camp gear was covered in it. Our gear got dirtier on the last night than it did the whole week prior. Go figure. We packed up, played with lizards, and prepped for another long day in the Jeep.

Camping was tough. Driving home was tougher.

Colorado was an excellent vacation. A whole week where our only responsibilities were to ourselves and our dogs. No work, no chores, nothing but relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. I could seriously get used to this. I understand the compulsion to sell everything, pack up your vehicle of choice and explore the world. If it were possible, it would be done.


Parting words from the lid of a ice tea bottle. Words to live by....

"Spend more time on what makes you happy"