Snow in the desert

Yesterday we went out on our usual walking routine in the neighborhood and we got bonus! As we looked across the valley at Red Rock National Recreation Area as well as all across the face of the Spring Mountain range, a beautiful dusting of snow caught our eye. Usually, it snows up on Mount Charleston but not down at the elevation of the Spring range. What a special thing to take our minds off Covid, even if only for a few minutes.

But then another thing happened that gave us a moment’s break from Covid – but this one lasted a lot longer. When we woke up and looked out our picture windows, we saw our back yard, as well as all our neighbor’s, were covered with a solid layer of snow. It wasn’t a thick blanket by Minnesota standards, but it certainly was by desert standards. Bonus again!

I have to admit, my lovely bride, the Woman, is really a child at heart. As we walked the entire neighborhood taking in all the snow-covered bushes, palm trees and cactuses, the Woman just couldn’t help herself. On several occasions she stopped to build a snowman for a neighbor to enjoy. This one was particularly awesome!

Talking to you soon.

Even more Sun City Anthem wildlife

We have gotten used to frequently seeing our Grey Hawk, usually perched high on a street lamp pole. Less often is our Great Horned Owl, usually in one of our neighborhood deciduous trees. And our favorite has been our multiple times a day visits by Chunk. Chunk was named by our daughter Karen, and I think you would agree the name fits.

But this morning we were visited by a couple of guys we hadn’t seen strolling the community before. We spotted them when we were about 4 blocks away, and expected them to be gone by the time we got there. But when we actually came down the block, we had spotted them on, they were still there. As we approached, they seemed to be begrudging as they slowly made their way up the cart path onto the golf course. When we got to the corner where they had been we figured out why – all that was left was the fuzzy bunny tail.

Talking to you soon.

More fatigue

We are all dealing with Covid fatigue. No dining out, no going to the movies, no stopping at the pub for a bump, no getting with friends to share stories. Every day is the same – out early for a walk, breakfast, second walk, pre-lunch walk, lunch along with two episodes of Sopranos or Boardwalk Empire, play some games, watch Lester Holt and NBC Nightly News, then dinner and a couple more episodes. Somewhere sandwiched in with all that activity, a guy has to make some puzzle time.

Talk to you soon.

Covid and other fatigue

We’re all still dealing with Covid fatigue. But now, on top of it, we are dealing with election, government and impeachment fatigue. It is unbelievable that right now, there are more Federal troops stationed in Washington DC around the capital than there are stationed in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined! I guess that all we can do right now is to find something comforting to grab onto and not let it go.

Talking to you soon.

More Sun City Anthem wildlife

We’ve been please with the amount of wildlife in our neighborhood. Bunnies dart all over the place when we are out on walks. Our familiar hummingbirds visit our feeder, as well as some we haven’t gotten to know yet. Many early mornings we are serenaded by a virtual chorus of coyotes. And, at least once a week we spot the Grey Hawk I’ve mentioned before. Lately in the depth of the night we hear an owl that sounds like it is just outside our window, and yesterday afternoon we actually spotted him (or her, not sure how to tell) sitting on street light – bonus!

Talking to you soon.

Happy New Year!

Thank heavens that 2020 is finally in the rear-view mirror. With the vaccines on the way, we hope that 2021 will bring back at least some sense of normal. Normality did eventually return after pandemics of the past – Spanish Flu for example. We can only hope that Covid ends up running a similar course. The Woman is already booking RV sites for May – maybe a bit optimistic, but you gotta start sometime. In the meantime, we’ll just watch the New Year’s fireworks from our patio.

We set out on one of our boredom drives. In 1775 the Spaniards found gold in what came to be called Eldorado Canyon. It wasn’t until just before the Civil War that the town of Nelson was established, along with three gold mines – the Techatticup, Wall Street and Savage mines, During the time that the mines were operated, about over $5 million of gold ore was removed.

We ventured down to the Colorado River just for fun and for a bit of a walk. The mines are just outside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, so we didn’t have too far to drive. There used to be a marina and other facilities where Eldorado Canyon meets the Colorado, however, about 35 years ago a flash flood destroyed everything in its path. The Marina and the facilities had not been profitable enough to warrant rebuilding.

Talk to you soon.