Once I made the decision that I’d be heading back to the Sonoran desert national Monument because of the crappy weather to the east I knew that I’d be a bit over my limit. However, I’ve watched so many people do exactly that. It does bother me a little, but since I pick up trash and absolutely love just leaving my trailer and walking every morning, I decided it was worth it.
Mother Nature seemed to approve, sending me a rainbow and a little visitor to check in on me. The time was massively productive, and I completed my website project. I am now set up to track my Ultimate American Quest and be able to do some more intelligent planning as I target which National Treasures to visit and when.
Can you see the little friend that came to my campsite? I love how spectacularly well they blend in on the desert ground.
On one of my walks, I found a campsite where someone had some time on their hands and constructed a stone labyrinth. They are simple meditative or spiritual paths often used for walking meditation, contemplation, or as a symbolic journey inward.
Last year, when I was here in the Sonora Desert National Monument, the creosote bushes and grass were green. This is a much drier year, and both are still brown. However, the ocotillo trees are still beginning to bloom.
I’m not exactly sure why the air quality in this area occasionally goes absolutely bonkers. In one of those cases, I saw some of the worst air quality I’ve seen since being near wildfires in Colorado.
A few days before I was planning on leaving, the weather decided to remind me that I was in the desert. I ended up having to set up my generator and run the air conditioner in the afternoon to keep the inside of the trailer below 100°. And I decided it was time to lose the scraggly beard. Damn I wish I could grow a decent looking set a facial hair.
Here are a few random pictures from my walks. I can’t say any of them are all that spectacular, but I just wanted to capture some of what I saw.
As I wasn’t doing any traveling and had a bit more home time on my hands, I roasted some vegetables and tried making burritos in my solar oven. It worked out great.
