Two Local Mini Hikes & Search For Water Part I

   **Another post first published in MY newest Exploring page     http://exarizonagobensonbobcats.blogspot.com/   Check it out!!**

           Good morning to everyone!  As always I hope that you enjoy this Exploring page even half as much as I enjoy posting and taking the pictures for this page.  This is my third such page, and I would like to hope that with my newest page things are getting close to perfect.  For the most part this blog is about amazing Arizona and will soon take us across the entire state and back.  I hope that you share the link with anyone that lives in the sun filled state, has a special place in there heart for Arizona, or to your family and friends that are not seeing as much sunshine!  Although I try to keep this page very local -sometimes I venture further down the road.  Next week I will be in Palm Springs, so of course several picture filled posts will follow.  Our new home is Benson, Arizona so many of the adventures focus around this part of Arizona at the moment.  For tons of more adventures  and maybe some random rambling please check out my first blog page  at: www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com

I just read an amazing article about how important it is to take your kids on hikes.

From teaching them new skills, to just getting them away from it all.

And most of the time I take one or all of our kids along with me.

On this day though it was just Butch and I.

Sometimes we just need to be alone with our thoughts

sweating out the negatives and enjoying the quiet the desert has to offer.

Like these plants I have been searching for areas of water in the last week of Exploring.

Not an easy task when in the desert in February.

But the next few posts will show I have found some areas in and around Benson!

Most of the places we seem to roam will be filled with gushing water during the mighty monsoon season.

Down by the runoff I found this small rock stack.

I used to find them all of the time while roaming around the bay in Bellingham, Washington.

An area so pretty I also have a picture filled blog page just from the area!

Maybe after coming from an area with so much water--to living here

is the main reason I am looking for an desert oasis.

Maybe I am just bored.

Rock stacking-Expert level.

Clouds kept rolling in and than on by on this day.

This downed barbed wire fence is not protecting much anymore.

 Although we saw many signs that water was lurking just below the sandy surface, we found no standing water once again.  These pictures are once again from the area in Benson just down from the motels, Jack In The Box, and on the way to the city dump.  I have reported on this area several times before and had found no water so we moved on. 

What path will you choose?

In your hikes and in every day life. 

The easy path that is well traveled

or the path that few have ventured. 

Before we venture to the next Exploring location--I must vent a little bit. 

Every time I take a hike through the desert, I find piles of garbage every time I venture out.  Many times when still basically in city limits.  

I realize the above picture is of abandoned palm trees and not really garbage, but it was dumped in the middle of the desert.  

This is the desert NOT your personal/free dump sight.  

My kids are instantly drawn to the garbage to look for something neat or to break. 

And of course our dogs are equally as drawn. 

This takes away from any great adventure -every time. 

If you pack it in--pack it out. 

Please stop!

 OK  I will jump off of my soap box now and continue on with the Exploring.

We jumped in the pickup and headed further down the road.
Still searching for water. 

This time we headed towards St David.

Parking just before the rail road tracks and quickly headed across the highway- down beside the bridge. 

Butch and I had found water. 

Nor much and not the cleanest

but Butch was instantly running back and forth threw the liquid. 

Since we were again greeted by a very sunny day, we ventured on.

This mostly hidden tree fort looks strong still, but also appears to not have been used for a very long time.  

Soon we found a solar powered electric fence.  After stopping Butch from marking the fence- we decided it was time to head back.  

But first I must share this quick story about my buddy I am going to visit next week.

Years ago he and some friends decided to tube a mighty river in the heart of Washington state. 

My buddy got separated from his group and at some point decided to leave the cooling water and walk.  He came to this huge field and noticed many cows just standing in the middle of the field with what appeared to be a string supported by fence posts all around the cows. 

The pasture was in the way of getting to his truck -so he proceeded forward. 

As he again started walking, he pondered why the stupid cows would stay in an area only protected by a thin string. 

He was still processing this, as he approached the string and grabbed it with both hands.

This completed the circuit and shocked the crap out of my buddy.

It seems he really is a city slicker, and was not simply grabbing a cow restraing string, but the wire for an electric fence!

This was just on the other side of the electric fence.   

I am not sure what it is, but it really seemed to need to be protected. 

And I was not about to get shocked to attempt to learn what this was for.  

One last shot of the actual flowing water, before heading back to the truck.

This was Butch as soon as we returned home.  

...But First, Coffee

           It has been cloudy and rainy and windy here since last night.  And the temperatures have dipped clean down into the 50's.   I have friends and family across the country, but many in Wyoming--so I do enjoy telling how nice it is here in the desert.   Two days back it was 75 outside here, and I enjoyed a nice Exploring hike.  The weather right now is pretty much what you see all winter in Oregon and Washington.  I believe it being over cast and gloomy almost every day was far worse than the rain.  If it is going to be crummy it might as well dump rain too.  The constant clouds mess with your head and make you gloomy, and than when the sun does make an appearance, it is a huge shocker!   And everyone runs around squinting, asking people they pass--what that bright light in the sky is called. 

 

  I usually push hikes and any kind of Exploring lately.  Beyond being healthy I find each one amazingly calming and a great way to wear out the kiddos and dogs.  Plus I can get some great pictures-and get to get out --away from Facebook and enjoy the temperatures of the desert.   I have so many places to Explore-and each will make it into my newest blog page of course.  That said, after living in the Great North West for so long, and being soaked to the phone on many a hike, or attempt to get my mail.   I really am not motivated to go on any type of hike when it is a blustery and or gloomy day.   Be advised these type of daze require even more coffee consumption for me, and can easily result in multiple blog posts!

 

 

 



                                                                             Is this helpful or not??
                                                                        Either way it made me laugh.

 

   Those of you that have not watched Sesame Street in awhile-might not have noticed that Cookie Monster now eats way less cookies.   Someone decided that his un-healthy addiction was making our kids fatter.   And he now eats lots of fruits and veggies.   I have talked about how ridiculous this is before.   But now ponder why the C can't stand for coffee!

 



 

     We often try and figure out what the new huge toy is going to be --so that we can stock pile them and mark up the prices for frantic parents just before Christmas.   We never are very good at predicting.  But I think it is safe to say the above is not going to be a huge seller.

 

 

 

 

 

With the weekend coming up   I offer this....

 

 

 

 



 

It's a real nail bitter!

 

 

 

  

 Just the other day I rambled again about jogging-and the joys of just staying at home and enjoying a beer over jogging!  After that random rambling I found the above thoughts. 

 

 

 



 

Now that's one big bird!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     A few weeks back I had a huge brain fart and lost our camera.   Not a huge loss-in the terms that the camera -not me, so much, took crummy pictures for the most part.  But since a huge part of what "I do" is taking pictures, I was at a loss.   I quickly found the camera we are using now.  And I must say, and have heard from others, that the pictures come out MUCH betterer!  Almost two years ago--wow--I had a discussion with one of my bosses about picture taking.   She wondered with the advancement of super cameras -if it was really the camera or the picture taker that was amazing.  And if one really could take a bad picture.   Yes there are some amazing camera's out there-if you have enough cash.   I recently borrowed one that was worth more than our pickup.   One of the lenses was worth more than our pickup.  And after I mostly got over being afraid to touch the thing --got some super amazing pictures.   Honestly the camera did most of the work-point-shoot--amazing picture.   But with out having the I--even with the best camera, your pictures will never be great.   Real photographers--and I am far from calling myself one, have a different view of people and things.   They can scan a country side, and know what will look amazing in full size.   My grandmother had a state of the art camera in it's day.   A top of the line Polaroid--"shake it like a  Polaroid picture!"  And she loved taking pictures.   But as much as she attempted, she could not pull off a good shot -for anything.   If we all stood perfectly still, fake smiles fading after the first 30 minutes of pictures.   Ten  of the 80 shots would actually have people-us--in them.   The rest would be of the sky, an ant hill, the Lockness Monster, or even the Eiffel Tower!   A real feat, since we lived in Wyoming.   Of the ten---three would be in focus.   I am in no way making fun of this wonderful woman---but stating that a huge percent of good pictures, is due to the camera.  But defiantly not all of it.   

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Yahoo--August Brings Us Closer To School Starting Again!!

     I start off today with Today's picture of the day!   This was last Saturday while the family and I chilled at Boulevard Park.  We enjoyed the day and had a quick BBQ.  Quick because the wind coming off of the bay was very chilly for being a July day.   I got a quick shot of this great sail boat cruising by.   This also shows one of the many very popular benches.  I have read that there is a huge list of people that want to dedicate benches to loved ones.  And they pay $500 and up for the honor.   Once again proving I am in the wrong business.  

    As today's title shows-- although it is sad that summer is already on it's way out, it inches us that much closer to the start of the school year.  With three kids at home for the summer break, that news is like an early Christmas gift for the adults!   I at least now, disappear to work for most of the day-five days a week, so get a little bit of an escape.  

    Last month our oldest son asked us what our favorite building in Bellingham was.  After some thought on the subject--I decided it has to be the old city hall building.  I have a ton of pictures of it.  This one I just took a few days ago.  You can see the building from most of town, and it allows for a great picture from almost any angle.  

     

  I was out exploring the other day and came across this sign possibly written for me, and had to get a quick shot of it.  This was on a caboose.  I have always loved cabooses and am sad that they appear on fewer and fewer trains now a days.  I always thought an abandoned, yet fixed up caboose would make an awesome office space.  

     Anyways speaking of trouble-as we pulled into our apartment complex this afternoon, we were greeted by several police cars in the parking lot.  Not greeted, as they were there to see us, but to visit another neighbor.  Of course everyone else was outside --watching.   One neighbor had all of her doors open, and I was joking about her being busy inside flushing all the evidence because she thought the police were coming to her house.  Similarly one morning when I was still working at a restaurant in Wyoming--- just as I was walking up to the back door to start my work shift, a cop car pulled up from both directions, parking behind me.  I was overly nervous and was ready to assume the position and put my arms up on the wall to be searched.  But they were there for one of our cooks that day.  

         

     I have been out roaming taking new pictures.  So many exploring blogs are in the works.  
This is downtown on Holly Street.  You can see the rocket statue behind me for Rocket Donuts.  Every time I am in this area, I can smell the donuts and instantly crave one.  Today for the first time I got to fill that craving.  My family and I went in the place.  They have a large dinning area, filled with great sights.  And the donuts are as great as they smell!   They also have lots of selections of coffee and Pepsi in glass bottles.   It just tastes better that way, some how.  

   I believe if we changed the chores--- and tried this in our home, everything would be done daily for sure.   

**"Not only do I take the short bus to work, I drive it!"**

     I have written about this before---but I have always wanted to ride the city bus in some large town, like Seattle.  And wear a helmet and act, "special."   Put an rear view mirror on the side of it.   Think about it, you could do almost anything, and no one, including the bus driver would punch you.  

                                                                           Ooooook!?

                                                                   Wait     what!?

You look perfect!!

Now that's deep!

     Tomorrow we go on a mini road trip.  At the moment, because I am new at work, and weekends are very very busy, I do not work weekends.   This is taking a lot of getting used to.  I will return with an exploring blog.   I recently got another Shel Silverstein book for my birthday, so I will leave you with this poem.....

                                                       Scale

      **"If I could only see the scale I am sure that it would state, that I have lost ounces, maybe pounds or even tons of weight. You better eat some pancakes, your skinny as a rail, I am sure that's what the scale would say, if I could see the scale!"**--- Shel Silverstein