ON THE ROAD TO HOME

Dawn arrives on time here in Stevens Point, Wisconsin...no sun, just damp gray clouds.  I ask the same question every year, "Why do we come home before the snow has melted?"  One more day of driving the blue-roads and home is where we'll be. Yes, things could be worse, a lot worse, just take a look around the world, there is a lot of crazy crap happening out there.

I won't post all the pictures of my latest lifer birds since last update....about 25 new...so here's just a few pics of life on the road to home.

Homeless Danny in his tent, waiting-out a 48 hour cold rain.  I took him a bowl of hot black beans. 

What a crock of crap, we all know there ain't nothing free, especially 72 oz of beef steak....Hmm, unless maybe they are collecting roadkill.  To me it takes a dumb-ass to put up a sign like that and a dumb-ass to believe it.

Another roadside attraction makes me smile.

With 5 mules and Jesus as your friend, life on the road is probably better than living in the suburbs.

These are things that scare the crap out of me.  Someone better start paying attention or we'll be owned, lock, stock and barrel by self-serving corporations. 

As long as the government can keep the working stiff's belly full of some kind of crap-food, and the TV blaring for distraction, they (the masses) will not complain.  Wake up America, wake up!  No, make that "Wake up world."  Monsanto is about to take over.

Silos full of Monsanto, genetically modified corn soon to appear on a plate at your table.

That's it folks, see ya next winter, if someone doesn't turn out the lights in the meantime.

"STUPID IS WHAT STUPID DOES"

Spring often brings the unexpected weather pattern and this year was no exception.  In Springerville, NM we awoke to find a lovely blanket of snow spread across the 7,000 Ft. elevation.

Oh the incongruity of it all. No bike riding today.

Snow, seeing the bright side, can be beautiful in the mountains.

This Ferruginous Hawk (a new lifer for me) didn't seem to mind the snow.  Might have even made finding his breakfast a little easier.

Whoever the revved-up cowboys or cowgirls were that shot up this sign need to have their guns taken away.  "STUPID IS WHAT STUPID DOES."  

Salt deposits of Laguna Del Perro along Hwy 60 New Mexico.

A little south of Magdalina, NM, out by the fairgrounds, sitting in the sun for the past 20 years, we found this amazing 90' installation of recycled mixed media by Holly Hughes. The town touts not the forgotten art. Holly has moved on to greener pastures.  Where?  Maybe she'll see this and give me a shout.

The endless barren stretches of Highway 60, once a major east-west corridor connects a few hardscrabble towns lain near ruin by dust, time, railroad consolidation and Interstate 40.

SHOW LOW, ARIZONA

A nice couple of days in Show Low, AZ at the Fool Hollow Recreation Area.

Arizona Gray Squirrels were everywhere and much tamer than wildlife should be.

Western Blue Bird another lifer for me.

Gray-headed Dark-eyed Junco a little further south than is normal.

One of the abundant Acorn Woodpeckers.  A lifer for my list.

Western Banded Gecko.  Notice the little legs...Look close.

Enjoying the sun, a lizard eyes me suspiciously.

An old conifer still beautiful many years after it quit producing needles.

An old Blue-shirted Duck enjoying activities with his device, camera and afternoon cocktail. 

COOLING DOWN

Leaving 90 degree days and sweaty sleeping nights we head east and north to higher elevations with home our direction.

We find a nice BLM spot on Vulture Mine road about a dozen miles south of Wickenburg, AZ.

We're alone in a meadow of Teddy Bear Cholla, Saguaro and Creosote Bush.

Jackie builds an obelisk of white quartz saying, "I've been here

and I create a feeding station to attract the birds~~~No takers.

Leaving the dirt trail and back on the paved road we see a driveway entrance with a couple of large metal Vultures.  Well it is, after-all, Vulture Mine Road.

We move on and skirt Phoenix to the north and east and spend a night at Superstition Mountain, Lost Duchman Mine State Park. Beautiful!

Rugged and huge, a great place to lose a mine.

 Strawberry Hedgehog cactus with a startling display of flowers.

With the wet spring even the Pancake Prickly Pear is blooming.

Lifer bird, "Bullock's Oriole.

Another lifer, "Western Scrub Jay.  *Photo by Jackie*

Headed further NE into yet higher elevations.  The sun is more intense but the furnace-like heat has past and the nighttime temps are in the mid 40's, good sleeping.

Arkansas oil spill~~You know this can happen to any one of us.