Five Rocks (on the Stanton Road)

Hello Family & Friends,
Today we went to Yarnell, AZ for breakfast through the desert.  We took the Old Stagecoach road, twisting and turning through the back mountain side.  After breakfast (or more like brunch -- arriving at 10AM -- we left at 8:45am from North Ranch's back gate) we headed to Five (5) Rocks to explore one of the trails.  There are "pictures" on the rocks (I cannot spell the word, or say either).

Looks like one of the little desert lizards and the bottom to the left is unique?? Not sure what it is exactly

Susan decided to climb to the "almost" top of the rock pile

In case you didn't make them out on the rock, I am pointing them out!

We saw a ground squirrel which looks like a tree squirrel but there are no trees!!  He was perched on the rocks and enjoying the warm sunshine heat.

Five Rocks is a pile of rocks marking the trail down the Stanton Road.

The sign posted is for the Arizona State Trust land which you need a permit to travel on.

Scenery along the trail -- lots of saguaros

Mountains in the distance -- we actually traveled through them to Yarnell.

We had a great day to travel and explore, cool morning with the sunshine warming us up.  We headed back down Martinez wash, or Antelope wash -- not sure, some named wash.  We arrived home around 2:00pm so it was a busy exploration day!

Oh, my Ladies Pistol class is going well, 4 more weeks left and I am really enjoying the "all ladies" group as it is nice to spend time with the girls.  One of the ladies lives across the street at North Ranch and we went "target" practicing last Sunday -- both of our husbands went as well.

Here's my target from the day -- the bigger holes are from Darrel's pistol.  We had a really nice day for the practice.

I'll keep you posted on my progress in the pistol class.

Take care, sending our love and blessings,

Susan & Darrel

Enjoying Box Canyon Scenery

Dear Family & Friends,
It truly amazes me the sights we see as we journey to the places we visit.  This post is mostly pictures that caught my attention during the day (and a few I sneaked in without anyone aware : )

Darrel caught the back of me as he took a pic of the canyon

Cactus are such resilient plants, they crowd the cliff sides and hang on to dear life.

Every time I see a cliff or hill side that is dotted with saguaros, 

it amazes me as you don't see this in the midwest plains.

I caught this youngster (probably not very old) on the rocky cliffs.

This boulder lined the Hassayampa River edge -- look at the conglomeration of stones compressed!

Yes, there is water in Arizona and we actually experienced it moving along the riverbed.

(I had told Darrel I would miss the Colorado creeks/rivers when we left 

so it was good to see running water)

More water trails -- we actually saw some of it frozen along the shady canyon side!

Bob's Polaris up the riverbed from our location.

This device actually measures the amount of water and a lot of the water is underground.

Darrel found these bird nests dotting the cliff sides -- not sure what lives there?

Bob & Ruger at the Polaris - Ruger enjoyed the water, belly down to check it out! 

we had visitors to the canyon (in the truck) join us -- they were headed for a hike.

Ruger in Box Canyon -- he is truly our guide most of the time!

We arrived home about 4 1/2 hours later and really tired, but always amazed and what we see along the way.

Until next time and a new place,

We send our love and blessings,

Susan & Darrel

Box Canyon - Amazing!

Hello Family & Friends,
I think I have several things to share and will probably do it in a couple of posts -- I don't want the posts to get so long that you think you are reading a novel : )

We visited Box Canyon which is behind Round Mountain (we tried to find it the day we went to Round mountain and the 2nd day to retrieve the camera, but we didn't) and near the Boyd Ranch. It was a beautiful day in Arizona but a chilly start to the day.  We found the correct turnoffs the first time looking for them and had a beautiful view of the canyon walls along the Hassayampa River and then a few more feet down the wash is a turn off into Box Canyon.

Darrel & Susan in Box Canyon

Coming out of Box Canyon -- the temperature dropped at least 5 degrees as we headed in.

Darrel & Susan at the entrance of Box Canyon -- there are these amazing "evergreen" trees like a weeping willow but LARGE!

This is what those evergreens look like from a distance and Darrel to the right.

Below are more pics of Box Canyon:

We really enjoyed our visit to Box Canyon and hope to go back and spend some additional time.  I cannot wait to see the desert in spring time -- we saw so much "green" which is unusual for the desert at this time of year.  With all the rain, some one told us we should have beautiful desert flowers and I am excited to see what the desert looks like in the springtime.

Catch the next post with some pics about "things we saw" in and around Box Canyon!

From the Arizona explorers,

Susan & Darrel

Two Tales of Lost & Found

Hello Family & Friends,
OK, this will be a post about Found, Lost & Found and Lost & Found -- you'll understand this much better as you continue reading -- I will throw in a pic or two but for the most part this is a reading story, need a beverage and I guarantee some smiles along the way.

Tale of the Found, Lost, Found Gold:
When we were in Colorado prospecting for gold, we would spend a day having Brad metal detect the creek bed, aka wash or where ever we were looking.  Darrel would try his hand with Brad's extra detector and Mickey (the Midas gal in the group) and Susan would look for good areas and use our pinpointers to sniff out the gold in the dirt (Mickey does this really well).  Anyway, as we worked the wash, Brad found some zip, zips (this is the sound the detector makes) and bits and pieces of gold.  These treasures go into a specimen bottle and are stored in his vest pocket.  We walked the wash for several hours and at the end of the day, we headed back to the Jeep and stowed the gear.

We then headed to the mine a few miles away (I have a previous blog with the mine pics) and after we headed back to the jeep, Brad looked in his vest pocket and couldn't find the bottle.  We headed back to the dry wash (around 4pm so daylight was limited) and looked and rewalked the wash, didn't find the bottle.  We headed home, pretty disappointed.  You've worked so hard to find the darn stuff, and then to drop or misplace the bottle was just down right heart breaking.

The next morning, Brad asked if we wanted to go back to see if we could find it with better light.  We packed a lunch and headed out.  After arriving back at the sight, gearing up and heading out, I was kicking around by where we parked the Jeep the previous day and saw the glint of gold and/or glass bottle and hollered out, Found it!!!  We joked and called that the Found, Lost, Found Gold!!! Whew, it was a great feeling to get that back in Brad's possession.

Tale of the Lost & Found Camera:
If you read my previous post, this story will be the happy ending.  Bob showed up at 7:50am on Monday (1/21) and we headed back to round mountain to the wash to see if by any chance we would find my camera I dropped or misplaced on Sunday.  We all were pretty somber and thought it was pretty much a snowball's chance in Hell to find it.  Bob figured our best chance was early.  It took about 30 mins. to get back to our location I could last remember using it. 

As we swung around the curve, Bob hollers out, there it is!  I had put it back in the case as I always do, and it way lying right there in the middle of the wash.  Fortunately, nobody had passed that way after us or if they did, didn't recognize it for a camera case.  It was cold but turned right on and worked perfectly!

The sun was up and finally coming down into the wash

Cactus on the mountain in the sunlight

The spot Bob found the camera on the ground

Bob, Ruger and Susan at the camera found site (Darrel's taking the pic)

Yes, it was a chilly morning and the wind was blowing

A few more pics of Round Mountain Day 1 and Day 2 : )

Further down the wash we go

Darrel and Ruger, visiting the bush (if you know what I mean)

Ruger loves to run!!!

Bob and Ruger out looking for rocks!

So I hope you've enjoyed the Tales of losing and finding!  It was such luck that both items were found and it reminds us to Pay Attention to what we are doing in the moment (which I will definitely be more attentive of my camera's whereabouts!)

Until the next post, sending love and well wishes your way,

S & D

Round Mountain...& oops

Hello,
Just a quick post, we went to Round Mountain today (Sun. 1/20) and while enjoying the scenery and trying to find some dry washes for prospecting and bringing home samples, I managed to lose my camera, so no pics to share 😢 😢 😢 😢 😢.

We had such a great trip, saw our first javelinas (four of them ran across the trail), two hawks, two jackrabbits, one roadrunner and lots of beautiful scenery.....I took some shots of Round Mountain and the surrounding area....

We headed back home and when we unpacked our gear, I asked Darrel, hey, do you have the camera in your pocket and he replied, no, you had it and didn't give it back to me.... so I have no idea what happened.

I took the pics, must have laid down the camera as I ate a granola bar (I thought I handed it back to Darrel to put in his coverall pockets), we dug some more dirt and lugged a couple of buckets to the ATV and then headed back.  I didn't take any more pictures or even think about the camera....until we got back to the RV.

Bless Bob's heart he it going to take us back out along the same trail to Round Mountain to see if we can find what might have happened to the camera.  It is a really long shot, I'm sure and it could have fallen out along the way back home .... if I could remember any more details it would probably help track it down...and of course, someone else might have stumbled up on it in their travelings and picked it up.
(I owe Bob big time --  a dinner, cookies and fuel for his kindness in trying to track it down!)

So send us some good luck wishes and fingers crossed that we might find it -- we did find Bob's dog, Ruger's chew toy Crabby (looks like a crab) as we went out this morning so I guess we might find a camera, too!

If not, the blogs will be missing pictures until I can replace the camera.  Although I am sad and disappointed at losing it, I can find the silver lining:

1. First and foremost, no one got hurt (except the camera)
2. It wasn't my phone which is why I don't take it out on the desert
3. There wasn't any "questionable" pictures on it 😆
4. And even though it was a very good camera and in good working order, it was several years old

So until the next post updating you on the camera issue,
The Not-So-Happy Travelers today,
Susan & Darrel

JPN....Just Plain News

Hello Family & Friends,
This week has been slow for activities, in fact, I am not really sure we've done anything exciting.... well, we had a tax appointment to figure out what to do when you are on the road traveling around (nomadic is not a checkbox on a tax form 😉) and yes, you do still have to file taxes.  So we are asking questions and getting the paperwork together.

Then on Wed. I had a hair cut appointment, trying to reshape my short hair cut as it continues to grow.  I am trying to figure out a little more length but something that is easy to care for too.

Friday was a quick trip to Prescott to do some shopping for basic supplies.

Sunday we headed into Surprise and visited an orange grove and went to a Walmart for forgotten items and then to the thrift stores -- still on a look out for induction cookware and grilling pans.

Oh and I am taking a Ladies Pistol class on Tuesdays through February.  It is for ladies only and we are learning basic skills and safety mostly -- but practice shooting too.  It is at the gun club in Wickenburg.  We have had 2 classes and the 2nd class was on the torrential rain day so we were in the classroom cleaning our pistols and learning about concealed carry and ways to keep safe.  Arizona has open carry so you see folks carry pistols from time to time.

But I do have one pic to share -- I have had my FitBit tracker for 2 years now and at the end of the year the FitBit stats are emailed to me for the entire year --- it is quite amazing to see what you have accomplished over the year for fitness and activity.

I hope you can read the small print as to the comparisons of the circles.  Sometimes my FitBit and I don't get along (that is mostly the weekly status, when I don't move enough, or have enough steps...) but at the end of the year, it does provide that reminder of how much I have done!

Darrel keeps learning about gold detecting and we hope to get out in the desert with the metal detector again soon.  He watches YouTube videos from the masters to pick up their tips of the trade.  He keeps busy with wood carving and rearranges the storage inside and out of the RV so that keeps me busy trying to find stuff he has moved!

The temps are much better for us, the news tonight said that February was expected to be drier and warmer that normal but I don't put much stock in the weather stats... one lady in the Pistol class said the Farmer's Almanack says cooler and rainier temps so there you go, we'll see when the days get here.

Guess I don't know much more news or items to share, we are both doing great, staying healthy and trying to get more walks into our days!  I still manage to get pickleball playing in several times a week and really enjoy the extra exercise while having fun!

We think of you all and try to keep in touch with phone calls and/or these blog posts.  Call us anytime remembering the mountain time zone time difference 😀 - we tend to sleep in so calling before 9AM MT, will get our answer message!

Happy Trails,
Susan & Darrel

Stanton, Arizona

Hello Family & Friends,
Two blog posts in a day?  I'm on a roll and playing catch up from being a vacationing slacker 😀

Thanks to Bob's kindness and willingness to show us the area, we visited Stanton, AZ -- it is difficult to explain the "town" of Stanton so if you click the "Stanton link" you will get a Wikipedia explanation of the town, now a RV park, and I'm going out on the limb to say a Visitors Attraction.  Also here's a website for the Ghost town Stanton information.

We headed out to Stanton (without dog, Ruger) to checkout the Stanton RV Park/Visitors sites and the non-working mine above the town.  The buildings are still in use at the RV park and we saw lots of RVs staying at the park while we were visiting.

General Store & Hotel Stanton with other businesses sharing the building

Side view of 1st picture

We didn't check in -- and yes, it was a cool temp day!

Bob and Darrel pointing out the perfect "tripadvisor" hotel to visit!

The Opera House is used as a community hall

A really nice, long porch for afternoon gatherings, I imagine.

The back side porch was a little smaller and appeared to be more like a service entry.

Of course, the outhouse is a necessity (but the RV park had more modern facilities)

Buildings dotted the wash behind the Opera House and Hotel, and General Store.

The wash behind the living area still has some snow from our "snowy day"

On to the mine above, traveling over quite the "rocky" trail -- I'm thinking pack mules were the only transportation to carry all the supplies needed, poor mules.

Looking out over the valley of Stanton and further on to Congress and Wickenburg.

The Weaver mountains of Arizona

Steep and craggy

Headed to the mine shaft area

Rigging remains

The rock formations are amazing.

Absolutely beautiful view!

Susan at the mine opening (it goes a looooooong way down there)!

So I think that catches you up on the happenings of the Pendergasts.  The temps have gotten much warmer the week of Jan. 7 and I even took a bike ride around the park on Wednesday, 1/9.

Until the next adventure, sending blessings your way,

Susan & Darrel