PAHRANAGAT WILDLIFE REFUGE

Thursday morning I thought about writing this blog but then my camera broke. Needless to say this was very upsetting to me. Once I got over the heartbreak I started the fight with the CPS warranty company. They want to deny my claim and say that the problem is either abuse or normal wear and tear. I don't think so. I have not abused my camera and having the power switch break when it is only one and a half years old is not normal. This has been very upsetting. Then Friday (the 28th) was my birthday and I had to deal with that. Now to top everything off I have a error going on with the blog. What is this... full moon madness? lol

But on with the blog... On the trip from the Cove Campgrounds in Idaho to this campground we spent the night sleeping in a road turnout. The next morning I got up to make coffee and found I could bearly control my body. I felt like my brain was moving forward and backwards... rather then dizzy it was like waves. I could not walk and think at the same time. After Phil stepped outside he came back with the answer... we were within a mile of a wind generator farm. Being sensitive to electrical fields I cannot do wind farms. I spent the next three days trying to get my body and brain to function normally. Not something I want to experience again. We wondered what the red lights were in that field and now we know so it won't happen again. If we see a field full of red blinking lights we will know it is a wind farm not an air strip landing area.

The campground we are at now is an oasis in the desert. We are eighty miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada. There are canadian geese, snow geese, mallards, teals, cranes, and alot of American Coots on the lake. It is sad to see the effects of global warming here in this refuge. The lower and middle lakes are dried up leaving only the upper one and it is shrinking...

 

The area around the lake is very pretty with the large cottonwood trees and the green grasses... an oasis surrounded by the harsh desert...

 

 

We traveled hwy 93 and ran into several herds of wild horses. The first group had foals in the herd. The herd in this photo has three in the group but two of them are behind the mares. The small horse with the white butt is a foal that was standing on the road. But the time my camera was on and ready I could only get the one shot of him heading for the ditch. But man was he pretty...

 

 

We passed another herd of horses that were scattered out on top of a mountain. Some were standing just off the roadway such as this mare... 

 

We caught up with the storm that went through the Cove Campground in Idaho as we traveled through Neveda...

 

 

 

One thing I am learning is not to trust the Google maps. I mapped out the roads to travel and one road turned out to be a gravel backroad not paved as shown on Google. It was a bit scarey over the mountain traveling...

 

The above photo is as we came off the mountain into the valley but shows the road we traveled. This section of it was not like a washboard and is pretty straight compared to what we left behind us. I have to admit I was impressed with Phil's driving ability. It was hard to keep traction on the washboard and going around curves with major dropoff was frightening to me. I refused to look out the side window lol.

Well, I am fighting a popup error message and it is getting to be flustrating so I will close this with the message... no matter what problems pop up in life.... just keep on dancing...

STILL HERE AT THE COVE REC. IDAHO

We are still here at the Cove campground in Idaho.  We will hit the road this coming Monday and begin our way back to Sun Camp in Arizona. No special reason for the delay other then saving money and killing time. Phil is having a blast fishing. Which he hasn't been able to do much of lately...

 

The wind has shifted and is out of the north making for some strange picture effects through the smoke from the fires above us to the north. The sky is gray with smoke and the sun bearly shines through. This is the first time I have been able to capture the sun at noon with this camera...

 

The photos I have taken look as if I have used a sepia lens but no so. Seems like the color is off on all the photos. But it has made for some interesting shots... Here are some of the park animals that I have found...the bunnies...

 

 

And their enemy... the bull snake...

 

   The Magpies love to harass the doves. They put on some great shows ... here is one that I got a photo of...

Here is a photo of one of the Golden Eagles that harass the nesting cliff birds...

 

And here are the girls patiently waiting for me to take the photo...

 

 

I will close this as it has taken me six hours just to get this far. Internet is touch and go. So while it is here I feel fortunate. Here is another sun photo to end the day...

 

Keep on dancing...

 

 

HERE AT THE COVE

Well, we made it from Priest Lake down to the Cove Recreation Park at CJ Striker Lake. It was a trip getting here tho. We drove past the major fire areas that were so sad to see the damages to the land on so many acres. I know fire only brings new growth but still to see the land charred is hard to view. At the Salmon River fire and at the Sheep fire area we were amazed to see how the firecrew save building and homes. The smoke was really extreme in the valleys. Here one of the Salmon River fire areas...

 
Wednesday night we spent sleeping in a roadside rest area. The distance was under estimated.  But we got up early and made the rest of the way.  

The second day here there was a jet ski accident killing a woman and her son is in critical condition. That was so sad. We could do no more than say a prayer for her and her son. We also said a prayer for those she left behind...

 

This has to be the hardest blog I have tried to write  as I am sitting up at the host site trying to get this online. I now know what the camp host has to put up with lol. People see you and start asking the question.  Man, is it hard to concentrate. Several times I find myself stopping and looking out over the lake and distant hills to gather my thoughts again.

 

The host and hostess of The Cove were a delight. We really enjoyed meeting them. They left for home Sunday so it was a short getting to know one another but a great one. We will see them again. Here is Rodney and Jane Rutherford of Beaver Dam, Idaho...

 

  

The Cove is one of several parks around this lake but in checking out others I think it is the best. It is BLM land and the fee is ten dollars a day use but with the Senior Pass it is only six dollars... not bad for the fantastic views . Just watch out for the thorns on the end of the leaves on the Russian Olive trees. Such as these at our campsite...

 

 

Here are a couple more views of the area...

 

 

 

It is time to close this and it will be my last blog until after our next move down the road. We will leave here Thursday. I am not sure where we will stop next but I do know that we are heading towards Phoenix . We will spend one more week at a campground before we arrive there. So I will close with one more beautiful sunset.... at the cove...

 

 

We have now danced with the Angels across eight states. Seen so much and experienced alot.  And the most important thing is that both Phil and I are having the time of our lives. We feel blessed to be able to experience this lifestyle and to meet so many new friends.  I miss not having a phone most of the time but life is good in spite of that. I have found a new joy in life. So, to each of you reading this...remember to find joy in life... As long as your heart beats you have the rhythm of life... DANCE ON...

 

 

 

 

HEADED SOUTH

Tomorrow, like the birds we will be migrating south for the winter.  This morning there was a layer of frost on the ground and it covered the picnic table. We were told it is supposed to get down into the 20's tonight. Time to leave Priest Lake. Also, last night we had a bear in the camp. I was not to worried until I took the dogs outside and just a about ten foot from the my dog fence was bear scat. The deer come along the path behind us and the bear must be following them. Still that is a bit too close for my liking.

I hope that the next place we setup is in an area that has internet service but can't know until we get there. I have a feeling that we will not have internet until we get near Phoenix. So, if I don't make another blog until then you know what is going on. We are okay just poor internet service. The cell phones have been non working half the time so I don't expect I will be able to recieve phone calls either. Our plans are to stop somewhere below Boise, Idaho near Mt. Home and the snake river. Rest for a week and then push on into Tonapah. Which is just west of Phoenix. Phil is packing the outside up now and I will get the inside mostly done tonight. So hopefully we will be on the road by 10am.

I spotted a cave near the top of the mountain behind the RV park and I wonder if it is the bear's cave...

A closeup of cave...

 

As you can see the bear cave isn't that far from the RV park. Phil said about 3/4 mile distance when I asked him. It was funny that when I took the girls for their bike ride a couple of days ago I wanted to go up the back road toward the cave area but something or someone impressed upon me ..."no". So I turned around... but I had the feeling something was behind me and kept looking over my shoulder. Then I learn that the bear hit the dumpsters behind the store. The road I was on took me directly past that area. Boy, I am glad that I paid heed to that inner voice. Phil wants to see a bear but I don't lol.

 

Speaking of Phil... he has amazed me with the cane he has been carving. He has done a great job and it is eye catching. He took a red dog lead that I didn't use and made the strap... and a pair of cz high quality diamond earrings that I wouldn't wear because of their size and made the eyes... Holy Moly, what a cane!....

 

Another view of the cane...

 

The photos really don't do it justice. The eyes catch the light and flash and the carving is so well done. I am so proud of him... he went way past my expectations! There is still work that he wants to do on it.

 

Well, it has come to the time I must say bye until the next blog.

 

Remember... No matter who is watching just ...

 

 

JUST KEEP ON DANCING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIEWS FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP

Yesterday Phil decided to take us for a new view of the area. What a trip! We took the back roads up to the high mountain tops. It was a good day for taking pictures as it was partly clouding and that allowed the digital camera to see the mountains and not reflect back the sunlight. Here is an example of what I am speaking of....

 

The white you see on the far mountain range is not snow. We went from mountain top to mountain top on the back roads. We found lots of signs of bears but no bears themself ... but that was just as well. Here is one of the trees that the bears had dug into. Phil found the tree for me to get the photos of it...

 

 

Here is a close-up of what he is looking at...the sign of a bear biting  and clawing the hole to get to the termites inside...

 

 

The only live things we saw were the birds. The raven up here are huge birds. There were plenty of other birds to be seen also. But I think the best one I saw was the grouse. Phil spotted it on the road and stopped so that I could get the photo. It is eating the small pebbles. I tried to get other shots of it but sometimes my camera is just too dang slow...

 

 

We saw rugged rocky overhangs....

 

 

There was eye candy everywhere you looked...

 

 

The trees are just beginning to show color. There were yellows with a hint here and there of some red...

 

 

On the way back down off the mountains we stopped at Kalispell Creek and thought we had struck gold. Looking over the bridge into the water I could see gold glittering at the water's edge. Phil decided to go down into the creek to find out what it was. Turned out to be fool's gold but it was a fun experience and for a time it was an exciting one, lol . Here is Phil checking the gold flakes out for me. (By the way, that water is freezing cold)...

 

 

I saved the best to last. This is a view of Priest Lake and the river valley from the top of a mountain. Isn't it a beautiful thing to behold. I stood in amazement at God's creation on earth... America The Beautiful...

 

 

With the clouds so close that you felt as if you could reach out and touch them and the pristine views I really felt as if I was dancing with the angels. I pray that you keep the joy of living in your life and that you always....KEEP ON DANCING... 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY MORNING AT PRIEST LAKE

Here it is Monday again. Where does the time go? Since we have been on the road I have noticed that most of my time is involved in yesterday, the present, and tomorrow. It seems that "the past" and "the future" have slipped away somewhere. I know they exist but they have lost their importance in my life. I hope this is a good thing but I guess only "time" will tell.

But right now it is that time when this area will become almost empty of the vacationers as they leave to go home. We have only met our neighbor in site 2, Leonard and Karleen. Very likeable people. I haven't been outside enough to meet others. I did take the girls for a long bike ride yesterday tho. They were so excited. Guess they miss it when I don't.

We have decided to sit out another week here at this RV park to give our budget a break and to let all the vacationers get off the roads. Hopefully, the gas prices will go back down a bit also. Phil is expecting some work to come in and we need to be close to the post office. I have been commissioned to do a horse portrait but email works for me except when I send the finished painting.

Phil has been working on creating a eagle head walking cane. It is coming along really nice. He spent most of yesterday working on it...

 

Seems like all I've done all week is wash clothes. Sure miss my big washer and dryer. The Splendide washer and dryer combination does a great job but it takes about three hours to wash and dry one load.  Very time consuming  which means I really have not taken pictures as usual for the blog. But I still have some to share with you of our hike up the back roads of the area.  Such as the beaver lake...

 

 

Then there were the ducks on the lake. A mama duck and her babies...

 



 

 It was funny to watch her as she tried to stay calm and lead her teenagers away from us. They would duck under logs and pop up on the other side...

 

 

Another thing I noticed is the absents of honey bees. I have seen the bee boxes but no bees. Instead what I have noticed is that the butterflies and the lowly bumble bee have taken over the pollination of the plants...

 

 

My Internet speed is getting slower and slower so I will close off by saying... "Let Your Light Shine" as you dance...

 

 



And KEEP ON DANCING!