Organ Pipe Cactus State Park 2
I’m inundating you today, sorry. Making good use of the limited WiFi. 😉 We’re staying two more days at Organ Pipe — till March 2nd.
I just love the Saguaros . . . they each have their own personality . . . perfectly shaped . . . goofy ones . . . faces . . . a robot! . . . “he went that-away” . . . too many arms to handle . . even Mickey Mouse ears.
Ooops, I lied .. . we’re here till March 1st, not the 2nd!
Lazy day. Checked out and booked some upcoming stops with Harvest Host – looking forward to those (you’ll have to wait and see where we’re headed!). Noticed again today throughout the camp, vehicle after vehicle with their hoods (bonnets) propped up. Is there some reason we should know, I wonder? Google came through as usual . . . ‘Pack Rats’. Common in the desert (although we haven’t seen a whisker) . . . they have a tendency on cold winter evenings to climb into a cosy engine compartment . . . and snack on electrical wiring. So people use trailer-leveling pads, walking poles . . . anything to lift the hoods and introduce some ‘airiness’. Some, like our Joshua Tree friend, throw a string of lit Christmas lights under the truck as a deterrent (and we thought he’d put them out as a welcome!)
Definitely hotter today . . . sat in the shade with a book and some tea . . did some washing which dried nicely on our stretchy washing line suspended alongside the picnic table (not too obvious).
Late afternoon amble along the mine trail, and this time we were rewarded by one of the little brown lizards . . . sunning him (her)self . . . on a west facing rock. It was a very patient fellow . . . allowed us to inch closer and closer with the camera. Then, in the distance, a group of people – you could hear them a good half mile away – chattering happily. A bunch of 15 or so youth with counsellors returning from a hike, but they pulled up and waited for us to finish . . . and cheerfully wished us an enjoyable walk as they passed by. The lizard was nowhere to be seen. As silence descended once more and the sun sank lower, lo and behold Mr. Lizard returned to his rock to catch the last rays . . . it even scampered over the rocks towards Glen (who had the camera) and literally posed mere inches away. Then with a flick of it’s tail, vanished down a hole. Not a Gila monster, but great all the same. Maybe they, like the rattlesnakes, don’t put in an appearance until later when it’s warmer.
One problem with freezing the cooked Mexican chorizo . . . it is highly ‘aromatic’, and one is engulfed in fumes every time the door is opened. Most other foods are not affected, however the vanilla ice cream has taken on a subtle but definite chorizo flavour. Not unpleasant, but . . . unusual!
