Monoliths and Will o' Wisps

"Then the wind blew cool through the pinyons on the rim. There was a sweet tang of cedar and sage on the air and that indefinable fragrance peculiar to the canyon country of Arizona."
~ Zane Grey

Monolith country is my muse. Some people hate the desert. I love the bleached cedar bones and prickly brush; the sizzling heat and saturated scenery. I can't imagine anyone feeling anything but awe around the red rock vistas. But the harsher elements might spurn discussion. I think you simply need to be smart about it: hike early, bring water and a third eye for unusal vibrations. Follow our feet...

The best back-up camera view ever!

Will o' Wisps are ghostly occurrences of phosphorescence illuminating the night sky. But I think of the baby quails as will o' wisps. They were a flurry of feathers, undulating over the desert sands at dusk. Apparently, several quail parents band together, forming one giant brood, because they moved like a cloud of locusts. It was enchanting. Just like Sedona.  

"In Arizona, we salt margaritas, not sidewalks." Unknown

"In Arizona, shade trees are your best friends and occasionally the basis of small civil wars over parking."
~ Terri Guillemet

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Mosaic Monday

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The Broken Arrow Trail

 “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” – Babs Hoffman

Do you remember this photo from last week? It marks the end of a glorious trail. Not too steep. Not too hard. Just right. You'll see red rocks sculpted by heavenly hands, geckos and gnarly tree bones, cactus and thorns, vistas in techno color. The pink jeep tours are all over it. But why sit? When you can get red dirt on your sneakers. We hiked it last summer, in Sedona, Arizona. 

Wow! What a trail! 

“Still, round the corner, there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

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A Year in Review

“Every journey is simultaneously a beginning and an ending: I was leaving my old life behind and starting on a road trip to find a new me.” – Debi Tolbert Duggar

What a year! Uff da, Lutefisk, 2020. (my go-to phrase. I’m  part Norwegian, after all) Or, there's the abbreviated phrase the Waffle House used to promote their cheesy eggs: Nuff said. 

 I remember being happy and hopeful about 2020. I'd survived cancer at the tail-end of 2019, and was enthusiastic about being alive. I always think about Margaret Mitchell, who was hit by a car and died after Gone with the Wind was published. The takeaway: I want to live now in case I get hit by a bus tomorrow. Sure, I canceled a few minor travel adventures. The big kahuna, Belize, happened pre-covid-style fear and loathing. (although, covid was probably already lurking here somewhere) The rest, I masked up for. My M.O. has always been outdoors, so I felt relatively safe amongst trees and grass. Basically, I stuck to take out and picnics. I wore double masks around people. Ew, people. 

Now, there's a new Coronaviris strain from the U.K. to worry about, that's 70% more contagious. So, in 2021, my husband and I will be wearing our new N95's. Sigh. So stylish and sexy. 

On the last and final week of 2020, I took a quick, photographic road trip down memory lane. I hope you enjoyed my souvenirs this year. I'm glad I have someone to share them with! You can always virtually travel here, safe and snug behind your computer. 

Happy New Year!

Safe travels!

Thank you front line workers!

P.S. Click here to read my furious fiction entry for December titled: The Feather.

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Our World Tuesday

Sky Watch Friday

My Corner of the World Wednesday

Mosaic Monday

Travel Tuesdays

Pictorial Tuesday

I'd Rather be Birding

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Jerome, Arizona. A Ghost Town.

In 1903, the New York Times declared that Jerome was the "Wickedest City in the West." Jerome, a billion dollar copper mining mecca, was once a booming city in Arizona. It is said that the owner of the Verde Copper Company, William Andrews Clark, provided a heady mix of booze, opium, gambling and flesh peddlers for his delighted miners. Now, it's a touristy ghost town carved into Cleopatra Hill like a tiered wedding cake. The Jerome Grand Hotel is said to be one of the most haunted places in Arizona - with numerous spine tingling tales attached to it like a bloody tick: including the ghost of Claude Harvey, whose body was found murdered under the hotel's old elevator shaft. 

At 5,000 feet, there's a great view of the barren and sprawling Verde Valley. 

The color of the bulb hints at the crumbling structure's former business.  

A nice rental. 

Do you see the climbers scaling the building?

They are the only ghosts you are guaranteed to see in town. 

Well, there's this guy too. 

No trip to Jerome is complete without a pit stop at Desert Diamond Distillery in Cottonwood, Arizona. Real spirits!

I wish we would have glided along on one of the many ghost tours while in Jerome. Instead, we hightailed it back down to the Red Rocks of Sedona - not wanting to risk encountering "Headless Charlie" or "the Lady in Red" after dark. (female ghosts always seem to be wearing red or white) There are 88 miles of darkened, memory filled tunnels beneath the old town. It could be an underground playground for ghosts in the bowels of night. You never know. 

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

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Our World Tuesday

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image-in-ing

P.S. These days, no tale is as scary as real life. My heart goes out to the friends and family of those killed in Las Vegas. 

Walnut Canyon

We stopped at this scenic overlook on our way to Flagstaff, AZ last summer. What a view! But then again, I enjoyed all the views between Sedona at around 4,000 feet and up to Flagstaff at around 7,000 feet. 

A local critter.

Once at the top, we stopped at Walnut Canyon. We didn't hike to the cliff dwellings because it started raining. I guess it's lucky I'm not one of the ancient Sinagua, who inhabited these dizzying dwellings long ago. If I couldn't handle a little rain, I probably couldn't scale the limestone fortress to get home. What were they thinking? 

Zoom.

At least we stayed long enough to walk the rim and soak in the sights. Which consisted of blond stone walls, scattered grey tree bones and lots of crows. I do love crows. They are the muse for my future novel after all.

Vista!

The Awesome Links:

Wild Bird Wednesday

Wednesdays around the World!

Tanama Tales

Our World Tuesday

Budget Travel on Thursday

Sky Watch Friday!

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P.S. Visit the The Chorus of the Crows this week for a monster of a post!