Friday, February 21
The crew and I walk around our desert camp to see how many plants we can identify.
It isn’t long before Spike gets it in his head to ditch Bridget and me. He trots up Palm Canyon Road. He’s an independent little sucker. I’m not chasing after him. Oh well, at least he’s having a good day. His joints seem to be working well.
Palm Canyon Road camp, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Bridget, per usual, stays with me wherever I go. I step down into a narrow wash to take a photo and she’s right behind me.
I like the way the soft colors flow together along this wash.
Okay. Here are some plants for you to learn . . . .
Clockwise from lower left: ratanay, grass, jojoba (dark green at top), ratanay, grass, bursage . . . creosote bush in center
I need your help identifying some of these flowers. I’ve numbered the photos so you can tell me what to label them. Then we’ll have a handy study guide for next week’s quiz.
Just kidding!
(1) The bush is about 5 feet across and 3 feet tall.
The smaller flowers appear in open areas.
Click to enlarge photos . . .
(2) This one grows singly, about an inch across. Often seen peeking through ratanay branches.
(3) More small blooms no more than an inch in diameter. They appear in the most formidable, hard-packed ground.
(4) This tiny nosegay stands only about 5 inches off the ground. Some are even shorter than that.
Far off I see a splash of color. I know what it is from a distance. The color is unmistakeable.
(5) Beavertail cactus
The cactus has two blooms and several buds.
Hummingbirds love these beavertail blooms.
It won’t be long before beavertail bloom all around our camp.
Over on the road Spike walks parallel to Bridget and me.
Ever so often he glances our way to keep tabs on us. When we turn to head back to camp, Spike turns also. Good boy!
Later we drive up to Quartzsite.
This may be a wasted trip. Last time I shopped in Quartzsite, I couldn’t find anything for the crew. I did ask the butcher that day if he had any chopped turkey. Maybe he took the hint . . .
YES! I scoop up six 16-ounce tubes of chopped turkey and I pick out two big beef bones from the meat case.
There’s a water vending machine by the door. I fill up eight one-gallon jugs before heading back to camp.
Spike and Bridget get eight ounces of turkey for supper. After supper I give them their own meaty beef bone. The bones are bigger than their heads and the nutcakes gnaw them with gusto.
Saturday, February 22
After a lazy morning — which is becoming a habit these days — I ponder what I can do besides read more of my book. I need to do something productive.
The Best Little Trailer is dull and grimy.
First I get my cotton rag mop and wipe off the dust on the shady side of the BLT where the outdoor rug is. Then I pour some water in a basin and position my stepladder. I wipe off the grime with a washcloth, section by section, conserving my precious water.
After drying each section, I remove any scratches with Meguiar’s Oxidation Remover.
The scratches aren’t deep. They’re barely visible. I try not to let brush and branches touch the BLT, but sometimes it happens. I’m happy to see the remover works great removing the scratches with very little effort on my part.
Then I put on a thin layer of Meguiar’s Marine Wax.
People say this is great for fiberglass.
It dries in a few minutes. Next is the fun part. I wipe off the wax to a beautiful shine, just as shiny as the day I first saw the BLT. Now I have the front, back, and the back side (the side with no door) yet to do.
The back side is the side needing the most attention.
That’s the side that usually faces south or west and therefore receives the most direct rays of the harsh Arizona sun.
I can’t do anything with it the way the BLT is positioned. I’ll have to move the BLT so the back side faces north. That way the fiberglass will be in the shade and will stay cool enough to be waxed.
A job for another day!
rvsue
THANKS TO ALL WHO SHOP AMAZON FROM MY BLOG!
Every purchase is important to me. Here are a few examples of items ordered recently:
Fireside Burgundy Wine Indoor/Outdoor Reversible Patio/RV Mat
Reversible RV Patio Mat Blue/black/grey 9′ X 18′ Swirl Pattern
Pebble Smartwatch for iPhone and Android
Duofold Women’s Mid-Weight Two-Long Sleeve Crew Thermal
Maxxair MaxxFan Smoke Lid Remote Control
K-Cup Portion Variety Pack for Keurig Brewers, 50 Count
SPECIAL NOTE TO CAMERA PURCHASERS:
Thank you very much for buying your camera and accessories from Amazon through my blog. Wow! You bought some great cameras! I appreciate the generous commissions I’ve received because of your thoughtfulness.
“FLASHBACK”
Spike cools off in the North Fork of the Virgin River near Zion National Park, May 2012
Okay. . . Can you identify the flowers in this post?
(1) Chuparosa….. R. in Colorado
(2) Desert Chicory…. R. in Colorado
(3) Desert Gold….. R. in Colorado
(4) Phacelia….. R. in Colorado
(5) Beavertail Cactus (small prickly pear)….. Connie & Mugsy
