Twinkle, twinkle little star and other topics

The park WiFi system has been even more useless for the past 30 days.  I haven't been able to update or post photos so some of the items below are several weeks old.

Went for a ride in the desert last night to see the sun go down and the stars come out.  It was beautiful.  However, given that the desert is PITCH BLACK after sundown if there is no moon (and there wasn't), the ride back to the ranch was somewhat a white-knuckle experience.  My guide has lived here for years and had no problem finding the turnoffs to get us back safely.

IT'S FINISHED!!!!

My new screened porch is complete as of today (15 April).  The dogs love being able to run  free in and out of the Hitchhiker.  The HH stays a lot cooler, as the big windows are now shaded by the roof.  The dogs love being able to run out the front door, make a hard right and charge down the dog run to the porch at the back.  They can play and wrestle and nap without fear of encountering one of our local rattlesnakes.

Under construction is my "playhouse" tool shed (so called because it's much smaller than any other in the park.  Should be finished this week and I can finally clear out all the stuff crammed in the "basement" of the Hitchhiker.

Speaking of snakes, I saw what appeared to be a sizable rattlesnake snuggled into a shrub close to the front ramp of the porch.  Hiked over to the next court to a guy who has lived here nine years and catches snakes all the time.  He came over and determined it's a  bullsnake  .  Want those around as they sometimes EAT rattlesnakes and eat mice, rats and other vermin.  

Snake is disappearing down the hole in the dead tree trunk.

We had a pizza party last night, the three desert-riding crazies and me.  They pooled resources and bought this tasteful accessory for my new deck.  My place is becoming party central because of the screening.  No flies or mosquitoes!

l to r:  Steve Taylor, Gilbert Minzenmayer, Mike Neuner

The desert flowers, including cacti, are still blooming.  See photos below.  New stuff seems to appear every day.

Homestead and Petroglyphs

We went over to an old homestead a couple of days ago and then to Pony Hills to see the petroglyphs.

Gilbert studies the petroglyphs.

I have put up hummingbird feeders and finch feeders.  So far, the birds are keeping me broke.  I have seen: lesser goldfinch, American goldfinch, purple finch (which are red),  hooded oriole  and probably some others I didn't identify from my handy dandy bird book.  The hummers are slowly coming back so I haven't seen too many yet.

There will be another delay in the next post.  I leave Thursday next week for Albuquerque for my granddaughter Madison's high school commencement exercises and will then head east and north.  Eventual destination:  Maine and then a run south down the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.