Friday, April 1…Wal-Mart Parking Lot (Chris Cagle)

   Pulled out of Picacho KOA at about 10:30 a.m.  At some point in our shut down process, Kim realized that the water wasn’t working properly.  Fastest fix was to stop at Tucson’s Camping World to buy a new one…Kim will replace it when we stop for the night.  Right now he doesn’t see it as being a major job.  We’ll see when we stop. *Update: Replaced and pumping water.*

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   There were 27 campers in the campground this morning, including us.  And it looked like several of them were getting ready to hit the road, including us. During all our years coming to Picacho this is the emptiest I’ve seen the campground at the end of March.  Those who winter here are heading home and not many have come in the last week or so.  However, the family from Washington with the little guy who does Quarter Midget racing is back for his Tucson race this weekend.

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   We didn’t go to Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa this year. Just didn’t want to deal with going into the Phoenix area.  Phoenix with its surrounding cities is like Detroit and its suburbs.  We’ve not yet found a way to Mesa that doesn’t involve major traffic congestion.  So we skipped it.

   We only made one trip to the Gu-Atchi Trading Post and that was in the truck.  In years past it’s been a favorite ride destination to get some nachos.  Nothing special about the nachos…it was the ride out there that mattered.  We knew with Kim not being able to ride that some things would be different and that was one of them.  Besides my bike time took a backseat to Kim n Karen hiking time.

   I also didn’t make a trip out to visit the very first crested saguaro I’d found which is on the Tohono O’odham reservation. I usually do that every year to see if there’s been any change to it. It’s farther out than the Trading Post and again I just didn’t take the time.  But we did find another crested saguaro on our hike in the Sweetwater Preserve.  So there’s that.

   We explored more on foot this year than in the past.  We’ve always walked down to Nutt Rd on Picacho Hwy but this year we ventured out into the desert more…mostly on established trails but once we just followed a wash.  We also did a couple of 5K Run/Walks.  All in an effort to staying open to finding the new in the familiar.

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   The talk of February/March has been the fuel prices…jumping by crazy amounts and hitting near record highs. We’ve not done this before but Kim wants to track our fuel costs on the trip back home.  To that end I’m going to try to track fuel prices in the towns that we get fuel.  Last night when we fueled up in Eloy the price ranged from $4.95 to $5.35 for diesel.  Today in Deming, NM, it was between $4.79 and $5.09.  I hope it continues to be cheaper as we make our way east. 

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   It’s been evident that the cell camera was a popular spot for moths to sit and rest their weary wings at night. Some of the videos had an otherworldly glow caused by its wings.  And by the movement of the

camera when it landed I figured that the desert has bigger moths than Michigan does.  The first time we heard the owl hoot was when a moth was on the camera and she was looking directly at it.  Don’t know if owls eat moths but I imagined she was thinking it looked like a tasty snack.

   OMGoodness! I came across a video last night which now makes it clear that it wasn’t a moth sitting on the camera…it was the male owl!  Not only was the hooting loud and clear on a couple of the videos but on one of them the female can be seen hunkered down facing away from the camera.  She couldn’t have been responsible for the hooting.  And that would also explain the camera lens occasionally being shrouded, the movement of the camera when it landed or flew off and why the camera changed positions a couple of times.  The male was using it as a perch!  It reminded me of Romeo down in the bushes calling up to his dear Juliet in the tower.  I love this stuff!!

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   Had lunch at a food truck at Dwayne’s near Bowie, AZ.  It was operated by one woman who made an excellent BLT.  It makes the list.  Just sayin’…

   A little girl about three and her older sister were drawing with chalk on the cement pad.  She suddenly turned to her parents and asked if they had an eraser.  She was distraught because the tail to her unicorn wasn’t quite right.  Mom and Grandma’s attempts at fixing the tail were not up to her standards and suggesting she just draw another one wasn’t cutting it either.  Muttering, she finally took a piece of chalk and filled in the end of the tail like Mom had suggested.  But it was obvious she was not a happy little Rembrandt. Not sure what vision she had in her head but I thought her unicorn looked good…even though I’ve never seen a real unicorn.      

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   Well, this is a first for me…since the Alamogordo KOA is full and we needed to stop at the Wal-Mart anyway, we’re ‘camping’ at Wal-Mart along with 13 other rigs.  Most have their steps down, some have their stabilizer jacks and pull-outs extended, others are sitting in chairs beside their campers…and one just might be sitting on the floor behind a motorcycle typing away on her computer.  The people beside us are heading back to Kansas City, MO, from Yuma.  They’ve been camping in this parking lot as part of their journey home for a number of years…in fact, they were the first ones in here tonight.  Viva la Wallydocking!!  *When Kim was finished replacing the water pump, he loosened a strap on the bike to pull down one of the couches so we didn’t have to sit on the floor.*

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   Today’s 40 Days of Lent challenge: spend time outside today and pray for the beauty of God’s creation to be reflected in you. 

   Two things happening here: 1. We’re on the road back to Michigan so spending time outside is usually in conjunction with a trip to the bathroom during a fuel stop and 2. I’m not sure that I understand this one. The beauty of God’s creation to be reflected in me? Does that mean to pray that I embody the harmony, wonder, and beauty that I see in nature so that others may see that in me?  Hmmmm…..