April 11-12 -- Random observations and a spectacular sunset...

Morning on Friday April 11; I've been "boondocking" for nearly a week on my friend's land just outside of the small "burg" of Portal. I've seen no snakes (though I do check under the trailer's stairs, and peer under the trailer and truck just to be sure) and using the generator (a 2,000-watt Yamaha) is proving to be a cinch; I just fire it up in the morning for an hour, charging up camera batteries and such, and again in the evening so the trailer batteries (1 have 2 12-volt deep-cycle batteries) are "topped-off". Here's a photo of my spot, and the long "driveway" I have to back out of to join the main (dirt) road -- 

And here is that road in the foreground, looking west -- 

Those clouds really add to the grandeur of the landscape, don't they? It does turn out to be a day graced with clouds, as does the next day; most of the other days it's totally clear. The 11th and 12th are catchup days, using the free WiFi at the Myrtle Kraft Library in Portal then when that closes at 2pm going over to the Portal Store and Lodge for a delicious lunch (try their e-enchilada plate; it's great) and more free WiFi. On the 11th I also make a run over to Animas, New Mexico for gas and food; it's the closest place to Portal for both, about 25 miles one-way. And you have to remember to put your clock ahead 1 hour when you enter New Mexico -- and set it back when you get back into Arizona and Portal. It can be a tad confusing...The place in Animas for food and gas is the "Valley Mercantile Exchange", and I hear there is a good place for pizza in Animas, though I never tried it when I was there (but will if/when I move to the Chiricahuas in the near future). If you needed to do "major" shopping, the closest Wal-Mart is in Douglas, about 60 road miles south from Portal, and I've been told that whenever someone who lives in the area is going to Douglas, you ask around to see if anyone needs anything; people help each other out here. So it's now April 12, it's evening, I'm back "home" with a full tank of gas and groceries to last another week, and the clouds put on a show at sunset --

And the colors just keep getting better -- 

That's Silver Peak, and these were taken from my boondocking spot. And a day earlier, on the 11th, Portal Peak was looking spiffy, surrounded by backlit clouds -- 

Next up, Red-faced Warblers during a hike up Cave Creek and a tributary canyon...