March 14 -- The Golden Eagle Returns During Yet Another Douglas Grocery Run...

The sunrise skies have been cloudless these past few days; friends who are long-time residents here say that's the norm, not the spectacular sunrises and sunsets. So when just a small portion of the predawn sky was becoming colorful, I once again used my 100-400 lens to get that section -- 

It was time once again to do a Douglas Grocery Run. Even though I have a pantry, you can't keep fresh or refrigerated things in there, and milk at a closer place like, say, the Mercantile Exchange in Animas runs about $5 a gallon -- so it's worth the 55 mile one-way drive. Besides, I may see something good, i.e., raptors, on the power poles lining the nearly-empty highway going to Douglas. And since the Wal-Mart in Douglas is so far away from us, we ask our friends is they want us to pick something up. I have a friend living on a remote "ranch" across the border in New Mexico who needs a few things and usually can't make the drive because he's the caretaker there. So I let him know I'm going, drive out to the ranch, get his list of items, buy them in town and bring them out to him. It's a dirt road for most of the way out to his place, but the scenery -- and the good feeling of helping a friend -- makes any "inconvenience" (and there is none, at least to me) inconsequential. There's always something to see out there, such as this gate framing a distant mountain --

And I see a windmill, so take a photo of it with the Chiricahuas' Portal Peak and the rugged ridgeline as a backdrop --

Which do you prefer -- landscape or portrait orientation?

I head back down Hwy 80, pass through Rodeo (population around 100) , and go back into Arizona (and for the little time in New Mexico the time is an hour ahead). A few miles down the road, the power poles lining the road begin -- and dang it if that Golden Eagle that I had seen during the last Douglas Grocery Run about 2 weeks ago isn't on the same pole!  But, as everything is the same as the last time, the angle of light is horrendous, and he's facing away from it once again. I pull off to the side of the road, get out my 500mm lens, and take a few shots, of which this is the best one, though I had to post-process the heck out of it --

Then I went around to Tundra's passenger side, felt something at the bottom of my shoe -- and a sharp, needle-like spine had gone through . I knew the GE was about ready to take off, but I hopefully had to get that spine out before he did it. It was embedded too deeply into the bottom of the sole, so I reached inside the shoe and broke it off. (A day later, it's still in the sole.) Then I looked back up -- and he was gone. Argh!  And not only had a spine gone into the bottom of my shoe when I pulled off the highway, but a few were in the tires, too, and the tires are starting to lose their tread. And the long drive to Douglas on an empty road with no services, not to mention the long drive back, was just beginning...But I got through ok, though the thought of getting a flat tire was in the back of my mind the whole time. There were a few raptors, mostly Red-tails, along the way, and a herd of Mule Deer along the road. As far as spring flowers, the deep-pink Praire Verbena dotted the landscape, but I'd anticipated a lot more signs of spring; they haven't happened. We had little or no rain in February, and the temperatures have been unseasonable warm lately, so that may have something to do with it. Or not. But the ride is still lovely, with the savannah-like, unbroken fields of native grasses waving in the breeze. The land is more degraded by years of grazing cattle up near Rodeo, with mesquite and other trees having crowded out most of the grasses due to overuse, and the difference is striking. I get into Douglas and blow about $150 at Wal-Mart, and I know I still have to go back in 2 weeks' time. Such is life living far away from a big town...Tundra II is a perfect fit for a big grocery run. I put most of the unrefrigated items in the extra cab, and the large items like bird seed in the back, held into place so they don't slide around by a metal pole ratcheted to the sides. The things that need to be kept cold are in a large igloo that has a frozen gallon jug in it, and has a blanket over it to help keep the inside cold. Here's what the back looks like, taken at the Wal-Mart parking lot after I'd bought the groceries -- 

Storing things properly for the long drive back took much trial and error, and advice from Portal friends. The Green Chef box in the middle has supplies for the truck like a tire air compressor. Is all of this a pain? Nope, it's actually kind of fun..

When I get back, I go to the post office to pick up more bird seed that I'd ordered from Amazon -- and the wrench for the water filter container in the well house has arrived, too. From Amazon also; I tell ya, Amazon has EVERYthing. It even had my water filter. The wrench is metal, so it should crank the container off better than a plastic one. After putting away the groceries I go to the well house to change the water filter. It should be done about every 3 months, and it's been about 5 months. Friends have been telling me to be careful when using a metal wrench on the plastic container -- "You could damage it if you use too much force along with the PVC pipes!" But it's easy-peasy, and I now have an easy way to unscrew the container and change the filter. There is a LOT of brown sludge in it, but after rinsing it out and putting the new filter in, it looks brand spanking new. Before, I needed an extra pair of hands to help crank off the container; now I can do it all by myself. One less thing to worry about...

I'll be manning the Visitor Info Center these next 2 days. And Discovery's canopy will be installed next to Faranuf on Friday -- YAY!