March 3 -- Another Solar Pillar, And Back At The Visitor Info Center

Wow. Who would have thought I'd have the good fortune to see TWO solar pillars, both in the span of about 5 months?  (And have I really been here that long?) It started off a a great predawn; with the light cloud cover, you knew it was going to be a good one as it got lighter outside. I take the emerging sunrise photos from different vantage points around Faranuf, which I probably won't do as much since I go into the tall grass and snake season is approaching, if not already here. (I've also been taking sunset views from the roof of my travel trailer, Discovery II, but haven't done it for sunrises yet; that will happen soon.) As it starts getting lighter, I notice a brighter area than most, and it seems to be right where the sun should be rising. Crap, it's another solar pillar!  I'd seen the first one around late September, and at the time I had to look it up on Wikipedia to find out what it was (another instance of how invaluable the Internet is to get instant information). So now I know it's created by ice crystals in the atmosphere that reflect the light from the rising sun; it's usually only seen when the sun is below the horizon, or at the point of sunrise. It's like a ray of light that shoots up into the sky. The solar pillar isn't an noticeable this time as before, but it's still pretty dang impressive, especially with the sunrise colors --

You actually can see it clearer if you look off to the side, not directly at it. The predawn was one of those instances where I go back and forth from Faranuf's front yard to the back as things are happening both east and west. While there are no clouds over Cave Creek Canyon, the pink glow is still makes for a pretty scene -- 

I headed out early as I was on duty at our Visitor Center that day. The public bathrooms are still snake-free, thank goodness -- how would I get one out? Do I have to put up a sign saying "Snake Inside -- Do Not Enter"? -- and after doing chores, I opened up. It's a magical place in the morning; deer are foraging in the "bird viewing area" in the center of the parking lot, and the sun is just starting to hit the visitor center building, which is a good thing as it's pretty dang cold inside. Every visitor I've had so far has been friendly and eager for local info; I haven't had one grouch yet, but I'm sure it will happen. (Ron, who's been working at the VIC for 5 years, said there's also been instances of illegals coming through, though no drug trafficking.) I always tell visitors, particularly first-timers, to go to Vista Point before they go anywhere else. It's a short hike of only 200 yards, and ends at a breathtaking view over the forest canopy of the South Fork and Cave Creek drainages, truly one of the most spectacular vistas you'll see anywhere. Whenever folks stop on by afterwards, they invariably say going there first is a big help to get the lay of the land, and starts their visit here off with a bang. It's a somewhat quiet day, so I go outside and take some photos. When I worked at Kaiser back during my life in southern California, my work environment was a heavily urban one, so it wasn't the prettiest of settings. Even the large public park across the street was trashed-out and had homeless people living there -- though the birds were great. But here, in Cave Creek Canyon, the surroundings are a bit more pleasant -- 

That's the VIC on the right. Quite a difference from the urban blight of a Los Angeles suburb, eh? And the trees are starting to leaf out, a sure sign of spring --

The view directly across from the VIC is no slouch, either -- 

There's a national monument in the northwest section of the Chiricahuas -- Chiricahua National Monument, called "The Wonderland of Rocks". It's a somewhat small area with lots of rock formations like hoodoos where you can see figures in the rock if you have a vivid imagination. It's a nice area, and impressive, but I personally think our area here on the east side leaves it in the dust. But it's more popular because it's more accessible, being much closer to Interstate 10. There are some visitors who ask how to get to the Monument from here, without even SEEING Cave Creek Canyon. I suggest that they stay here awhile as we have our share of scenic spots, too -- meant as an understatement. They're amazed that we have a waterfall with one of the longest drops in Arizona, Winn Falls; they've never heard of it. Or the more intimate waterfall at Herb Martyr Dam. The hike up South Fork, Other trails that give stupendous views. And if they're passing on by the VIC on their way back, to drop in and let us know their impressions, and also the trail conditions so we can pass the info along to other visitors. My friend Helen dropped on by, and we discussed her time at Apache's one-room school (with a student body of 8)  the other day after a Great-horned Owl nest was discovered there. Well, it's not actually a nest; there are 4 eggs on the ground. It's barely a scrape, which is a small indentation in the ground used to hold the eggs. Once the eggs were discovered, Helen, a raptor expert, went down to the school to show the kids how to deal with being around owls, and help the eggs hatch successfully. She posted her visit, and photos, on the Friends of Cave Creek Canyon Facebook page -- and it went, well, if not viral, then at least the equivalent of that for the area. And it also made people more aware of the Apache school, one of the few remaining one-room schoolhouses left in the country (the kids who attend it are from ranching families). There's talk of setting up a video cam to watch the unfolding events of the GHO family, and perhaps put it on the Internet. As I locked up and closed the VIC's front door, it was with the knowledge that it had been another good day. And that evening, just after sunset, I went back on the roof of Discovery and watched the colors evolve from my new vantage point over the Peloncillos to the east --