March 16-17 --- Yet Another Solar Pillar, And The Golden Eagle, Part III

Wow. These past 2 days have seen many instances of why I'm excited to be living here in Portal, gateway to Cave Creek Canyon and the Chiricahuas. It's not just because of the wildlife, though that in itself is enough. It can also take the form of meteorological events, like a solar pillar, which makes this the third time I've seen one since I moved here 7 months ago. I now recognize its beginnings, a small shaft of light that looks "different", but insubstantial. Then it becomes more fully formed as the sun rises towards the horizon --

I use the 100-400 lens to zoom-in on it -- 

Then pull out for a wider, taller view as it's now shooting up into the sky. Here it looks like a volcano eruption as it's perfectly positioned in the center of a mountain peak in the Peloncillos -- 

The contrail of a passing jet somewhat ruins the effect, but it's still impressive. Then it fades away as the sun rises over the horizon -- 

Wow. I'd never seen anything like this when I was living in San Pedro, but that could have been partly due to not being able to see the horizon during sunrise. And perhaps the right conditions that create a solar pillar never happened there, as it's formed by ice crystals in the air reflecting the light of the rising sun. But it's just one of the things that makes this place so special.

It's my second straight day manning the Cave Creek Canyon Visitor Information Center. Once again, there are visitors at the front porch before I open at 9am. (Part of the problem could be that there's a sign at the parking entrance saying we're open from 8am to 4pm, but in smaller letters says Friday, Saturday and Sunday.) I ask them what info they'd like to know; the woman said they'd like to get into Crystal Cave. I tell them the key is down in Douglas, and they can get it with a $100 deposit. Once again, as with the fellow the day before, she disagrees with me -- "That's not what they told me when I said I wanted to get into Crystal Cave." Sigh. She then said she'd prove it by showing me the paper saying the key was available here. She went out to the car, then came back a few minutes later with a sheepish grin on her face. "You were right -- the key is down at Douglas." DOH!  I find out later that there may be another key at the Southwest Research Station, but you  have to be escorted into the cave if you use that one. Besides that one incident, the people dropping by the VIC are friendly -- and the woman asking for the key actually was, too -- and appreciative of our knowledge of the Chiricahuas. I get quite a few visitors that day, considering it's the middle of the week -- 34. It will be interesting to see how one person handles all the people that may be coming in once the season really begins. One of the more interesting visitors was an older gentleman, looking a bit like a mountain man with a bushy, unkempt beard, who I found out was a resident. He lives alone at the end of a road that's at the foothills of the Chiricahuas. He says he's been out of water for a few weeks now, and that all of the nearby wells have dried up. He's been trying to collect rainwater -- but it hasn't rained here since January. Despite being older, I'd say he was spry, though living in REAL isolation by himself with no neighbors around. There are quite a few people here like him, living off the grid. They're not millennialists, or Ted Kozinsky types, living in a one-room shack and dreaming about bombs; they just like living by themselves. At the end of the day I lock up, knowing there are now a few more people who will now appreciate what there is to be offered here. 

The next day, the 17th, I'm determined to see that Golden Eagle down on Highway 80 again. It's reliably seen in a certain area, so I scan the power poles lining the highway. Nothing. Then I look off the road to a power pole near a house -- and see a huge bird on top; it's "him". I pulled off to the side of road and put on my blinkers. (While I'm there, one fellow in a battered pickup truck slows down and asks if I'm all right; I tell him I'm just photographing a Golden Eagle.)  I don't have anyplace to go that morning, so I wait him out, taking photos with the 500mm "Big Boy" lens with a 1.4x teleconverter attached. For once, he's facing south, with the sun to shining on his left side; I finally have a perfect angle. He is a beauty, and majestic -- 

And I'm also getting his attention.  I know photographers in the southern California area who stick a big lens practically in a bird's face to get a full-resolution photo without thinking about stressing out the bird. For me, I have a 500mm-plus camera gear so I can take good-quality photos from a distance, and let the bird go about its business. I watch him while I'm by the side of the road for about a half hour, with the driver's door open and leaning the lens on the rear-view mirror to stabilize it and take pressure off my arms from holding it for long periods of time. I get closeups --

Woo-hoo! I've finally got the GE photos I've wanted. Now I just have to get the takeoff shots...But when he finally takes off, it's in the direction opposite me. Figures. But he goes to the ground and acts like he saw something. He comes up empty, but I get him flying off -- 

And he goes to another power pole further away. I yell out "thank you!", which I always do after a successful wildlife photo shoot as I'm imposing on him, then head back. But there's a place I want to check out before going back to Faranuf -- Willow Tank. It's one of the most important bodies of water here on the east side of the Chiricahuas, because it's one of the ONLY bodies of water. Birds, usually migrating ones, see it and stop for a brief visit. It's where we saw a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and a friend first saw a Dickcissel -- both birds that are from the other side of the Continental Divide, and are somewhat rare visitors here. Willow Tank is in the process of being rehabilitated as it is an important bird stop. Here it is; it's only about an acre in size -- 

This is one of the only places in the area where you can find waterfowl, and possibly shorebirds. The organization I belong to, Friends of Cave Creek Canyon, has donated money to build a solar collector so the "pond" remains filled with water, which was always a problem as it's privately owned. But it's now becoming a reliable water source for wildlife. Here are some of the birds I saw there when I visited --

Black-throated Sparrow

Killdeer

Ring-necked Duck

Vesper Sparrow

Green-winged Teal

It's going to be a place to watch in the future.. I drove back up Stateline Road, and saw a few Red-tails -- 

Back at Faranuf, I get ready for the installation of Discovery II's canopy tomorrow. I hitched her up to Tundra -- 

And find a more or less level spot , and that's out of the way, to leave her until the canopy is installed -- 

There's one last thing to do for the day -- place the "critter cam" I recently bought on eBay near the water feature to see what might come in at night. It's set for video and is activated by motion in front of the camera; the video only lasts for 30 seconds during the nighttime to conserve battery power. Here's the setup; the cam is strapped to the post -- 

So let's see what the water feature brings in during the night.. 

March 15 -- "Myrtle, We Have To Stay Here Longer!" -- Giving Out Info At the Visitor Info Center

OK, so it may not be "glamorous", but it is fun... I open at 9am, but I like to get all of the chores done before that, so the first thing I do is go up the road and check to see how many spots are open in the campgrounds (we have 2 here -- Sunny Flat, the main one, and Stewart). That way, when visitors drop on by, asking if there are any campsites open, I can give them a fairly accurate answer which grows less accurate as the day goes on. When I arrive at the "VIC", I check the outside bathrooms to make sure there are no cobwebs -- and snakes (yes, it happened once)  inside, dry mop the VIC's floors, dust the cabinets, turn on the Forest Service radio, sweep the front porch, turn on the TV and video (we have a video playing, but it was made in 2009, prior to the Horseshoe II Fire and and Hurricane Odile, so some of the information is no longer accurate, turn on the computer and WiFi, put out the "Open" flags, open the parking lot gate -- then open the front door. This morning, before I even have a chance to open, someone is waiting on the porch. "How can I get into Crystal Cave?" We have an extensive cave system here, but there's a locked gate at the entrance to protect nesting bats -- and unwelcome intruders. "Crystal Cave is locked, but you can get the key, which is down at the Douglas Ranger Station, but you have to put down a $100 deposit ". He responded by saying "No, it's not." He was insistent that I was wrong; I felt like the conversation was going to deteriorate to "Yes, it is" -- "No, it isn't" -- "Says who?" ; just like little kids. He was one of those guys who asks questions, then answers them himself, but all of my answers are wrong. Then WHY ask me in the first place? He said "the key is in that little building there." He pointed to the old ranger station, which is now a cabin where visitors can stay. The key may have been there when he was here last, but not for the past few years. "So when was the last time you were here?" I asked. "A few years ago". "Well, now the key is down in Douglas." "No, it's not". Grrr...NOT a good way to begin the day, and I hadn't even opened yet. Things got better, though, and except for him ( but he was insistent yet still friendly, though I was still wrong) the day went well. Since we're a bit out of the way (ok, an understatement), most visitors are here to be HERE, not passing through on their way to someplace else. Well, except for those who are heading to the Chiricahua National Monument, about 30 miles or so on the other side of the mountains. But those people I entice to stay here for the day and check it out, especially as the monument's road up to the top is closed until probably the end of April, thus a lot of the monument is harder to get to, if not impossible. But visitors coming here invariably say "I didn't realize this was here!", so I like to tell them all that's here, and why it deserves a visit of at least a few days. Most are either birders, hikers, or a combination of both; luckily, I am that combination of both. And I bring my SE Arizona bird books to provide additional information, and use our computer for even more. Most people are from far-off colder climates like Alaska and Minnesota. A typical conversation goes like this --

"Can you do me a favor and sign in the guest book, please?"

"Sure!"

"Where are you folks from?"

"Alaska."

"How's the weather up there?"

"Not bad for this time of year -- we didn't get much snow this season. Do you get snow here?"

"Not much down here, it's mostly up in the higher elevations. I can tell you're hikers" ( with this warm weather, those that are hikers wear boots and hiking shorts, while birders invariably have binoculars).

"Yes, we are -- any good hiking trails here?"

"Plenty, but what kind of hikers are you -- do you prefer the easier or more difficult trails?"

"My wife just had knee replacement surgery, so we don't want to do anything too strenuous."

"Well, the first place you have to go to is Vista Point. It's on this map" (we have a basic map we hand out) "and only about a mile up the road. It's 200 yards and takes you above the forest canopy, where you look down the drainages of South Fork and Cave Creek, so you can get the lay of the land before you go exploring."

"Hey, thanks!  Myrtle, that makes sense for us to go there first."

And did you know that we have one of the longest waterfalls in Arizona?"

"Get out of here -- really?"

Yep, it's Winn Falls and has a drop of 365 feet. It's hard to see most of the time, because it's in shadow, but you can see it from the top of Vista Point by using the telescope there, and if you kinda know the direction it's in. The closest you can get to it on a road is by taking the road to Herb Martyr here, just after the Southwest Research Station, and go 2 miles to the end. And at the end is also a dam with a small waterfall. The dam was built in the 1930s, and Herb Martyr was a worker who died during its construction."

"We wondered where the Herb Martyr name came from -- sounds fake, with a last name like that."

"Yeah, it's kind of appropriate as Herb became a "Martyr" to the dam!" (yes, I really say that).

(Laugh) "Yes, you're right!"

"The waterfall at the dam is really pretty, and fairly easy to get to. So you can see 2 waterfalls at the end of the road!"

"Well, that's an unexpected surprise! We never thought we'd see waterfalls here."

"Most people who've never been here think it's all desert, so they're really surprised when they see mountains, forests, and waterfalls. And if you want an easy hike" (remember, Myrtle had that knee operation) " then the hike along South Fork is the one to do. It's level, and goes right along the creek. It's really pretty, and easy to do."

"Thanks!  You've given us a lot of information. Myrtle, looks like we'll have to stay here a few days!"

If it's birders that come in (wearing their binoculars)  I tell them about our "specialties" -- Elegant Trogon ("it's still too early for them, unfortunately" and a few of them have responded with "We saw one in Patagonia"; I tell them it's a wintering bird), Mexican Chickadee ("we're the only area in the United States where you can see them on public land; there's some over at the Animas Mountains to the east, but the area is privately owned"), and Montezuma Quail ("the male looks like a bowling ball with feet"). I tell them about our hummingbirds, too, and that Plain-capped Starthroat, a bird usually found only south of the border, was seen in backyard feeders here last year. And we now have 2 hummingbird feeders hanging up on the VIC's front porch, and there's been a female Blue-throated that's been showing up at them lately. So if she's around, I point her out. But no matter if they're birders or hikers, I live to impress on them that the Chiricahuas are so much more than than that, and much of it is unique, otherwise herpetologists, wildlife biologists, astronomers, etc wouldn't retire or work here. So at the end of every day working at the VIC, I leave knowing -- or hoping -- that visitors leave with more interest in the Chiricahuas than when they first arrived. And that's the main reason for having a visitor information center, right?

Sunset on the evening of March 15, as seen from the roof of my trailer.

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!

March 11-13 -- The Portal St. Patrick's Day Parade, And A Day In The Life

I think I'll compress the events and photos of the past 3 days into one. Easier for me that way... One of the wonders of living in a remote part of a Basin and Range valley is the lack of lights during the nighttime. I can look out my kitchen window, and see blackness and 3 lights at most. It's one of the reasons why astronomers come to live at Sky Village here as there are few if any lights to disturb their night sky observations. (One of the first things I did when I bought Faranuf was to angle the motion sensor lights around the house, and there are quite a few, down to the ground as the house is only a few miles from Sky Village and can disrupt their viewing.) Here is said view from my kitchen window, taken just as the predawn light brightens the sky to the east --

The darkened mountain range are the Peloncillos in New Mexico, which form the east edge of the San Simon Valley. After seeing this photo, a Facebook friend said it was too dark for her, but she lives in or near New York City. She finds it oppressive, I find it clean and liberating, no sign of so-called "civilization" to be seen. Well, except for that power pole, but it serves a dual purpose in that it's a good perch for ravens and raptors.  And here is looking in the same direction from the front porch -- 

I've always been a lover of Basin and Range topography, where you can gaze for perhaps a hundred miles and there are mountain ranges as far as the eye can see, with valleys in between.  It's probably why I was considering moving to the Owens Valley in the eastern Sierra, which is the western edge of the Great Basin and the Basin and Range and extends all the way to the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. Then I realized I could come and live in the Chiricahuas...

The backyard birds have been dogged by a juvenile Cooper's Hawk these past few days. I've either looked out the back, seen that there are no birds, then seen an intense-looking Cooper's hoping to snag a meal, or seen one flying in pursuit of a bird. The only thing I can do about it is provide the birds with more ground cover to hide in, which is why I planted the Desert Willow ad artemisia, but it will be a long time before they are large enough to provide shelter. But I haven't seen one bird snagged yet. Though I did have an odd and sad encounter with a Pine Siskin. They're numerous and ubiquitous right now, and will be until they head for their breeding grounds in about a months' time. One evening I was out near the north side of Faranuf and saw a Siskin huddled in a corner against the heat pump. I thought it was injured (they can get pretty vicious with each other at the nyger sock feeder) so I picked it up while wearing a pair of gloves -- and it took off, but then went back on the ground. Something was wrong with it; it looked as if it was trying to get a perch off the ground, possibly to find a place to sleep where it wouldn't be attacked and eaten by animals -- but it always ended back on the ground. It huddled against the house in different spots, and finally ended up near the concrete walkway leading to the garage. It looked like it was going to spend the night there, so I put a little box lined with Kleenex and some nyger seed next to it with the hope that it would still be there in the morning. When I checked around 6:30am the next day, all that was left were feathers; something had gotten to it during the night, poor thing. But it probably wouldn't have survived anyway. But it's one thing to come upon a bird that's already dead, and quite another to see it alive one day, try to help it, then know something had killed and plucked it after you'd vainly tried to help it. It was just one little Pine Siskin -- but it still got to me. Nature Red In Tooth And Claw... So the male Northern Cardinal, or A male Cardinal, returned to my back yard. Good!  I was determined to entice him to stay and become a Faranuf Resident. I finally got a good photo of him with my 500mm lens, even though he was at a feeder -- 

Things were looking quite promising -- then the javelina herd moved in, vacuumed all the seed up that was on or near the ground, and scared off the Cardinal, who never returned -- 

Dang javelina, they're worse than a Mongol horde....But I can't keep them out of my property, because that would keep other critters out, too, and I want to set up my "critter cam" near the far water feature to see what comes in at night. And the deer come and drink from it during the day. too. So I'll just have to put up with the Hoovering Javelina -- though I'm buying a few more seed trays on posts to keep as much seed out of their reach as possible. 

Saturday was the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade here in "downtown" Portal. It's another example of the fun and sociability that goes on in our little community. Here are some scenes from this important event on Portal' social calendar -- 

The parade starts with Portal Rescue fire truck, manned by volunteers (we have no county services, so we do it all ourselves) 

The fire truck is followed by the Portal Rescue "ambulance" -- 

The "Arizona Banjo Blasters" are a local musical group that, as this is the Age of the Internet, has their own website -- 

The Border Patrol have their representatives here, kitted in what looks like combat gear and driving really cool-looking ATVs -- 

Here's our new honorary mayor, Reed Peters, who owns the Cave Creek Ranch and is instrumental in many Portal activities. He's a man of many hats -- and he's wearing two of them here ;o) --

The parade goes to the end of Rock House Road, turns around, and heads right back down the parade route; this is our local kazoo band -- 

And a reminder of cookies and refreshments at the Portal Library, where there's also a sing-along of Irish music, and a presentation of the key to the community to Honorary Mayor Reed Peters. 

I attend the parade with friends Mark and Lori Conrad, who also retired from the South Bay of Los Angeles and moved to Portal. They're birders extraordinaire, and I take care of their house (Casa de Conrad) while they're gallivanting around the world, searching for birds and butterflies. I'm wearing a green hat and beads, too, though fortunately I'm behind the camera. 

My new spot for taking photos of the sunset is on Discovery II's roof; that way I'm above the surrounding trees, mesquite, etc. I can get some pretty good panoramic views from up there -- 

That's looking to the southwest with Faranuf's back yard in the foreground. (I can also check on there condition of the roof while I'm up there; I notice a few nails have pulled up on the back deck roof.) The clouds look promising, so I wait it out, and the colors pan out both to the east and west -- 

Looking northeast towards Granite Gap, through which Hwy 80 heads north to Interstate 10

The sunset pans out to the southwest 

And three more days have past -- just like that. Today, the 14th, is another Grocery Run To Douglas...

March 10 -- Then And Now -- The Chiricahuas Through The Seasons

I've taken a lot of photos during my relatively short time living here in the Chiricahuas;  some have been of the same view as seen in different seasons. They run from the intense green of the summer monsoons to the brown and relatively leafless look of winter. So I thought it would be interesting to do a retrospective, sort of a "then and now" look at those changes during the past 6 months. 

On Highway 80 approaching the Chiricahuas from the east ; it appears as if you're heading straight into Cave Creek Canyon in the distance. Taken August 14 during the monsoon season.

 The same scene on December 14, clear, cold -- and I remember it also being windy.You can really make out Cave Creek Canyon , with the high Chiricahuas covered in snow. 

Faranuf's back yard and view, August 15.  I haven't done the changes to the bird feeders yet.  The landscape is intensely green, and the monsoonal clouds are dramatic.  

February 15. The snakes are in hibernation, the mesquite and other flora are leafless -- and the feeders have been reorganized. And those 2 huge hangers that distracted from the view of Cave Creek Canyon have been removed. 

This is my favorite vantage point for the view up Cave Creek Canyon, on the main road between the Portal Store and the turnoff to Paradise. I always try to work that agave into the photo.  Taken August 16. 

The same view on November 17, during the height of the autumn colors. The strip of burnished gold to the left are the trees along Cave Creek. the snow on the mountains is from a recent storm, and the landscape is still green, though not as intense. 

The view from pretty much the exact same spot as seen on March 4. 

 Winn Falls, with its 365-foot drop, on December 6. At this time of the year it's one big icicle. 

On March 4, it's flowing fast and free, and reminds me of a waterfall that could be in Yosemite Valley. 

While the Chiricahuas remain the same physically through the seasons, the look and feel of the landscape is constantly changing. It's just one of the many pleasures to be found in this fascinating and beautiful "sky island".