From MN to SD to NE to CO to NM and AZ

When we drove out of our driveway (sounds really weird to say that), we headed to our home state of South Dakota and south through Nebraska.  As many of you know, Mike is an avid reader of Native American lore and since he had recently read about this battle, we had to stop at the Massacre Canyon monument in Nebraska

This was the site of the last battle between the Pawnee and the Sioux Nations.

You could almost see the Indians and the buffalo...

We always try to avoid freeways and travel along the side roads and this year, the side roads were filled with turkeys - real ones, not the ones you cuss at when they are going too slow.

In Colorado we saw the first snow covered peaks off in a distance and

we climbed to 8000 feet to take a look at the Palisades Sill - an interesting geological phenomenon.

Great light, great colors in the mountains.

And then we are at 10,000 feet and trees have lost all their leaves and the land is almost barren - winter had set in.

 

 

After just a few days, we were in Navajo Dam, NM where the post mistress handed me the mail without even asking my name and the gal in the bait shop, when told that we had bought a place in northern Minnesota, said "You must either be Lutheran or like lutefisk - only two reasons somebody would want a place up there."  Well, she was half right...  It didn't take us long to collect the boat from storage, get new tires and brakes on the trailer and hit the water.  Because we only had one day to enjoy Navajo Lake, Mike didn't even get a fishing license, we just cruised and enjoyed the scenery

 

and the wildlife.

 

We admired the beautiful cedar trees

with all their withered twists and curves.

And, of course, we found a place where we just had to stop.  This tree growing in the rock was a magnificent specimen and we had to observe it close up.

That's the boat way down there...

Mike found a piece that could very well be a Welcome sign once it gets to Minnesota.

It is a most beautiful area and one that may be explored in the future using land trails.

Then it was time to say goodbye to the San Juan River Valley

and head to Arizona.

 

 

Besides connecting with friends, one of our main goals in coming to Apache Junction was to explore Saguaro Lake.  It is the fourth Reservoir on the Salt River chain and the only one we did not explore last fall and spring.  We had dry camped since leaving home so it was nice to land in a campground with full hookups for a  couple of weeks.  But once we were set up, we were ready to be on water again.

 

Saguaro Lake did not disappoint.  It was very different from Roosevelt, Apache and Canyon; amazing that they all are cut from the Salt River.

 

Four Peaks is ever present.

There was a family squabble happening on one branch.

Supporters of the Arizona Sun Devils climbed a high peak to place this flag.

On the other side of this dam is Canyon Lake - last year I photographed Desert Big Horn Sheep just a few hundred feet on the other side.

From the foliage,

to the birds,

to the unusual rock formations,

and nondescript saguaros,

Saguaro Lake was beautiful.

There were even a few saguaros that proved interesting.

 

When we went out the next day, I spotted many more saguaros

 

Oh, and Four Peaks behind the saguaro.

And saguaro that resemble body parts...

Diane, Tud and Popcorn were with us for this excursion.

We saw a saguaro that was actually holding up a rock... at least it looked that way.

And we saw magnificent reflections.

And a heron trying to hide.

And a mysterious growth on a saguaro - what is that?

Oh, there was some fishing done but only Tud caught one and only one all day long.

In late day, the sun behind the mountains create radiant scenes.

Did I tell you I like reflections...

and herons.

Bonnie and Barry camped by us for a few days and when the guys fished, it was Barry who caught... two whole little fish in one day.  Obviously, this is not the time of year to fish in Arizona but it certainly was a great time of year to enjoy life with friends.

 

Today, we golfed with Tud and Diane and I had a pretty good day.  They aren't too sure about my "Rules for those over 60" but, what they heck, they work well for us. 

 

Tomorrow we are off to Yuma and Pilot Knob RV Resort which will be our winter home.  We will be workamping there for five months and helping Mary Lou and Jack with their work in Algodones, Mexico.   Till Later....

 

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