Sunday, March 7, 2021

Cleaning house and Empire Creek

 The sun is rising earlier and so am I.  This morning I woke with the Sun blazing in my window at around 7 o'clock and I was out of bed at 8 o'clock.  Took a small walk around our site.  Every time we move, Yuma is afraid to go out the first couple of days for some reason, but he gets over it.

Serengeti in the Grasslands

Mt. Wrightson and Old Baldy are to the southwest of me.   Madera Canyon is on the other side of those mountains.  A beautiful area with hiking trails into the mountains.  Hiked as much of it as my body could handle a few years ago.

I was getting tired of the dust, dirt and hair all over the place, so today is cleaning day.  I will do the living and kitchen area today and the bathroom and bedroom tomorrow.

I swept, wiped, mopped and rinsed till everything shined.   Had to shake all the rugs and clean those areas that had gotten spilled on.   Felt so much better when it was done.  
Nice and shiny now.
Then Yuma and I did a little resting.  The temperature keeps rising and it is now near 70 degrees.  We are at just over 4600 feet here and it is supposed to get to 80 degrees today.  However, this will be the warmest day.  Later this week it will only be in the 50s with lows in the 30s. 

Finally, around 3:30 Yuma couldn't rest anymore so we jumped in the Jeep and headed the short distance to the Empire Creek so he could run the trails.  The first year I walked this area of Cottonwood trees, it was beautiful and lush, but they had a fire that ran through the creek area and destroyed nearly all the trees several years ago.

Heading into the creek area.  


Fire damage everywhere.


Creek is underground and pops up here.


There's a sign saying beware of falling limbs.




Can you find Yuma?

There is a little water movement.
While we were heading back towards the Jeep, Yuma stopped and started wagging his tail.  I knew he saw a dog.  Off he went with me yelling at him to stop.

As I came around a huge burned tree trunk, there was a woman and a dog on the hill above me.  She asked if Yuma was my dog and I told he was mine.  She seemed a little fearful of my appearance and after just a moment, she headed towards the trail head.

Yuma got to the parking area first and he was having the best time running with that little doggie.  Couldn't believe how fast her little feet could go to keep up with Yuma.  That Maggie was a cutie and so excited to run with Yuma that she wouldn't get in the van.

I introduced myself to Elma and she said her dog was Maggie.  She was near a 1995 van that she had made into her home.  She noticed I was from Illinois and she was from Indiana.  Said she has been living in the van for two years traveling the west.  

She is young, maybe 35 years old.  I was curious, so I asked her why she was living in the van.  She said that ever since she was a kid it had been her dream to do this and she had the opportunity and she is now living her dream.


It was nearly 5 o'clock before we got back so I edited my pictures and then fixed a cheeseburger and a salad for dinner.  Yummy!  It's now 7:30 and I'm finishing my post so I'll have time to relax and watch TV before bedtime.  All the 4-wheelers have left so I'm now alone in the grasslands.  Sure do hope for a quiet week ahead.

Thanks for stopping by.

21 comments:

  1. I'm sure you're glad to get things cleaned up. That's aways a chore. Very sad that so many cottonwood were burned. Yuma meets friends where ever he goes!

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    1. It is too bad my pictures had to be of carnage instead of beautiful majestic cottonwood trees. The easiest way for me to meet people is to follow Yuma around πŸ˜† I'm sure not good at it.

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  2. Sure is nice having a nice clean place for a bit! That's funny Yuma is a little hesitant in new places. Guess it takes him a little too get use to where is new home is😁.

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    1. Yes it does feel good to have a clean house. I had let it go for awhile because of the wind. Yuma can be a baby at tines.😁

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  3. We can see Merada Canyon on our side, in fact we can see whole mountain range! Wave from your side! Take care, Rawn Stone

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    1. Those are some pretty mountains in our neighborhood. I'm finally settled in for several weeks and would like to meet. Your place or mine?

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  4. Your home looks lovely, all shiny! It is a job none of us relish but we sure like the rewards of our efforts.
    Love how Yuma finds friends and plays so easily. So sad about the fires and dead branches. Obviously, Yuma can't read. πŸ˜‚ It's like searching for Waldo in the books. :)

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    1. Thanks Patsy. It's a job I hate but it needs to be done occasionally. Sure made me feel good to get rid of the dirt and hair. Yuma had the best time with Maggie. Not a growl or posturing, just run and fun. Too bad they were heading to Tucson.

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  5. Those two pups are having a blast!!! Are you parked in the same place as last year? Too bad the cottonwood trees look so bad. They ARE really old and our cottonwood trees never lasted very long before they fell over. The lack of rain this year sure shows.

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    1. Parked in the same place. I hated to see the trees like that but even in death they have beauty. Those two mutts wouldn't stop running. Fun, fun, fun!

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  6. I remember when we walked along there thinking, limbs stay on the trees. Nothing looked small above us. Always nice to get some of the desert dust back outside. Everything certainly does look shiny clean. Those two puppies look like they are having a ball. Take care.

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    1. Me too. Glad it was not windy. Had to really edit hard to get the place look shiny πŸ˜† Yuma sure loves to run and play like a kid.

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  7. WOW! The White Lion looks like it was hit by a White Tornado! Mr Clean!
    Van Dwellers have an unusual life style, have you seen/read Nomad Life?
    looks like you're in a great spot for awhile.

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    1. Glad to have it done. Hopefully it'll last awhile. I'll check out Nomad Life. Elma mentioned that she moves every few days. That would be a lot for my rig. Not the way I want to relax.

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  8. I had an Aunt Elma, such an old name (as she would be 105 now). Good for her living the dream! Your home looks incredible! Yuma looks so happy running with his friend!

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    1. I'm glad for her. I'm glad I have the time now to give her a good cleaning. It was fun watching them run. Elma almost couldn't get her to go in the vanπŸ™‚

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  9. Awesome pictures. It's so cute to see the dogs enjoying each other's company. The White Lion is all sparkly! Looks like today will be beautiful. Enjoy!

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    1. Thanks Elva. It's windy and cloudy here today. πŸ˜” Glad to be getting the White Lion cleaned finally.

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  10. Glad you found a comfortable place to relax and get things cleaned up.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the lifestyle.

    It's about time.

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  11. Thanks Rick. This place does provide a relaxing atmosphere.

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  12. My Bentley needs a good cleaning, are you for hire? LOL! I looked and looked and I finally found Yuma. He looks so tiny after I found him. Cottonwoods are my favorite trees. I love to listen to the leaves when the wind blows through them. So relaxing! Too bad so many were burned.

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