Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Lazy days along the Colorado





"Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking." Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness." English clergyman Charles H. Spurgeon

While I'm driving down the road, walking through an RV park, and while I take care of tasks in my rolling home, I smile and grin with happiness - delighted to be traveling in Jeremiah! I'm glad that I listened to my adventurous soul and gathered courage and the willingness to take risks.

After a dozen busy days in the San Diego area, I gave myself a couple of lazy days at Mayflower County Park on the western side of the Colorado River. I'm parked amidst Ironwood, Palo Verde, Mesquite, Washington Palm, Cat's Claw and Smoke trees. The park surface is grass, but of course it is mostly brown this time of the year. The weather is great and perfect for being outdoors - low 40s at night, and up in the high 70s in the afternoon.

Many very friendly, and active, RVers are spending the winter here - in all sizes and kinds of RVs - however the most interesting vehicle is the remodeled school bus (see photo). Throughout the park I met a lot of people as they played games, visited, read, walked and rode bikes. Games included "lawn bowling," "washers," horseshoes, card games and dominoes.

I took my coffee and camera out this morning and captured some early morning shots of the river. This evening's sunset is brilliant and interesting. Today I saw a nesting Great Horned Owl (picture - the owl is in the middle) and Vermillion Flycatchers (brilliantly colored, not able to get a good picture).

Yesterday I saw a "lost cat" sign on the restroom door, and read that it had been missing since Jan. 21 - a little more than two weeks! How sad I thought; surely after this long of a time it must be a goner. Well, I was wrong. This afternoon the owners found the cat on the bluff over the river, and I happened to be talking to a neighboring RVer when they tearfully brought her home. She was thin and extremely hungry. It must feel like a miracle to the owners.

The evening as I walk around, I am enjoying the fragrance of smoke from bonfires and aroma of dinners cooking. Tomorrow morning I drive east to Phoenix.