What does a workamper do all day anyway?

Soooooo, just so ya know, today is July 31st, and we have left the Refuge.  (Insert frowny face here, and yes, it was a bit more emotional than we/I had anticipated.)  But, since I hadn't really been keeping you up to date while we were ON the Refuge, I thought I would share a bit of what we were doing during the time of self-isolation and quarantine.  (Jennifer, please be patient, you've already seen most of these photos, but none of our friends have...)   Btw, let's all welcome our Volunteer Coordinator to the blog - hellloooo, Jennifer!  And Candice, too...our neighbor from Crystal River, FL, whom we miss dearly - howdy, Girlfriend, 'sup??!!  Ok, let's get back to work now...  So, the Refuge Visitor Center has been closed since mid or end of March (can't remember, and it really doesn't matter, it's been quite a while now), and the staff has mostly been working from home.  I say mostly, 'cuz if you're a fireman or maintenance specialist, it's darned near impossible to telecommute, and so they have been coming onsite to do their work.  However....their work does not include making things presentable and pretty, sooooo, that falls to the volunteers! The Russian Sage bush is way overgrown and the butterfly garden is full of weeds, so off to work we go! 

And here is the railing - all poopy and chipped, and just generally not pretty.  Since I have to use it to get up the steps, I wanted to spiff it up some.

And so, we waited till a Friday night, prepped it with our fancy recycled box spatter shields, and our spray painter extraordinaire got busy.

When all was said and done, it was shiny and looked brand new!

The next morning we trucked on over to Marble Falls, about 23 miles away (only 11, if you go by crow), and picked me up a hand pruner to make it easier for me to work in the flower bed.  That's the closest Lowes Home Improvement store, and the ACE Hardware that is in Lago Vista doesn't have a pruner worth a dime.  We know, 'cuz we bought the one they had, and pardon my French, but it sucked.  It got returned the day after it was purchased.  While we were at Lowes, we found a rack of scrawny, half-dead, dried up tomato plants.  For a dime each.  Ever searching for the perfect homegrown tomato (yes, STILL), Driver just couldn't resist.  We came home with two!  And a couple bags of compost and dirt.  There was a discarded pallet on the burn pile, so we salvaged that and turned it into a planter box.

And planted our 20 cent tomato plants.

Later that night, we still had some energy left, so we signed up for a Zoom square dance.  This would be our second one, so, thankfully, we were better than before.  We still had a time or two where we stepped out of camera range, and while muted, we had a discussion about where our phantom corners should have been.  Darn those phantoms, they could sure use a few lessons!  LOL, probably us, too, ya think?

Remember that Quilt of Valor I did a dedication block for?  If you don't just click on that there link, and you'll go right to the post that contains the original block.  I'll wait.  Well, apparently, it, and its quilt, turned out so well, the maker was tasked with recreating the whole thing for another Veteran.  In a month's time. So she sent me some more fabric, and as soon as it was received, I whipped out this little puppy.  I thought maybe we should change up the motif at the top, to more accurately reflect the land-based Army, rather than the ocean waves of the Navy, but she said the stars and scrolls were find, so who am I to argue.  Besides, I still had all the threads selected and readily available, so, BAM, plug in the new dude's name, and Save and stitch away.

The next day, or maybe another day, I don't really remember, but it was a working day, so it was Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, we decided we were going to work on an area of the Refuge that was open to the public, but was about 15 miles from our campsite area.  To get there, we traveled down Cow Creek Road, and we got to see this beauty.  

and a baby....

So, you see here, there is a sign posted, suggesting that the area behind the sign was closed to the public.  No trails were here at Shin Oak Observation Deck.  This area is basically just a gazebo to shelter the crowds from the hot sun or sporadic rain showers that might pop up.  The area is dedicated to the Black Capped Vireo, a small and endangered songbird that nests exclusively in this area of central Texas. People come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of this shy little bird.  We never did see or hear one. 

But, we did fix it so that people would know to stay out of their territory.

While we were there, we got to see one of the Prickly Pear flowers up close and personal.  (Actually, Driver got REALLY up close and personal with one of the prickly parts, and it's a good thing I have tweezers.....)

This is how we found the boardwalk to the Observation Deck...

And this is how we left it...

This is how the parking lot looked when we arrived (you see all that trash around the edge??)...

And this is how it looked after we did our thing...

Back up at Warbler Vista, another area that is open to the public, we found another hidden sign....that we uncovered...

And, again, back at the Visitor Center, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the hedge trimmer to take care of these bushes around the foundation...

It was hard, strenuous work...

but so very rewarding in the end...

And, speaking of rewards...remember back when I was making all those masks, and I got a kit of 50 from our MagneShade friends?  I had agreed to sew them all up and return some or all back to them in North Carolina.  Well, the kit came, and I put out a Facebook notice to all our friends that I would have masks available in a week or so, and just let me know how many they needed of blue or pink.  John and Lora asked for 2 (I'm pretty sure I made them 2 each, but it's been so long, I just can't say for sure) to be sent to them at Happy Trails, in Arizona.  They offered to pay me for them, but, since this whole project was a charity thing, I didn't feel right accepting money for the masks or shipping.  I suggested they just buy lunch for a cop or a bag of dog/cat food for their local animal shelter.  Well, in typical Lora fashion, she told me that there would be a surprise waiting for me at the Marble Falls Post Office when we arrived here.  It.Never.Came.  First we went there (remember, it's not even close!), TWICE, and there was never anything there....and finally, we started calling.  And calling..and calling.  And there was never anything there for us.  Eventually, Lora ordered another surprise for us, and lo and behold, this one ARRIVED. And, boy, what a surprise it was!  While we were in Sedona, AZ, we had the pleasure of tasting freshly-squeezed Prickly Pear lemonade, remember?  I rather liked it, Driver was on the fence about it. (but if you pressed him, he would admit to liking it better than the mineral water lemonade of Mineral Springs, CO) Well, now I can make my OWN Prickly Pear lemonade!  Or, pour the syrup over pancakes.  Or make my PBJs with the jelly she so generously sent.  Oh my, what a prize this surprise was!  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lora and John!!

So now you've seen a little of what we did the first couple of weeks we were on the Refuge.  There's much more to be done, so stay tuned!

Stay well and safe out there!

Two more weeks in Paradise!

Hey there hordes and throngs of friends and admirers!  Whatcha been up to these last couple of weeks?  I hope you haven't been holding your breath till my next post - that's never a good idea, just sayin.  I follow Cat Patches (formerly Three Cats Ranch), by Barbara S, and she's awesome about posting...at least once every day, and she ALWAYS has something interesting and funny to say.  Me, not so much.  Things happen, and life sometimes gets in the way, and sometimes, I just think our laundry days or grocery shopping would bore the socks off you, so I just let the days slip by.  However, the last two weeks have been busy as crap!  First off, I got started on Betty's garden flags (Betty is Dick's sister, and she ordered two double-sided garden flags - one for herself, one for gifting to her best friend.)  So, here's the start.  Santa swinging on an ornament and wishing a Merry Christmas, and the next photo is Dona's Spring side.  They both got a pumpkin holding Fall flowers on the reverse.  

The flags had to be put aside for a few days, though, because SOMEone is a glutton for punishment, and signed up to vend at the RV park's annual craft show.  I saw this as an opportunity to make some money for the fuel tank, and get rid of some of the stuff I've been carrying around for a year or so.  However, since I had signed up for TWO tables, and I really only had enough stuff to cover ONE table, I had to bust my butt and get some things made.  I found some pretty cactus material at the quilt shop we visited in Tucson, and the Kokopelli fabric exactly fit that design. (or did the design fit the fabric?)  (or does it even matter?)  And then, of course, it's getting close to Thanksgiving, and most of the residents here are from parts northern, so maybe they would be missing the turning of the leaves, right? 

 The Kokopelli wall hanging was sure to be a big hit, right?  I see lots of them done up in metal art and hung on the outer walls of the sheds/Arizona rooms down here.  Barbara A will recognize those two tote bags as the ones she didn't purchase from me in Silver Springs, and maybe, just maybe, that table topper will move.

And, of course, my smart-a$$ embroidered toilet paper.  EVERYbody needs at least one roll of embroidered tp to round out their Christmas decorations!

Well, surprisingly enough, Kokopelli came home; Lora says it's because people here seldom buy for their own homes - they buy gifts for relatives in other states, and Kokopellis just don't go well outside of AZ.  Not sure what's going to become of him....I like his colors, and I must admit, the stitching on him is some of the best I've ever done...but, he is certainly NOT my usual sea-side relaxed spa-inspired style!  The tp, as expected, sold well, plus I had to make 2 more.  Luggage handle wraps went well, and about half the towels are gone.  The totes, again, didn't sell, nor did that blue and yellow quilt, nor did the star-shaped table topper.  Several people admired them all, even told me the prices were reasonable and the quilting was beautiful.  But then, they just walked away.  ???  Cheapskates, all of 'em!  HA!  There's another show in Rockport, in Feb, I guess I'll trot everything back out for that!

And, while we were at the craft sale, we received a phone call from a local florist, trying to deliver some flowers.  Driver turned all sorts of red when I thanked him, but he 'fessed up that he didn't send 'em.  Thought he was pulling my leg, as he knew for the last couple of weeks, I'd been wanting to get some flowers to brighten up the camper.  Well, nope, the card indicated they were actually from my brother Charlie, and his lovely wife, Nina.  Yup, for reals!  That was mighty sweet of them, don'tcha think??  And they really are so very pretty!  They do brighten up the place, and it's nice to have a bit of color among all these brown rocks!

The day before the craft show, I had a follow-up with the spine doc, to check on how well (or not) the shots worked.  Well, *I* thought they were awesome, and life-changing, so that's what I said.  So he said, great, then we'll schedule you for the RFA.  Ummmm, What?  Well, turns out, the blocks were basically just TESTS, to see if they were in the right area, and any relief received would be only temporary, and would be wearing off within another week or so.  Ummm, WHAT?  Somehow, I had the impression that the blocks would be good for about 6 months to a year....and I was really excited when they seemed to be doing the job so well.  Ugh.  Only to find out that a more permanent solution is the RFA, and I needed one for each side for it to work best.  Ten days apart.  Uhhhhhhh, depending on their schedule, that might be an issue.  Our reservation is only through Dec 31st, and we already know there's not another site available in the area after that, so we cannot simply extend or move to another park!  Luckily, there was a cancellation at the surgery center and I got on their schedule for Tuesday, and I was instructed to call in every day to check if there was another cancellation I could slip into.  Well, before we got home from the appointment, I had a phone call, telling me that they were able to slip me in again, on Dec 4, but it was at 6:20 AM.  AM!  Like, o'dark twenty!  Oh well, it was available, and so now I know where we'll be on Dec 4th!

So, as it turns out, Monday is a free day.  Finally!   (Tuesday is procedure day, Wed we either move or pack up to move, Thursday & Friday we are getting the engine hood repaired, and hopefully, the Oasis hot water system too), Saturday or Sunday, we probably return to camp.  That's pretty much the whole week booked up, but, Monday was a free day.  John and Lora had gone to White Tank Mountain Park a couple of weeks ago and they reported that the Waterfall Trail was accessible for most of the way, and not too strenuous, or high, for the rest of the way.  So, likely, I could make it.  Time to go see for ourselves.  Besides, I was ready to see a waterfall!

The road up to the trail was pretty much like any other here in Arizona.  But hillier.  There is a campground here in the park, with lots of availability.  But, the hills were so steep, and so close together that we couldn't bring our rig in.  We'd bottom out for sure!  Or worse, we'd get stuck between hills and be unable to come or go!  We try hard to avoid situations of that nature.  We do NOT want to be the campers that other people take pictures of and caption it with, "how'd they do THAT?  and how are they gonna UNdo that?"

We learned that these are Teddy Bear cactus, so named because they look so cuddly and furry.  But they are neither cuddly nor furry.  They're prickly as all get out.

Of course, our shadow selves came along for the ride hike, as did our faithful geo-pup.  Yes, I had to borrow Driver's hat, so that I could see my phone screen to take the picture.  Don't worry, I gave it right back to him so his ears wouldn't burn!  The weather was hot and sunny, with the slightest of breezes, so it was just perfect for a hike.  The sky was bright blue, with not a cloud in sight.  It was hard to believe that we are expecting fierce rainstorms and flooding for the next 3 days.

Now, that is one tall Saguaro!

I know it's really hard to tell, but that hill was pretty darned steep, about 45 degrees up.  And rocky.  Don't worry, we didn't stray off the trail.

We found more petroglyphs just off the trail.  It is believed these are at least 700 years old, and were chiseled out by the Hohokam Indians that roamed this area so many years ago.

And more dire warnings.  This sign was relative to the cliff face in the picture below this one.  No worries, Jack, mama had absolutely no intention of climbing, rapelling, or off trail hiking.  Not today, not tomorrow, not the next day, not this lifetime.  You all know how I feel about heights!

These are the famous "white tanks" for which the mountains and park are named.  It's thought that the Hohokam, who were primarily farmers, built these sluices for irrigation purposes, using only rocks and sticks, fashioned into hoe-like tools.  It's hard to tell, but the water that ran through here for years (not today, apparently) has polished these immense boulders, exposing their white granite interiors, shining brightly, even in the shadows.  

I actually had to lean way back to take this picture, as the cliffs towered above.  No worries, though, again, we stayed on the trail!  No climbing for us!

This boulder appeared to be precariously perched, but when I gave it a slight push, it didn't budge.  Thankfully.  I don't know WHAT I would have done had it given way and tumbled down into the ravine below.  I know a couple of years ago, a group of Boy Scouts (Boy Scouts!!) got into BIG trouble for pushing a rock off its pedestal; I can only imagine what penalties and fines (jail time?) would befall an old lady from Florida for doing the same. 

There were two sets of concrete and stone steps leading upwards.  I have to assume the trail was rough and steep prior to the steps being installed.  From what I gathered, this is a relatively recent (like, within the last two years) installation.  I'm glad they put 'em in - it sure made my climb a lot easier!

Once we'd gotten up both sets of steps, we noticed it was remarkably cooler.  We saw why, once we reached the pinnacle, which was more like an open cavern.  With a pool in it! We didn't know if the pool was a foot deep or forty feet deep, but it was definitely dark in the middle!

You could see where water flowed at one point.  Perhaps, with the upcoming rain, it will flow again soon?  I dunno, but right now today, it's dry as a bone,except for that pool at the base.

After resting and cooling off a bit, we turned around and headed back to the car, where we knew granola bars were waiting.  It was only a hike of .9 of a mile (one way), but doggie had insisted on being carried for the last third of the way up.  Of course, uphill.  Downhill, she seemed to do much better, but we did make sure to stop every now and then, and she never refused a proffered drink.

So that's been OUR two weeks, what about yours?  What's up for next week?  Well, tomorrow, Tuesday, I get my first RFA (that's Radio Frequency Ablation, for those of you that don't already know), which will pretty much knock out the rest of the day.  Wednesday, we'll either pack up in preparation for a move early Thursday, or we'll pack up and make a more leisurely move over to Apache Junction, where they'll start on repairing our rear engine cover/struts.  And hopefully, diagnose and FIX our Oasis hot (not hot!) water system.  It may take a few days, and if we're still there on Friday night, we may as well stay over till Sunday, 'cuz DeeDee Daughtery will be calling a dance on Saturday night.  And we all know, life's a dance, right?  And if ya can't sing, you might as well dance!  (and NEITHER of us can sing a note!)