On the road again
I was going to hang around here for a few more days, but the weather forecast predicts a cold front coming through on Wednesday, with a chance of rain or snow. Judging by rumors on the Internet about the dirt roads around here when it rains, I have convinced myself that I need to get back to Tombstone and what passes for civilization.
I've been somewhat disappointed by the lack of Sandhill cranes here. Usually, there are thousands, but this time, I will say there are hundreds, so it's not as interesting to me.
One reason could be the lack of water. I've never seen the water this low before. The big lake is less than half full, and there’s dry land where there used to be wading areas for birds. And a couple of the lakes are completely dry.
I'll probably stay in Tombstone until the bad weather's over, which should only be two or three days. And after that, I don't know where I'm going. Normally, I would go to the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, and stay there for a few weeks, but since they've raised the prices to $30 a night to boondock, I can no longer in good conscience pay that kind of money to sit in a parking lot. And since the County government runs the Pima County Fairgrounds, they have no incentive to lower prices or give anybody a break for any reason. The government employees are paid the same whether the campground is full or mostly empty; in fact, there's less work for the employees to do if it is half-empty.
The Pima County Fairgrounds was a big and important stop for me, one that I looked forward to every year. So, there's a big hole left in my travel plans that I need to find a way to fill.
Theboondork
Bird photographer. He’s probably not from around here because he looks like he just stepped out of an REI.
Early morning waders.
An Arizona Brown Pelican. These Arizona Pelicans have lost their ability to catch and eat fish, mostly because there is no water in the desert, so there are no fish.
Taking off. Their wings are really huge. The males often have a 6-foot wingspan.
There are a lot more birds at Whitewater Draw than just Sandhill Cranes.