Water is a precious commodity in the desert southwest. There’s an old saying around here that is rumored to have been said by Mark Twain.
“Whiskey’s for drinking and water is for fighting over.”
Horseshoe Lake Dam
During one of my recent adventures, I took the hour plus drive out to Horseshoe Lake.
Spring, particularly March and April, is when snow melt feeds our rivers and reservoirs. It’s a unique system of water management.
I timed my visit to Horseshoe Dam perfectly as millions of gallons of water were being released to flow downstream in an effort to fill up Bartlett Reservoir.
There are seven managed reservoirs that provide water to greater Phoenix, Arizona.
Horseshoe Lake
Much of the water supply is surface water that originates as snow in the mountains north and east of Phoenix. As the snow melts, it flows into reservoirs via the Verde, Salt, and Colorado Rivers.
The first dam was built in 1906 creating Roosevelt Lake (reservoir). Over time, a system of lakes, rivers, dams, and canals were built to deliver water to the millions of residents throughout the Phoenix Valley.
Not only do these reservoirs serve an important role in providing a water supply, they also offer a source of recreation.
This was definitely an interesting excursion that was worth the ten mile plus dirt/gravel road to get out to the dam.
I’m not only grateful for the water, but also grateful for the recreation and scenery not far from home.
Hmm, where to next?
For this week’s Lens-Artists photo challenge #293, Sofia asks us to share images of Water in Motion. Living in the desert, I thought this prompt might find me digging through my photo archives, but fortunately, on my quest to photograph wildflowers, I ventured out to Horseshoe and Bartlett Lakes. What great timing!
I grew up in America’s Midwest surrounded by lush vegetation and always enjoyed autumn, but that also meant winter was on its way and that I did not relish. Nope, this gal is not a fan of snow and cold.
In the northern midwest, sometime in September, the crisp cool air would roll in and the leaves on the trees would start changing. Let’s face it, it’s just a matter of time before the seasons change, and as much as we’d like Mother Nature to work on our schedule, she’s in charge of the time.
Ah, but who can resist a forest filled with vibrant colored leaves or the smells of pumpkin spice and the taste of all things apple? Not I !
However, the fall season never lasts long enough. The trees shed their colorful beauty way too quickly and the skies remain a gloomy gray for weeks on end. And as much as I loved autumn in the Midwest, spring was a time of year to look forward to.
I’ve always felt spring symbolizes growth, new life, and a sense of energy. Plus, it meant summer was on its way, So, spring was always my favorite time of year …. until recently.
Travel is the best! We get to time the seasons.
Traveling full-time in our RV meant we got to enjoy all four seasons on our terms. We could migrate like birds. We could stay in the north until the first frost then head south for the winter, and in the spring, we could do the same only in reverse, head north to escape the southern summer heat.
That all changed when we sold our RV and bought a house in the desert southwest.
There’s no more migrating for these two old birds. Since selling the RV, we don’t travel frequently like we used to. We live a much more stationary life these days.
This summer has produced record-high temperatures in Arizona without much of a reprieve from the extreme heat making me not look forward to future summers.
At least my husband and I were able to get away a couple of times for a visit to Colorado to enjoy a change of scenery and weather. These days, I’ll take whatever travel I can get.
Let’s hope our temperatures drop soon and fall is just around the corner 🤞 Fingers crossed! Fall, winter, and even spring are absolutely a joy to hang around the deserts of Arizona, So not only do I look forward to fall, I look forward to winter. Thus, I’ve changed my mind regarding the seasons.
Fall has replaced spring as my new favorite time of year.
What’s your favorite season?
For this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge, Terri asks us to showcase colors of orange and gold. Click the link to check out her post and what others are sharing.
Al and I called Colorado’s Front Range home for more than twenty years. Once we moved into the RV full-time, we still continued to spend most summers exploring the state with a focus on Colorado’s Western Slope. The Western Slope and town of Grand Junction soon became a favorite. What’s not to love when you’re surrounded by beautiful landscapes in all directions?
Colorado’s Front Range refers to the land east of the Continental Divide, while the Western Slope refers to the terrain west of the Continental Divide. Colorado’s great divide traverses high through the Rocky Mountains and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean and the river systems that drain in the Atlantic Ocean.
Therefore, Denver and Colorado Springs are located along the “Front Range” while Grand Junction and Telluride are located on Colorado’s “Western Slope”. End of lesson!🤣
Whether traveling by RV or other means, a visit to Colorado’s Western Slope should be included during any trip to this part of the country. I sometimes think towns like Grand Junction are overlooked with places like Denver or Breckenridge taking center stage.
Since my brother and his wife live in Grand Junction, they have provided an excellent excuse for us to visit the area regularly over the years. We actually enjoy Grand Junction so much that we almost bought a house there back in 2014, but timing just wasn’t right for us back then …. ah, there are regrets though!
During our most recent trip to Grand Junction, we enjoyed a very chill visit hanging with family. With the exception of visiting the local botanical garden, we didn’t do any exploring, but in the past, we always packed in plenty of adventures including stops at the Colorado National Monument.
My daughter taking a panorama at one of the scenic overlooks.
Boasting an abundance of scenic overlooks, the historic Rim Rock Road drive in The Monument is not to be missed or overlooked.
Attend a festival. Throughout the summer months, Grand Junction along with the neighboring towns of Fruita and Palisade offer a variety of festivals sure to fit anyone’s taste. This post shares the details of a wine festival.
Thursdays: Downtown Market on Main. Every Thursday evening during the summer, downtown Grand Junction hosts a farmer’s market/entertainment event.
Lots of outdoor recreation: golf, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing on the Colorado River, and more.
Visit a dinosaur museum, botanical garden, orchard, winery, or brewery.
In conclusion
Should you plan a visit to Colorado, consider visiting the western slope, and don’t overlook a stop in Grand Junction. We’re already trying to schedule our next visit.
Janet is hosting this week’s Lens-Artists photo challenge. The theme is overlooked. Be sure and check out her post.
Images in this post were made nine years ago with a Panasonic Point & Shoot camera. I’m disappointed with the quality of the photographs, but they serve as an impetus to revisit with my new camera and challenge my ever improving photography skills.
Although I’m still dreaming about vibrant fall colors, Al and I have been back in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, Arizona) for a little over a month now. I can’t figure out where the time has gone. Well actually, I do know … our days have been filled with predominantly obligations sprinkled in with a little fun here and there. I wish it were the other way around. You know, more fun and fewer obligations. Ah, such is life!
Both trucks have been in the shop for routine maintenance and then some. My little red Toyota Tacoma was in storage all summer. So basically, all she needed was an oil change and tire rotation along with a good cleaning. The Ford, on the other hand, needed a little more attention, especially after a 6,000-mile workout. (1,900 miles each direction and then all my exploring in Wisconsin and Minnesota.)
Truck trouble!
We are so grateful and lucky that our F-250 held up on our 1,900-mile journey back to Phoenix, Arizona. After a wonderful summer and fall spent in northern Wisconsin, we made it all the way to Arizona before encountering a problem. Once in Arizona, during the ever-changing terrain on Interstate 17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix, the truck came very close to overheating and not making it at the steepest grade just south of Camp Verde. According to our Mountain Directory (a must-have), the grade is about 6%, but anyone who drives this stretch of road regularly will tell you it feels much greater.
Turns out, the F-250 water pump was leaking and probably had this slow leak all summer long. Thus, the engine had trouble cooling, especially pulling the hills with the RV. Considering we were in mostly flat country all summer long with moderate temperatures and not pulling the RV regularly, we never noticed a problem with the truck until we hit Arizona and the ever-changing elevation. Whew! We dodged a close call of getting stuck on the side of the road.
All he needs now is a little exterior TLC, aka wash, wax, and vacuum. The Ford is almost ready for his next trip and is running like a champ and easily passed the Maricopa County (Phoenix) emission test … keeping the air clean – our truck is registered here since this is our legal domicile.
Our overnight stop just north of Des Moines, Iowa
Spent the night in a Cabela’s parking lot. Almost ready to hit the road as the sun was rising.
More appointments!
Along with tending to vehicle appointments, there have been Doctor, Dentist, and Vision appointments. Drilling, poking, prodding, x-rays, tests, scans, and follow-up visits have ensued. Al’s mouth and body are good to go for another year and I’m getting closer. Geez … this getting old stuff ain’t for sissies.🤣
Oh and I can’t forget to add in the water leak and a few other attention grabbing tidbits on the RV. So much for me and my remodeling ideas. That will be taking a backseat for a while, much to Al’s delight and my disappointment.
Family fun!
At least we’ve been able to add in a few fun family visits on a small scale. A Thanksgiving get together this Thursday is still up in the air. The eight of us are all trying to be Covid cautious. Thus, we’ll all check with one another at the last minute, and then if we do get together, we’ll probably eat outside. Fortunately, the weather in Phoenix, Arizona has been beautiful. Perhaps even a tad too warm with record highs being broken. It has been a hot year around here, and I’m glad Al and I were in northern Wisconsin for the worst of the heat.
Why did the turkey cross the road? To get to the other side! Wild turkeys in Wisconsin. I found myself needing to stop regularly so I wouldn’t hit one.
Wild turkeys crossing the road. Dinner, anyone? Run, turkey, run!
Along with getting together with family back here in Arizona, we’re enjoying reconnecting with our RV Park friends (on a limited and socially distanced scenario, of course). We’ve chosen not to engage in any of the park’s social functions even though they are trying to do their best with Covid guidelines. I’ve dealt with my fair share of illnesses the past several years (including flu, Valley Fever, and mononucleosis), so I’d really prefer to avoid this nasty virus.
My to-do list seems to be growing instead of dwindling. I won’t bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say, I’d really prefer being less busy. I guess you could say, I’ve been a little too busy lately and am looking forward to life slowing down soon. Ah, but with the holiday season in full swing, I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon. On that note, excuse me if I’m a little less active here in the blogosphere. Life!
What a change from my relaxing summer. Calgon, take me away!
Photo Challenges:
As I was putting this post together, I couldn’t help but think about the differences between our summer home and winter home and it’s not just the drastic contrast between the two landscapes. It’s about our mindset. When we visit family property in northern Wisconsin, we’re more in vacation mode and tend to think less of life’s responsibilities, unless we’re talking about an RV tank leak, then it’s all business, in more ways than one 🤣
When we return to AZ, it’s like returning home after being on vacation. It’s time to think about responsibilities and get back to being an adult. Phoenix is our home base where we have an annual RV site. It’s our place of residence and the place we spend the most amount of time. So I guess it’s safe to say, Phoenix, Arizona is our main home, and Hayward, Wisconsin is our second home.
I’m so incredibly thankful to still be able to travel via our RV and enjoy two such beautiful worlds while spending time with people we love in both places. With that said, enjoy a few images showcasing how different our two homes are.
We all have a story to share, and as bloggers, we love sharing our stories. Some of us tend to lean toward visual inspiration and share our tales via photographs while others are gifted with words and the ability to write. But when photographs and words come together, it’s pure magic. Well, in my book anyway!
Think about it … many of us have a favorite children’s book that is filled with a combination of images and words. I still have a few of those books from my childhood tucked away in storage. And then there’s my collection of cookbooks. I love cookbooks but rarely buy one without a healthy dose of tantalizing food photos to accompany the recipes. But my favorite is a beautiful coffee table book filled with stunning photography taking me on a visual adventure.
Storytelling with photographs is all about the images with just enough words to enhance the story.
This is the road to our summer/fall home.
Visual storytelling with photographs
The photographs we share depend largely on how we want to tell the story. As someone who enjoys travel in an RV, the majority of my photographs, and thus my stories, are centered around the places we visit along with my personal experiences and thoughts. There’s an excitement to traveling, to seeing new sights, meeting new people, having new experiences, and capturing those moments and memories is important to me. The ability to share them with you is a bonus! 😁
When I think about my adventures and how I want to preserve a memory and how I might want to share a story, I keep a few thoughts in mind …
5 Elements to help tell a story.
Idea: what, where, when?
Plan: execution, how?
Memory: preservation, what do I want to remember most?
Emotion: feeling, sentiment, how does it make me feel?
Narration: words to complement the images and help deliver the story.
It doesn’t matter what kind of camera we use to capture our story. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite recent fall photographs was taken quickly with my iPhone. Al and I had gone on a scenic drive and stopped to explore a national forest campground on Lake Namekagon in northern Wisconsin. It was a gorgeous fall day, and I was easily distracted by the beautiful autumn colors. While Al strolled back to the truck, I ventured down a trail.
Knowing Al would be waiting for me (patiently) and realizing we still had several more places to visit, I was rushed, but I felt compelled to capture snippets of my experience. Without much thought, I pointed the iPhone … click to the left, click to the right, click up high, click down low, time to go! Regrettably, my Panasonic stayed slung across my body.
Trust your instincts when capturing the moment. Try not to overthink the composition … unless your goal is for professional reasons or a wall hanger, in which case you’ll want to pull out the good camera, tripod, and spend some time composing. But for storytelling, go with your gut and capture what makes you happy at that moment … it’s your story.
This is one of my favorite photos taken this past September.
Memory / Emotion: The image above evokes a calming joy within me and that’s exactly how I felt strolling through those leaves, and for some reason, those leaves almost looked like rose petals guiding me further into the forest. Whenever I look at this photograph, I’m reminded of the wonderful autumn day that I shared with my husband. I realize the way the image impacts me is unique to me personally.
I’m curious though … how does the image make YOU feel? What does it say to you? Perhaps you don’t even care for the photo, and that’s ok, but the photograph is part of my visual story from that day.
Idea / Plan: The whole reason for us to remain in northern Wisconsin into October was so I could capture autumn foliage. So with that in mind, I set about planning where I wanted to go. For three weeks, starting in mid-September, whenever the weather was agreeable, I was off in search of color.
Scenery along the way!
I was rewarded with stunning colors in all directions. Sometimes I was able to pull off to the side of the road and snap some photos and other times I wasn’t so lucky, in which case I would have to savor those views in my memory. I knew when I planned these photo outings that I’d want to share my tales here on the blog. Therefore, I made mental notes and had an idea of what kind of images I wanted to capture to help tell my story … visual storytelling.
“A picture is worth a thousand words“
Narration: Years ago, long before personal computers, the internet, and digital photography 😵, I was into scrapbooking. I have about three large storage containers filled with photo albums. I treasure those albums, but when I recently started flipping through one, I noticed the lack of narration. Writing has never come easy to me and that was more apparent than ever when reviewing that photo album.
Oh, how I wish I had shared more information about the photographs, about the events, about the places and people. Even though a picture may be worth a thousand words, adding additional information via words will enhance any story. Besides, there’s a little storytelling in all of us.
Color was seen everywhere!
Hopefully, I’ve offered a few tips that might help you focus on your own storytelling via photography. If interested, here is one of my favorite tales where I take my readers on a hike at the incredible Kasha-Katuwee Tent Rocks.
Do you have a favorite visual story?
I loved the tiny island with the colorful trees in the distance.
Beautiful ending to a beautiful day!
Photo Challenges: This week for Sunday Stills, Terri asks us to share photographs of leaves. Another photo challenge is from Patti – Lens-Artists #121 Focus on the Subject. As opposed to focusing my camera on something specific, I chose storytelling as my subject to focus on.
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Timing is everything when it comes to most things in life, and we seemed to have timed our recent travels perfectly. It was the second full week in October and the leaves were changing from brilliant hues of reds, oranges, and yellows to varying shades of brown. Those dry rust-colored leaves were a clear indication that the trees would soon be bare and winter would be nipping at our heels.
With a memory card full, I was satisfied with my collection of autumn foliage images and ready to get the RV moved to a warmer climate. Bye-bye Wisconsin, hello Arizona. After seven straight days of driving and 1,900 miles later, Al and I made it safely to our destination in Phoenix, Arizona, and managed to escape the snowstorm that targeted the upper Midwest.
Currently, there are six inches of snow covering the ground where our RV once sat. Yep, good timing on our part. Now it’s time for us to settle back into our RVing community in the desert southwest, but first, I need to share a few more photographs of nature’s beautiful landscape.
Our home this past summer and fall.
Beware of what lies beneath.
With our departure date looming, I took every possible opportunity to get out into nature to soak up the colors. I hadn’t been back to this part of the country during this time of year for probably thirty years. Oh, how I’ve missed this! The western United States has its own unique beauty that I love, but these past months back in the Midwest have felt a bit like a homecoming. I was in my comfort zone, in my element, and enjoying every moment and what a treat it was. But as we all know, life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns.
Wanting to capture images of sunrises and morning reflections on the lake required me to set upon my explorations early in the morning. It was usually just me, my camera, and the wildlife wandering the forest before sunrise, and it wasn’t uncommon for us to startle one another. Fortunately, these encounters were in the friendly form of deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, birds, but thankfully no black bear. Mind you, I was ever on the lookout.
When exploring, I do my best to be aware of my surroundings at all times and avoid potential obstacles that could end in injury. So there I was, traipsing through the forest, stepping over and under branches, and immersed in the sights and sounds. The air was crisp and fresh. The leaves crunched beneath each cautious footstep while I listened to Loons calling in the distance.
And then it happened … in a split second … beneath the thick carpet of leaves hid a twig. When I unknowingly stepped on it at just the right angle, it flipped up and one of the edges scraped down my shin. Ouch! Ah, the perils of walking in a leaf-covered forest, but nothing a little time wouldn’t heal.
Injuries happen!
Hey lady, watch where you’re walking!
A beautiful morning in the neighborhood.
What a treat!
Spending time with family on lakefront property these past four months was a treat … add in beautiful fall colors and it just doesn’t get much better … such a treat!
Photo challenge: Lens-Artist Challenge #120 – What a Treat! This week, Tina asks us to share photographs depicting a ‘treat’. Spending the autumn season in northern Wisconsin and seeing the changing of leaves was indeed a very special treat for me.
It was the third week in September when I was finally able to explore a couple of Duluth parks on my must-see list. Since Duluth, Minnesota is almost a two-hour drive north of my summer home base in Wisconsin, I was really hoping that the fall colors would be popping more than they were. Oh well, the parks were lovely all the same.
Even though I was slightly disappointed with the fall colors, I was very impressed with the trails. Folks around here love their outdoor recreation. Unfortunately, I was in Duluth just for the day and my time was somewhat limited, but at least I was able to take in an overview and walk the trails a little bit.
Lester Park, Duluth, MN
Located on the east side of Duluth, Lester park offers over nine miles of hiking and biking trails and sits along a creek. This is a popular park with locals since it offers picnic tables, a children’s playground, access to a great trail system, and a refreshing river complete with waterfalls. I spent almost two hours meandering trails, crossing bridges, and giving my camera a workout.
(To enlarge a photo in a gallery, simply click on any image.)
The Lakewalk Trail – Congdon Park, Duluth, MN
Also on the east side of Duluth and along the Tischer Creek is Congdon Park. The park was once part of the Glensheen Estate. Owner, Chester Congdon donated the land to the city of Duluth and paid for its development on the condition that the city would stop using the creek as an open sewer. We thank you, Mr. Congdon!🦨
The park offers beautiful hiking trails, unique bridges, and lovely waterfalls begging to be explored. However, after having spent a couple of hours at Lester Park, I found myself short on time and was only able to walk about 15 minutes out and back on The Lakewalk Trail and never did make it into the heart of Congdon Park.
Although there’s a nice size parking lot near London Road and 26th Ave, I ended up parking the truck on a side street on 32nd Ave so I could view the Tischer Creek and bridges. The Lakewalk Trail is a beautifully paved trail perfect for cyclists, moms with strollers, or anyone wanting to go on a walk and take in nature. I know I’ll be back next summer for further explorations.
Our truck parked on a neighborhood street with access to the trail.
Goodbye for now!
Unfortunately, with winter inching closer, my visits to Duluth have come to an end … temporarily anyway, and I’m already formulating a list of things to do and places to see next season. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job of planning for next summer by making some Duluth RV reservations well in advance. This year, my last-minute planning didn’t work in my favor. Guess my luck had to run out sometime. 😏
Photography Challenge … Lens-Artists #117: A Photo Walk. For this week’s photo challenge, Amy asks us to share photos taken while on a walk. She encourages us to pause for a moment and observe our surroundings. Fun time!
Live Laugh RV 