Getting Back to Nature

Well, here I am.  A resident of Red Rock country.  Sedona, AZ.  Recently voted "The Most Beautiful Place in America."  No argument there.  Does it feel like home yet?  No.  Are the boxes gone?  No.  Have I bought furniture yet?  No.

I still feel in sort of a state of limbo.  A fleeting thought here and there of "when I get back" or "before I leave" - and then I realize that I'm not going back.  I'm not sure the boxes will ever be gone - I've run out of places to put things (gee, maybe there should be fewer things?).  Have not bought any furniture.  Stores here are few and far between.  Being indecisive means repeated trips to stores an hour away, not knowing what I want and not finding anything exciting.  Oh well - I do have my bed and a patio chair.

I'm finally getting back out on the trails, and soaking up all that Sedona has to offer.  I'm constantly amazed at what grows here, the diversity of plants and trees.  I hiked in Jacks Canyon on Wednesday, not far from the house.  If you would see this trail during other times of year, it would not seem to have much to offer.  There is little shade, and in summer it can be a very hot hike.  But today?  In a round trip of about 5.5 miles, I saw more than 30 different kinds of wildflowers blooming.  From the monochromatic Cream Cups to the deep blue of Larkspur, more of that fabulous Antelope Horn (milkweed) that I saw the other day.  Orange Globemallow, fuchsia Penstemon, purple Goodings Verbena, Scarlet Bugler...and countless different yellows. 

     Mexican Goldpoppies bloom against a charred trunk

        - remnant of a wildfire in this area a few years ago

Indian Paintbrush - always a

favorite of mine

My usual stopping point on this hike is at the "tank" - a watering hole about 2 miles into the canyon.  It's always been a good place to sit in the shade of a juniper and watch the birds that come by.  Always hope for thirsty mammals to show up, but none ever have.  Approaching the rim of the tank, I try to be quiet so that I don't scare off any critters.  The surprise was on me this time - the tank is dry!  Only a couple of mud puddles remain.  This is the first time I've seen it dried up and this early in the year, that is not a good sign. 

The tank is high and dry...

I did take a rest in the shade, and then decided to hike a bit further into the canyon.  Wow, I'm glad I did!  It's obvious that this part of the trail is not well-traveled.  It becomes narrow and sandy, crossing several dry washes.  The canyon walls rise up, the trees grow taller, the only sounds are the birds and the breeze through the treetops.  Beautiful, just beautiful.  Next time, I'll continue farther and see what's around the next bend.  And the next.

There was some great raptor action along the trail today as well.  A Coopers Hawk was chasing a Red-Tailed Hawk.  A short time later, several flycatchers were chasing a Coopers Hawk.  A life-list bird for me as well, a Lark Sparrow.  Yay!

Also saw my first snake of the year, on the way back.  Some sort of orange and black thing.  I tapped my trusty hiking stick, and it slithered back into its snaky space.  I know my snake-ophile friends are tsk-tsking at this, but I don't care.  I don't like snakes, I don't want to see snakes.  I'm sure there will be more, but I hope I can always spot them before our encounters become too close.  There's been a large beetle-y thing flitting around at the house.  Thanks to good ol' Google, I found out that it is a Tarantula Hawk.  There is actually an insect that preys on Tarantulas!  As I like Tarantulas about as much as I like snakes, that would seem to be a good thing.  On the other hand, that insect is scary enough on its own!

A few events coming up - a condor lecture at Red Rock State Park, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, a native plant expo at a local nursery.  I've applied to be a volunteer ranger with the city of Sedona, and waiting for the background check to be completed.  I hope to fill my time learning more about my new world, and volunteering when I can.  I miss my daughter terribly.  I miss my friends terribly.  I miss my "old" life.  I am grateful for the sweet company of Otis - he's a good listener - when he doesn't have his head in a bag of lettuce!

In time, I suppose this new life will be a good fit and the change will be less painful.  For now, I'll count the wildflowers, chase the birds, enjoy the warmth and try to adjust to my new world.  And maybe get rid of a box or two as well...

My favorite lines from William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence:"

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.