Observations & Musings:
- Tomorrow Candace and her fiancé are coming down from Albuquerque. I've never met Candace; she found me online when she became interested in her first tarantula. She's a snake wrangler that has lived in Albuquerque for a year after moving from upstate New York. Until recently she worked at the Rattlesnake Museum in ABQ, but now is involved in a start-up company doing snake abatement and wrangling for film & TV productions in the desert. We'll meet tomorrow and they'll camp here for maybe a few days and snake hunt with me.
- The canyon wrens love swiping food from Jesse's outdoor play stand. I think they might have a nest beneath my Wheelhouse so I am apprehensive about moving it early next week.
- I am surprised by the few coyotes and javelinas I have seen. Driving the roads every dusk and dark you would expect to see more coyotes, but I have seen one in mid-afternoon and only saw my second last night. I know they're common here. Maybe it is that they don't have to wander to hunt because there are a gazillion jackrabbits & cottontails. I saw a bunch of bands of javelinas in Texas, but here I saw one youngster (~20#) on Portal Road just outside of the Chiris one morning and a band of about six one evening during dusk.
- I am not surprised I haven't seen them, but not only are mountain lions and ocelots found in this region, but also JAGUARS! I have seen ocelot scat while hiking.
- My plan for my short visit to Chicagoland is to just relax and do some daily Netflix & Chill. Have new House of Cards, Bloodline, Flaked, Last Kingdom, etc. to watch, plus a bunch of new comedy specials. I'll do laptop work and couch surf. I also expect to eat a lot of sushi (Wok n' Fire, Kumi, Sushiya) and fish tacos (Mago, Houlihan's).
- For some absurd reason, I waited until today to use the swim spa here at Rusty's RV Ranch. Was so amazing to soak. I didn't do the hot tub thing ... I used the wave jets to create current to swim against and then used the spa nozzle blast seat. It's a multifunctional cool-down experience. Tonight after road cruising I am going to lay in it under the stars.
- The stars! I can't believe I haven't commented on the amazing night sky. Every night I gaze skyward in rapt astonishment. When I arrived at Rusty's there were a number of rigs set up with incredible telescope arrays. This area is well-known for its incredible stars. There is zero light pollution. I really should do a long exposure photograph tonight. Hmmm...
- F*CK THE PENGUINS. Hockey fans will understand.
- I really wish I could make smoothies. I could buy a killer blender, but I can't buy fresh produce. When groceries are sixty miles away and it's hotter than hell, fruit is a luxury.
- I like to enjoy the cool mornings and warm nights. During the heat of the day I like to read and nap. Good night!