Journal

12/16/2024: I've been lazy about writing but here's a partial copy of an email I sent a remote friend this morning. I was describing some of my volunteer work.

"I've spent a lot of time supporting what's called the Riparian Photopoint Project (https://www.friendsofthetonto.org/projects/riparian-photopoint-program/) of the group Friends of the Tonto National Forest. At the request of the Forest Service, we completely changed the presentation of the photos to a horizontal scroll of yearly riparian area photos. I really like the new format and it kept me busy cutting and pasting photos most mornings since February. I worked with two other volunteers and cut and pasted over 10,000 photos (around 1,000 creeks/springs/canyons each with multiple photo locations).  Picadilla 5 is one of my favorites. I've photographed it the last couple of times. The stream drains to the west along a scenic forest service road that meanders from the desert west of Four Peaks Wilderness Area across the mountain to Roosevelt Lake.

A friend and I photographed several other areas this year: Benson Spring, Hess Canyon, Whitford Canyon, Hewitt Canyon and Picadilla Creek. I've been using my 2020 Subaru Forester to drive to sites. Some have been challenging but the scratched up little Subie keeps chugging along. The only modification has been to buy a set of all terrain tires to better handle the sometimes rocky roads. I wouldn't trade it for one of the $60,000 4x4's sitting bright and shiny in the grocery store parking lot. 

There was a fire this summer along First Water Creek in Superstition Wilderness Area and I started a few sites in the burned areas to track changes. I'll revisit them late next summer to look for changes. I'm looking forward to picking new sites for next year. I'm considering some sites along Rye Creek in the Payson district and revisiting some sites in the Tonto Basin district. I may look at some sites in the Pleasant Valley district but sites in that district require a long drive through the Sierra Ancha Mountains (not necessarily a bad thing but makes for a long day)."

I'll try and do better....

9/20/2024 Queen Creek: I drove out to Boyce Thompson Arboretum on my usual quest for streambed photos. Queen Creek runs though the arboretum and the FOTNF Photopoint Project included some old photos along it. I want to update the photos and locations but will probably need to return later when the weather cools down.

9/7/2024 Hewitt Canyon: Sam and I drove up Hewitt Canyon to take photos along the Hewitt Canyon streambed for the FOTNF Riparian Photopoint Project. It was a nice trip which included brief encounters with an angry rattlesnake, an over-friendly hummingbird and an incautious fox resting along FSR 172.

8/30/2024 Hess Canyon: Sam and I drove out FSR 303 (Haystack Butte Road) to take photos of a riparian area along Hess Creek. I work with a volunteer group called Friends of the Tonto National Forest to track changes in watersheds over time. The road at left leads down to a site near an old ranch house and corral. The other 10 sites were reached by hiking up the streambed from a road crossing.

6/5/2024: It was threatening rain this morning when I left for a short hike down to Rock House. I made it down into the gorge before it started to lightly rain. I enjoyed the hike and the hanging gardens of ferns. (note: Rock House is in Hocking Hills of Southern Ohio)

6/4/2024: Today I felt like attempting the Conkle's Hollow Rim Trail. It begins with several flights of steep stairs leading to a steep dirt path to the gorge rim. The path eventually leveled out and followed the edge of the cliffs lining Conkle's Hollow. A misstep could lead to big problems and a quick trip down the cliff face. Once the climb was over it was a very nice hike. (note: Conkle's Hollow is in Hocking Hills of Southern Ohio)

6/3/2024: We got settled into our cabin in Hocking Hills yesterday and I took a hike to Cantwell Cliffs this morning. It was quite a workout for my old 74 year old heart and legs. The first section was a long downhill trudge via what seemed like hundreds of stone stairs in varying states of repair. I'd have been in trouble if I hadn't brought a hiking stick to use as a third leg. The scenery down in the gorge was beautiful and worth the steep climb in and out.

5/22/2024 Picadilla Creek: Sam and I drove up FR143 (Cline Cabin Rd.) to collect photos along Picadilla Creek. The creek flows out of the Four Peaks Mtn. watershed and eventually into the Verde River via Sycamore Creek. The creek supports cattle grazing operations nearby. The photopoint locations begin after 8.5 miles of brain rattling dirt road then extend on for a few miles until reaching the site of long gone Cline Cabin.

4/25/2024 Whitford Canyon: After leaving Benson Spring (See below), Sam and I took the scenic route to Whitford Canyon. This was a questionable choice of routes FR518 to FR982 past Perlite Spring and down to Barnett Camp in Whitford Canyon. My sturdy little Subaru Forester got some new brush pin stripes and a few new dings on the underside but pulled through admirably. After Barnett Camp we proceeded to FR650 and (Happy Camp Rd.) and drove north to collect additional photos. We returned down FR650 to US 60 and proceeded to Superior, AZ for barbeque at the Silver King Smokehouse and Saloon.

4/25/2024 Benson Spring: My neighbor Sam and I drove out to Benson Spring to collect this years Riparian Photopoint photos. The spring are is enclosed in a steel rod fence to keep cattle out. Sam spotted a Mud Turtle and I nearly stepped on a small snake climbing down to take a photo near the spring. The entire area was covered with Red Brome grass.

4/18/2024: Riparian Photopoint project. I'm working with another volunteer at Friends of the Tonto National Forest (FOTNF) to convert the photopoint web presentation to a new format. We've converted several hundred sites since February and have hundreds more to go. The upside is that I've gotten to view several hundred stream sites like the photo on the left.

4/16/2024: Spring garden flowers still look great but it's starting to get warm. Another hot summer is coming up fast but the mornings are still nice and cool for my morning walks.

1/2/2024: The yard is still colorful on the 2nd day of 2024. Central Arizona winters aren't usually very harsh but we can get a hard frost every once in a while. This fall and winter have been mild, so far. I still have wildly growing New Zealand Spinach and slowly ripening peppers. If we don't get a freeze they'll survive through the winter.

12/18/2023: I'm experimenting with container gardening this year. There are several greens planted in the containers but they're struggling with the short winter days. However, the New Zealand Spinach under the plant stand is thriving. It seems to do ok regardless of season. The spinach under the planter started from last summer's dropped seeds. The stems get coarse if allowed to age but young stems and leaves are really tasty. I haven't eaten it raw as a salad but will try it sometime soon.

12/22/2023: It's raining this morning and will probably continue all day and into tomorrow morning. I'll miss the bright Arizona sun coming out like a heat lamp. This rain will be great for the gardens and the desert plant life. Hiking is better when the scenery greens up and the washes get saturated with water. Washes are like beaches but without the surf. The wet sand is much easier to walk on.  Looks like I won't get much outdoor walking done this weekend though. Ah well, adios.