Living Our Dream: Revisited Whitewater Draw

The last couple of days has been spent going through 'stuff' in the RV, sorting it out and then packing up the car with what we can move to our winter abode in Picacho Peak, drove the 90 miles to PPRV and deposited our 'stuff' into the park model, looked around to resort to see the changes, wanted to say to some folks but they were not home (did get to see Jim - was great to catch up with him and Carol), then went to some stores in the Tucson area to do shopping.

A normal function in AZ - Border Patrol Check Points

Definitely know where there is water - look for a tree line

On other side of mountain is Bisbee

So desolate

Got back to Benson by 4pm, was wiped out from the heat (it's been in the low 90's - pretty darn warm for us but the locals say it's beautiful). Yesterday, after running to Sierra Vista, a city south of us that is home to Fort Huachuca (wha-choo-ka) Army Base, did some banking, then decided to go to Whitewater Draw. This is the wildlife refuge on about 1400 acres of wetland, preserved for the migratory birds that come through either going to Mexico and south or coming up from the area and moving towards Canada.

Saw the owl's nest but no owl

We have been here a couple of times, the first time was December 8th, 2011 - our first - and were blown away at the amount of Sandhill Crane birds present. About 30,000 at that time. Yesterday we saw over 1,000 and they were coming in by a dozen or so at a time. They are coming in from the upper US, staying long enough to feed, rest, and then they move south into Mexico. Pretty awesome sight.

It was warm but there was enough of a breeze to keep us comfortable. We literally had the place to ourself. Saw a huge red-tail hawk and at first we thought it was an eagle, it was that big. Sandhill cranes, another bird called American Avocet which I had not seen before, lots of barn swallows, small birds, ducks, waders, the area is a birder's paradise. You are supposed to see the most birds at sunrise and near sunset but we saw thousands of birds and ducks and it was mid-day. We want to come back in a month or so to see more sandhill cranes, and it won't be as warm. Hopefully.

American Avocets

With their butts in the air the their heads feeding on the bottom

We got back to the RV by 4 and the cats were nearly fried, it was a balmy 92 in the RV. Again, we do not put on the a/c when we are gone, we have come back to the RV while out and found the power was off and had come back on, or it had gone off and was still off. We just don't trust anywhere we go. Got the cats cooled down and they came alive about 6pm. Another couple of more days of very warm temps and we will be home, so a/c will be on.