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Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin.  We have many, many days without sun during the winter months.  This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's.   Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather.   Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson.  Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year.   So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here.  I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...
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Valley of Fire


I’ve been traveling for over a month, but I finally find my happy space: Valley of Fire State Park, which is about an hour northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. There are two campgrounds here. One is for the big rv’s and has electric hookups. The other is called Arch Rock and is for small Rvs and tents with no electric hookups. There’s nothing luxurious about my campsite, except for the million dollar views. I do have close water, garbage cans, and vault toilets. Ample solar tops off the batteries in two or three hours of late morning/early afternoon sun. And, drum roll, dogs are allowed on the trails.

Valley of Fire is Nevada’s largest and most popular state park. You do have to be a bit lucky to get one of the first come, first serve campsites here. Campsites rarely stay open long (usually filling in minutes even mid-week), and the campground has always been full by mid-afternoon with a sign out front indicating “campground full”. I’m always amazed at the optimistic people who circle through from mid-afternoon until after dark, hoping that the sign lies. It does lie in the morning when early risers break camp, but the sign tells no lies after 3 p.m.


People who know me well understand that I’m easily entertained, sipping my early evening IPA while watching the procession of hopeful campers pass through. This is indeed a case of the early bird gets the worm.

Elvis and I have been hiking in the mornings before it gets warm. In the full sun on the red rock, it does get hot. I carry water for us both. By noonish, we are settled under our shade structure at the campsite. By 3 p.m., the natural shadows from the huge towers of rock behind our campsite project natural shade for the late afternoon and early evening.


Spoiled by our water spigot for doing dishes, I’ve been making apple (from the Pipe Spring orchard) and banana pancakes in the morning, and branching out in the evening with steaks, beans and rice, and pasta dishes with sausage. Evenings are cold IPA’s and perhaps a nightcap of ginger ale on the rocks (sometimes with a splash of bourbon).




There is no reason to move from here, except a 14 day camping limit within a 28 day period. In order for Julia to enjoy the area on the 21st, I’m going to have to vacate my campsite for a few days and hope to be a lucky early bird to get another campsite secured for the both of us. I feel like I understand the rhythm of how people leave and go from this place, but we will see how that works out. Until then, I’m just going to enjoy the moment, the quiet, the unbelievable night skies, and the rocks.


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