April 12, 2020

Still Life: Spring Tableaux

 

“No winter lasts forever. No spring skips its turn.”

-Hal Borland

 

Lilacs festoon the town and perfume our near-daily walks.
Hurricane is surrounded by stunning vistas, like the snowy Pine Valley Mountains.

A field of sweet spring lambs is just one of many small animal-filled town farmscapes.

Procuring a rainbow of pastured eggs gives us a four-mile outing.

Red Cliffs Conservation Area is only a mile away.

This spectacularly-patterned prickle frog welcomed us on one of our first visits.

Sometimes we bicycle around town instead.

He sees spring-inspired rock painting,

A black-chinned hummie comes to see what’s happening on the inside.

and treat-baking to power those walks and rides.

A large county trail system is within long walking, medium biking, or short driving distance.

We scoured the riverside trees for resident porcupines, but found none.

A Mojave desert tortoise emerges from its protected restoration habitat to say howdy!

And a tiny treasure gives reason to rejoice!

COMMENTS

  1. Ingrid Looks like you scored a great place to hunker down and ride out this quarantine.

    • Chasing Dirt  We really did and feel very fortunate so far! 🙂

    • TBG That does look like a good idea. Any idea what the distance was, or time out?

      • placestheygo It is a very short hike to cliffs. It is about half mile or so from the parking area. Most people just look in but we hiked down in and climbed around and explored deeper. So you can make a short day or extend it by exploring.

    • Chasing Dirt I really did read your post(s) about your time(s) here! Getting to see that tortoise was lucky for sure. We were standing there reading the sign about them, and I looked over and said, “Well, there’s one right there!” I think it may have been emerging for the first time since hibernation. We will definitely be re-visiting there often while we’re in the area to see if we can spot others. We’re also determined to find a porcupine or two along the river. 🙂

  3. chapter3travels You are definitely in a good spot. Plenty to see and do without too many people, and it looks like you’ve got perfect weather. Love the cute little neighborhood with the picket fences, and your paintings are so pretty. You ever consider trying to paint on a larger format? With all this time on your hands, you could probably be producing full size paintings in no time. Where you would put them all is a question, but that’s not a question for today!! You can deal with that later. I think you should channel your inner Bob Ross and get going with some “happy little trees” on large canvas!! It would be awesome. Do it!!!!

    • Chasing Dirt That neighborhood in the picture of me biking is along Sycamore Lane, and it is, as far as our explorations have revealed, the swankiest street in town. There is one very beautiful home for sale there. TBG says we can get it if I go back to work. Forever. I said I would, but he would have to be the housekeeper, groundskeeper, chef, and cabana boy. So now I don’t get my beautiful new home! 😦

      If I ever do find myself with more time on my hands, I still won’t consider painting on a larger scale. Unless I get that house with its lovely huge walls. But I wouldn’t have more time because I’d be working full time, so I still wouldn’t be able to consider it. 😀

  4. Shannon I can’t believe how GREEN the lawns and fields are! We are so glad that you have plenty of natural beauty and activities to keep you sane and occupied during this time. Not a bad place to be stuck for an unforeseeable period of time….

    • Chasing Dirt I know! We have been loving the green grass and the smell of freshly mown grass. Even though we’re on the very northern edge of the Mojave Desert, this area is a nice mix of both worlds. I’m still a little sad that we [probably] won’t get east of the Mississippi in 2020, but all things considered, we’re doin’ just fine 🙂

  5. Laurel You guys!!! You win the prize for finding the best spot to *hunker* down during the *pandemic.* See how I did that?? Two of your FAVORITE words in one sentence. 😜 Please don’t scratch your eyes out.

    Seriously, it is truly beautiful there. What a treat to have those gorgeous hiking opportunities right out your front door, and all of the magnificent wildlife, from tiny hummingbirds visiting your feeder and nesting outside of your window to desert tortoise and prickle frogs. And you even have a supply of beautiful pastured eggs that look like they were left by the Easter bunny.

    I’d be looking at a place to hunker down there permanently. (Sorry.) Love your painted rocks, and I agree with Laura, time to move on to a bigger canvas, my friend! And…recipe for the cookies, please? Better yet, just send cookies to: General Delivery, Eastpoint, FL 32328. LOL.

    • Chasing Dirt We really are thankful every day that we were in this area when we needed to stay put. Of course, we wish we were able to access the two nearby state parks and Zion, but we’d be selfish a-holes to complain. I’m hoping to seeing more wildlife like those porcupines, and the yellow warbler is supposed to be common here, so I’d like to see them. Those rainbow eggs make me miss my chickens because I had a variety who laid in all colors, too.

      I’ll send you the cookie recipe. If our PANDEMIC HUNKERING goes on for a very long time, I may have to do a whole blog post of recipes.

      I’m so glad you have agreed to be my sister-wife and share the expenses of our new home here on Sycamore Lane. Our cabana boys can bring us umbrella drinks while we soak our cares away! 😀 😀

      • They will make such CUTE cabana boys!

  6. Lowe's Travels Invite us there and we come driving! Everyone agrees you are in heaven while the world is in hell 🙂

    That sign at the Confluence is new, it was not there when we hiked some moons ago.
    All photos are lovely, what a treat, seeing a hummer nest, and that lizard posed just for you. But have you seen the biggest lizard in the planet yet?

    • TBG On TV is fine with me, or via your blog when you saw them. I don’t even know how you got close to them.

    • Chasing Dirt The hummer nest is my favorite thing right now, and we finally caught the mama feeding TWO humlets the other morning. This morning, we saw both little heads peeking over the rim of the nest. For awhile, we only saw one and thought maybe a second hadn’t hatched, but there are definitely two ❤

      The biggest lizard or the biggest lizard species? Either way, no, no I have not. Unless I go to a zoo that has them or one escapes, I likely never will. Don’t worry about me, though, there are plenty of other critters yet to espy!