So what are the Granite Dells??

Well, so I'll leave it up to you to look up any fancy descriptions, but the Granite Dells are really cool rock walls/ledges/outcroppings.  They surround Watson Lake and are granite, just like their name.  I never knew how rough granite was on hands until climbing around for on these puppies for a few hours...!  So, here, let me describe them in photos...

 Lovely larkspur!

 Handsome heron!

 And...a mountain king snake!  This was definitely the highlight of this day for me!!  I'm not sure how he felt about it - maybe not so much...

First stop: Prescott

After some nasty driving challenges, we finally staked our claim at the Point of Rocks campground, which was, conveniently enough, bordering Watson Lake and the Granite Dells - the reasons for us visiting Prescott.  We could walk to these treasures right from our RV!

 And while I did the most rock-hopping and was the only one with a giant camera, we ALL enjoyed our stay here!

 Pretty cactus flowers!

 Our mini-mountain lion is in his element!

 And so is his sidekick, Scratty!

 The Tractor Series.

 The Scratty Series.

 While the kitties were out walking us, they came across this frog.  Surprised us all, including the frog, who jumped - otherwise, Bill and I never would've spotted him!  Can you spot him??

 Can you see him now?

 Hello!

 Making new friends is always such fun on these trips!

Our ol' Ouraydog on his new, "therapeutic" bed from Wallymart.  With the smaller RV bed and Bill's bad back, we started out with poor ol' Ouray stuck on the floor.  This bed helped him settle down and know where to be at bedtime (and most any other time of day...).  But this ended up being a rather short stint as it turns out....(more later).

A is for Arizona

On April 27th, we set out for another 6 months or so of exploration and adventures - lucky us!  By the 25th, we'd moved out of our yurt and into the RV, as planned.  It would still be the 6 of us.  The doggies are getting old (Senny now 13, Ouray 15!), and Ouray's having more and more trouble, but dang it, he's still hanging in there (thank God for the arthritis meds!)!  2010 was our first, gung-ho outing.  East to Florida, north to Quebec and the Canadian Atlantic Maritimes, and then diagonally back home to San Diego.  10 months out.  2011 was going to be our big trek to Alaska!  But Bill's back had started seriously bothering him at the end of our last trip, in Nov.   It wasn't until July that we had that sorted to some degree.  The epidurals didn't work, and the only other orthodox medical option (major surgery) would only be a last-ditch option.  So, diagnosed and drugged, Bill was ready to do the best he could manage on a shorter trip.  Up California, through Nevada and Utah, then north again to just east of the Tetons in Idaho.  It got better and better on that trip (Tetons - Yellowstone - Glacier - Waterton - Banff - Jasper), with the furthest stop being the crown jewel.  Jasper absolutely took my breath away!  Then back home, truck repairs and all, with time in Washington and Oregon.  Too rainy and cold for us spoiled San Diegans!  So this year?  2012 is taking us to the states that we can "easily" get to that we haven't RVed in yet:  Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky.  And as usual, I am behind!!!!!!!!!  Haven't finished either of the last two blogs, and am already about 3 weeks behind on this new one!  But c'est la vie!  Carpe diem!  And que sera, sera, dude!


Well, you gotta start somewhere.  And we're starting this deal in Arizona...