Cornville and the Big Ditch. A Short Tale

Trying to catch up on a few photos. Two Saturdays ago, we took a short ride up to Cornville, AZ, then up to the Grand Canyon and then back Here are a few photos


A nice private lake


Lilies on the pond


Straight out of Gary Larson


He lived up to the hype


The big ditch Look for the birds


More of the ditch



The little Colorado River Gorge!


The sun sets and the moon rises on the painted desert.

Mr G and the Adventure Accountant!

OK, a lot is going on in my life right now and I need to get out into the back country for a few hours and clear my head. Since Mr. G has a new transmission because of the failure of the speed control sensor I have the means to get out again. In the interim, I have been riding my motorcycles a lot and this has helped me keep from going bonkers but a trip with my cameras is a must do. Over the past few weeks a lot of people have asked about going out with me into the back country. I have taken several people and we all know it has been a success. Today will be no different as I get the call from the “Adventure Accountant” Barb asking if there is room in Mr. G. And as important as a knife, some matches are to the outdoors, having an “Adventure Accountant” is about as critical as it gets! We meet at the usual spot in Tempe and set off towards Four Peaks. I want a road that is a little challenging to try out the Mr. G but still have enough traffic in case he has issues. Plus, the last two weekends as I ride the Bee Line Highway, I have noticed flowers normally seen in April blooming because of the rain. She is totally a great partner and agrees that this plan will work. The desert is incredibly green right now because of all the storms here this summer. Barb just jumps right in as we stop and begins to take some snapshots. I love it when I am out in the desert and the other person just starts looking for things to photograph. It really helps to have more then one style, and even a set of eyes out there. I mean this outfit comes right out of the “Out of Africa” sequel trailer. The key to being outside is a good hat and comfortable clothes. Some of the little critters were having a field day with the blooming cactus. It is amazing the number of different insects there are. Even if you don't like them, they are amazing creatures The sky is super clear as we continue up the mountain. The weather is amazingly cool for the end of August too. Barb is a hoot to hang out with and we are laughing a lot which makes for a worthy trip. Usually you have to wait for Spring in Arizona for the amount of wild flowers in bloom. I still need to go get that Arizona Botany Book since I have no clue what these are. Barb is a total natural at taking pictures and has no fear to get right down into the thick of the environment. PHOTO BY BARB She catches me doing the photo happy dance laughing. It is so glorious out here! PHOTO BY BARB Me and the Mr. G. He is running like a champ and makes me very happy that I have him back. He is like a pair of shoes that you just feel comfortable in. Oh and he turned 153K this ride. PHOTO BY BARB A cool shot of the Berries. Everything is just so lush out here today. We crest the top of the peak and it is in the 70's (A more accurate measurement is omitted for reasons you have to ask Barb) We make our way down to to the meadow seen in the above picture to take a break and do some hiking. Well getting there is going to be a little bit of a challenge but I need to see how Mr. G will do in 4 wheel drive so we go for it. NEXT 3 PICS BY BARB It actually isn't that hard other than being a little steep and washed out. The view we get of the lake is pretty amazing from here and we are really enjoying ourselves. We need to wander for a bit though and set off to explore the area. I have never seen these before and without the Botany Book that I really need to buy, I haven't a clue what it is or if it poisonous. Since I like Barb at this moment, I decide to not risk having her try it. We see a lot of butterfly's out and about and they are actually amazing creatures to watch. The flowers are loving the weather we have been experiencing here. As we wander about the area we come upon what appears to be an old corral that hasn't been used for some time. As usual, I get mesmerized by the old fence posts.. We explore the area some more but it is getting to the point that we need to either leave or take the safe way home because of the storms that will be there soon. We get back to the top of Roosevelt lake and the water level is really high. The area we are in is almost swampy and I would love to come back in a small boat and explore it some in the coming weeks. Some Logs, but no beavers. I really need to get some pictures of bears and beavers this year. It is driving me crazy. Some Cormorants making noise in a dead tree, These clowns are so fun to watch. We make our way down to the Apache Trail since Barb hasn't been on it for several years. The ride back is really nice but I am nervous because we are at the point in the day that a lot of drunk people pulling boats shouldn't be on the narrow road we are. As we climb out of Fish Creek a lone bird comes flying by. I can't help but start humming “Free Bird” to myself. Barb isn't ready for my melodious voice so I keep it to myself. The light as we come up the road is perfect too. I am not the only one on the lookout for Drunks coming from the lake. Usually that many leos means one of us got a little carried away on the bikes, but today I am glad they are there. It truly is an uber worthy day and I can't wait to get out again in the coming weeks. Stay Tuned folks! Some good trips are coming up. Tommy