A blue moon actually does happen once in awhile… like last night.
Two full moons occurring in the same month is considered a ‘blue moon’.
The last blue moon we had was in August 2012. The next will be in January 2018. We had a gorgeous cloudy day, adding a bit of mystery and intrigue to our full moon last night, the second this month.
When my husband told me he was taking me someplace special for lunch in Flagstaff, and we had never been there, I was baffled.
It seemed a contradiction in terms. There are a lot of good places in Flagstaff for a good meal. Probably the best of which are only open for dinner. We’ve visited most of the best lunch places in Flagstaff, or at least I thought. One we hadn’t been to?? I was intrigued.
Well he hit a home run when we surprised me with Snowbowl. Not being a skier, we had never been. Snowbowl is a ski resort, open during the summer strictly for the views. You can purchase a ticket for the chair lift to the top… enjoy the view and / or a hike… and head back down. The ride takes around 30 minutes each way… and must be the best view in Flagstaff. It takes you from 9500 ft to 11,500 ft. It was a chilly 53F at the top.
It forced us to sit down and relax for a change… and literally take in the scenery.
The restaurant at the bottom of the hill was less than spectacular… but the view made up for it. Next time (and there will be a next time), we’ll bring friends… and our own lunch. This kind of experience should be shared!
We took the Verde Vally Train with some friends the other day.
It reminded me that it’s fun to do activities you have done before with someone who hasn’t. It’s like Christmas, seeing it through a child’s new eyes… it brings joy seeing others expressions and delight in the new experience.
We’ve done the Verde Valley train, and honestly for someone who lives in the outdoors and is constantly exploring, picnicking, and day camping throughout AZ, the train was less than spectacular. But for our friends, who don’t have that same opportunity, it was a delight.
We were thrilled they had a great time, and from their perspective got to see AZ from the inside out… through the mountains, hills and trees, as we whooshed through the outdoor wild of a gone by era. We got to see the old train stop in Perkinsville; and heard stories of farmers delivering produce all the way to Jerome. The train in it’s heyday moved tons of copper ore from the Jerome mines.
Blue Ridge Reservoir is in my opinion the most picturesque lake in Northern Arizona. Many of the lakes in Northern AZ are small, and while fishable, not the most attractive. Lake Mary is popular upon the ‘walk in’s’ who climb down the hill to cast their lines.
Knoll Lake, Bear Lake, Kinnickinick, Ashurst, Woods Canyon are all part of the Northern AZ lake options. But my heart belongs to Blue Ridge. It’s windy green waters traverse through thickly forested high canyon walls. 
Tall dense trees reflect on the waterways like a mirror. Wildlife abounds. On this particular trip we saw bald eagle, a blue heron fishing for dinner (www.kritterspix.com), and wood ducks and their little ones.
It’s a peaceful respite commonly enjoyed by an abundance of rude camp canoe organizations and kayakers. The Forest Service is now syphoning off water to Payson, compromising our tax payer recreational resource. The water continues to drop at a rapid pace. Yet, with it’s many flaws, and frustrating politics, it is a beautiful lake that should be enjoyed and shared by all, as long as we are ‘allowed’ by the US Forest Service to do so.
The Mogollon Rim in Northern Arizona is very near to our home, for which I feel very fortunate. The views are stunning, and varied. Every overlook uncovers another view, with great ledges, moss, rocks and trees… truly a photographers haven.
June is one of the best months of the year to see the Milky Way. It is low on the horizon and bright in the sky. With a new moon, it’s the perfect time to get great Milky Way photographs. So with such a great opportunity we took full advantage of it, and got out to see if we could photograph the Milky Way over the Mogollon Rim.
The challenge is to get decent foreground, but far enough away to be able to see it against the starry sky background. The rocks in the front just don’t show up.
So I selected 2 trees… one on each side of the Milky Way and did a 7 photo panorama to show the whole galaxy.
Cool!
Then, I did a star trails photo. This shot is 75 individual shots, each taken for 30 sec, over an hour… then stitched together to show the movement of the stars over time.
We’ve had a number of sightings of big birds in the area. At first we thought they were hawks. But after getting a couple pix of them, we discovered they are golden eagles… and bald eagles.
It seems they migrate in the winter, so it would seem that they may have found a winter home in the area. How cool is that? Be on the look out if you’re in Happy Jack, AZ.
I can’t image a better way to start the year than with the visit of a new creature to our magnificent haven.
I thought this was a simple bird huddled up in the cold. Then it turned around! OMG!
It wasn’t much bigger than a small sparrow. You could literally hold it in the palm of your hand. John called it a pigmy owl. I’d never heard of such a thing. I looked it up online, and sure enough, it’s an actual designation, a Pygmy Owl. Fantastic!
Have you heard of this place?
It’s at the courtesy of rancher and owner, Brantley Baird, an old cowboy and a character himself. He gives tours of a section of land down a canyon which is littered with Indian petroglyphs. But before you get there listen to the fabulous stories our host has to offer and the artifacts he has found, collected, and been given in his interesting pioneer museum. It’s like going into a western cowboy past, filled with stagecoaches, furnishings, cowboy hats, indian pots, and farm equipment. It’s a historic experience and interesting way to spend the day.
The ranch is located East of Winslow, West of St. Josephs City on a large strip of dirt and dust that is still a sometimes cattle ranch. Brantley Baird gives tours on request by appointment only.
The grounds house several bunkhouses for weddings, overnights, etc., in addition to the museum and the only remaining bunkhouse from the Hashknife Cowboys. The Hashknife Cowboy outfit were the cowboy who managed the cattle in northern AZ at the turn of the century. In the day, the government gave the land to the railroads who then sold it to ranchers. This last remaining bunkhouse is still intact and outfitted with original bunk beds, allowing one a glimpse in cowboy past.
It’s a fascinating tour given by a man meticulous about preserving the past, including the treasure trove of petroglyphs that grace his land and are frequented by University types documenting their findings.
Once the museum tour is done, it’s time to make the trek to the canyon. There Brant has put quite a bit of time, energy, and money making the decent into the canyon safe via railings and walk ways.
The petroglyphs after you make the decent are everywhere along the walls. There are pictographs of families, animals, and symbols. It’s a fascinating display.
Check out more pix on kritterspix.com.
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