Signing in at Lynx Lake

On our family outing to Lynx Lake, the kids went off climbing, leaving me behind at the parking/picnic area at the north end. What to do ... rather, what to photograph? As I scanned the scene, what struck me was the inordinate number of signs. To the left. To the right. Instructions, permissions, no-no's, information -- everywhere I looked. What better subject for a post. (Just FYI, I took one of those maps and it was a very nice topo of the area. I heart topos.)

We'll start off with a no-no. None of the local lakes are OKed by officialdom for swimming.

A trail marker, with its own list of what's allowed and what's not. On the alligator juniper in the background, a sign acknowledging a volunteer who cares for this trail.

These two signs refer to some sort of improvement to the area or the lake --with full credit to where the $$ are coming from. At least they passed through the hands of a designer or two.

The side of the loo provides a good, broad expanse for posting a good collection of signs.

As one starts out on a walk down to the lake shore, an admonition.

Some instructions get a "please", others are strictly orders. However, at least this standard Forest Service sign is of a less intrusive design.

Now these colored reflector signs carry a message for those in on the secret. You can see them almost anywhere out in the countryside that there's pavement; the LH and I used to try to figure out what was meant by the different combinations of colors and number/size of reflectors.

Naturally, the dumpster is plastered with its own special messages.

And the lawyers get their say on the subject of garbage.

Here's a call for volunteers. Unfortunately, I suspect that any potential volunteers would be suffering from sign-fatigue by the time this catches their eyes -- if it does.

This series of three does tell us something about the lake (a man-made) and its impact on the local wildlife. Nothing ordering us to do this or that. And nicely illustrated, to boot.

The subdued Lynx Lake sign in the background tells the history of the impoundment. Quite a contrast to the demand for fees in the foreground. That's the lot of them --- except for one no parking sign. All in an area of about an acre. That's a lot of reading material, but perhaps it's just as well to have it all concentrated in one spot so that once one ventures out on a trail, there is no need for any more of this printed noise.

The Skull Valley Cafe is back!

Glad tidings -- the Skull Valley Cafe reopened five weeks ago. All dolled up western style, which is a hair on the hokey side; after all, it was a plain pipe racks operation all those years under Helen and Dick when my LH and I breakfasted there almost everyday.

But, hey! I can certainly live with such details as painted cracks and hasps just to have this welcome little out-of-the-way restaurant open again!

There's still a counter plus the small tables. And a side order of B&G for only 99 cents, as well as a much more expansive menu than in the G.O.D. (Good Old Days).

A real innovation is this patio, already occupied on a warm February day.

The decor includes pictures of Skull Valley in older days; the paintings of the store and the pre-upgraded gas station are by one of my favorite local artists, Linne Thomas, who chronicles the remains of an earlier time hereabouts.

The cafe's bulletin board continues to be news central for the countryside.

The real theme, however, is the Santa Fe railroad which still passes through Skull Valley on its run between Phoenix and the main line up north. And, yes, trains still park on the siding so that engineers and other railroaders can grab a bite to eat. Just as I remember from the 80s.

Sunday's customers looked as though they came from all over. In the old days, local cowboys and ranchers, scruffy miners from the Copper Basin, and bikers riding the back roads up from the Valley of Death were the primary customers. When an out-of-the-area Rancher entered, Helen always made a point of introducing him to any other Baron who might be present. And the mid-morning and after-lunch gossip was great! Hope it still is. I'll be back next time I get a ride down Iron Springs Road.

Words & Graffiti: If wordplay is your thing, have a look at Urban Dictionary, DoubleTongued and/or Wordlust. New Scientist, of all places, was where I discovered these sites that deal with the latest slang, lingo -- and made-up words. And if your normally staid exterior hides an inner biker, go over to Hoarded Ordinaries for pictures of a long block in Cambridge MA where street artists and graffiti types own the wall.

A collection of crosses

No doubt there is a story for each of these many crosses that grace the back wall of the parlor seating at the American Lutheran Church. I'm fascinated at the different forms that the ruud can take, both simple and complex. Take a look:

I shouldn't have been surprised when I saw that church display; I have friends -- a couple -- who spent at least a year creating a great variety of crosses, many of which are hanging on their walls.

Beautiful bridgework

It's been ever so long since the LH and I explored the countryside surrounding the Hassayampa River way south of town. So when friend Georgene asked if I wanted to drive down to see the maintenance work being done on the Wagoner Road bridge, I was already putting my boots on and checking out the cameras.

We had to ford the river on the road reserved for trucks carrying large loads. The bridge can be seen in the distance.

This is one of three steel truss bridges in Yavapai County; all are on the National Register of Historic Places. The other two are the Walnut Creek bridge in the western half of the forest and the Verde River bridge at Perkinsville.

Here's the one-lane bridge in all its glory -- minus the decking. The fresh paint job glows in today's warm sun.

According to an article at the Sharlot Hall website, this bridge differs from the other [steel bridges] in the county, having a different profile (called "riveted Camelback through truss") and was built on the spot in 1924, designed by the El Paso Bridge and Iron Company and contracted by Carnegie Steel.

Getting the job done, of course, requires all sorts of road fix-it gear...

Sitting beside the road: one of my most-hated objects -- an ugly precast barrier used by the highway folk on modern bridges. Contrast it, if you will, with that lovely, open trusswork below. Which would you rather see? (Not to mention the fact that one can view the river through the truss but not through the precast.) I don't know why these barriers are on the scene, since registered historic sites can't be mucked about with. Thank goodness.

The river crossing as we headed for home displayed the bare cottonwoods at their most beautiful. Thanks, G., for the ride!

An eagle pair & a green desert floor

The world is coming alive down in the desert. A neighbor, doing field work in the Ft. McDowell area, sent the pictures posted here. First, a bald eagle at attention and another, perhaps a mate, hunkered down in a humongous nest. No, I didn't get a look at the eagle nest over at Lynx Lake last week -- I had my camera, but not my binoculars.

More important for most of us, who aren't likely to come across any eagles, is his other message: the desert looks like a golf course.

Now is time to start planning wildflower trips. My AzPlants mailing list sent this message Friday: At Boyce Thompson Arboretum we have had just under an inch (0.86) of rain from the current system. Have had some little guys blooming at Picketpost trail head including Draba cuneifolia, Calandrinia, Lotus tomentellus, Jojoba, some little Gilia, and some little borage. Noticed yesterday that the Fairy Duster is blooming on the west side of Gonzales Pass along Hwy. 60, along with some brittlebush at Florence Junction. For the record, my favorite wildflower drive to catch the desert in bloom is the county road on the east side of the Santa Maria River. The Orme Road off SR169 is good for several drives as it drops from 5000+ elevation down to about 2500-3000 ft., with a wonderful mix of desert and higher elevation plants flowering at different times during our early spring.

Water Note: Remember that elephant sitting in on all those meetings about water? Well, the Sunday Courier is reporting that the SRP has written a letter stating that Prescott has NO rights to Big Chino water. Oops.

Storm over the canyon

No, I wasn't there; these pictures are all from my sson's files. He was there for a two-week National Park Service conference. Turned out that this is the 5th snowiest season in the Grand Canyon record book. Park employees who have worked there as long as 12 years had never seen such snow, sson reports. And so he took many, many pictures. Here are a few. Breath-taking views!

Zooming in on the far (north) side of the canyon.

Both sides here; snow was sticking as much as two thousand feet down.

This storm is over and the crisp Arizona blue skies are back.

Snow-covered conifers down the canyon side.

Meanwhile, up on the rim roads are dug out...

...and a tame park deer nestles in the snow, posing for the camera.

A much more impressive capture by the sson -- a wee vole (a little over an inch long) who was convinced that he was blending invisibly into that dark background behind him.

In closing, one of my favorite birds, Roscoe the Raven, who knows park visitors are suckers he can count on for fine meals. Many thanks to my sson for sharing these pictures!

Fallout from the housing bust

I haven't seen so many going out of business signs in some little time. But there's a focus: furniture, home accessories -- those goodies that people treat themselves to when they've just bought a new house. Let's start at the small plaza out Iron Springs Road, where Marler's, a 62-year local fixture, has called it quits. Problem: the down housing market with a big plus -- the down traffic, thanks to road widening that has taking forever and a day. The firm will continue to operate its other store over in the Verde Valley, says the Courier.

However, Marler's isn't the only store in that plaza to go under. Moe Tavassoli Oriental Rugs is also closing shop. Curious -- I checked for spelling in the Yellow Pages and the only address given was in Scottsdale.

Big sale signs are also posted over on Montezuma for Prescott Home Furnishings, a successor to Seitz office products which succumbed to competition from Staples...

...just as this new Big Box chain store has added to the woes of our local merchants. I wonder how well it's doing these days -- apparently furniture store sales were off over 8% nationwide in 2007 and this year looks to be far worse. What will happen to those vacated premises? Rumor says that 1) the Oak Tree will grow once more, this time on Montezuma and that 2) Goodwill Industries will plant a big thrift shop over on Iron Springs, a suitable replacement in the current not-quite-a-recession economy.