Now that we've been on the road for more than five months I have come to realize why folks decide to become 'snow birds'.  We've stayed and camped at state parks, BLM public lands, store and casino parking lots, national parks, small rv parks and huge rv resorts.  We recently spent a week at one of the huge rv resorts where people own or lease their little piece of heaven, and were amazed to learn that the people who stay there, usually during a particular season, are not the 'walker and cane' set, but rather very active adults who enjoy all sorts of fun.  These resorts are truly that - - resorts!  The big difference at these resorts and those where all ages go to vacation, is that they attract people who enjoy meeting others and being part of a community of folks similar in age and interests.  These snow birds get together to go hiking, biking, take excursions to remote areas to ride their ATV's, swim, take meals together, do community/volunteer projects, discuss books or current events, sing together, play instruments, take classes, do crafts, and take part in special interest clubs too numerous to count.

Now, having said all that, this was simply an eye-opening observation rather than a plan for our immediate future!  We're still happy being on the road and exploring all the places our cameras have never seen.  It was simply a realization for us to find out why there are so many retired, or nearly retired, folks who elect to live this way.  Interesting . . .

During our travels for the past couple of months, the word that kept coming to mind was 'color'.  We cruised through parts of Nevada, southern Utah, much of Arizona and are now exploring New Mexico.  Every place we've visited has been ablaze with colors so vivid that it can hurt one's eyes.  I have seen many photos of the parks and monuments, but nothing prepared me for the sights we were fortunately enough to see. 

The reds, purples and golds in the Grand Canyon,

the pinks and oranges of Zion and Bryce Canyons,

 
and the incredible red rocks near Sedona, AZ and in Red Rock Canyon, UT.

Even the greens of the cactus in the deserts following record monsoon rains were sights I had not expected, nor was I prepared for the wonderful colors in the water reflected from the London Bridge in Lake Havasu.

While our travels did not take us to Winslow, Arizona,  I was able to grab this image of Jerry 'taking it easy',  and 🎵standing on the corner in Tombstone, Arizona🎵. 

Unfortunately, there was no girl driving by in a flatbed Ford, although I did find "Big Nose Kate" (of OK Corral fame) and "Gold Tooth Sue" (notorious in the Palace in Prescott), but neither were willing to have their photos taken with this cowboy.  I had to settle for making images of the iconic ghost/gold rush towns of Bisbee and Tombstone, (including Boot Hill), among others📷.

After spending time in the desert states, I have a new favorite bird!  I saw my first roadrunner, and fell in love with the critter when I found out that they can take out rattlesnakes!  They are very cute, especially when they are running.  They look just like I remember, when I was just a wee sprite, watching the old roadrunner cartoons .  They're too fast for me to catch with my camera, and they certainly won't hold still and strike a pose, so I had to settle for this Las Cruses icon at the edge of town.

As for lessons learned, we finally found out exactly how long it takes to completely run down our battery in 'Kermit' the Tahoe, when leaving our cooler plugged in while we were exploring a ghost town.  We just weren't real sure before this happened - - sooooo, now we know!  (Thank goodness for roadside assistance insurance!!!)

We hope you've enjoyed reading about our continuing RV adventure and seeing the images we so enjoy making.  We'll bring you up to date again when we've explored the rest of the southwest, eaten our share of red and green chilis and joined the hunt for extra terrestrials!