Cats and Clouds

We took a free day yesterday...not free, exactly. We had to buy groceries. I expect we'll need a few perishable things on our way home, but we have enough food now to take us the rest of the way. Oh yes, and ice cream bars. There are never enough ice cream bars, and we'll run out before we get home. Obviously, we'll need to find a dealer to score more of those. 

We were expecting rain, and the sky was putting on quite a display for the morning's sunrise. We could see raking light shining through a hole in these very dark clouds.

This was our view out the back window as we drank our morning coffee. 

It's one of the few RV parks we've visited where we weren't (a) next to a freeway, or (b) next to a busy railroad track, or (c) both of the above. It was very quiet except for the occasional pack of coyotes passing through and howling at the moon. Here's a zoomed in shot of the hills off in the distance.

We've also discovered there are ATV trails heading off right from this park, and so we'll get in some riding starting today. There's a little problem with off-leash dogs at this park. We are only one of five RV's here, one being the camp host. It's obviously their down season, although we're told snowbirds start showing up here in November and stay until May. 

As for the dogs, they aren't vicious, but they are pretty darned annoying. They've been in our campsite more than they've been in their own. They come straight to the door of the camper, feet on the steps looking inside. We've been unsuccessful at shooing them away. They just roll on the ground looking for attention, and we don't to encourage them at all. We had a little talk with the owner of the most annoying dog yesterday. She's now leashed her dog and is controlling him, and she apologized last night. No harm done. Just keep the fricking dog under control! The other two dogs belong to the camp host. And, as you might imagine, it's important to be careful where you step when dogs are allowed to roam free. I'll say more about the dogs in a minute.

So we headed out in the morning for our beloved Egg McMuffin. It' important to be well-nourished when grocery shopping, wouldn't you agree? After that, we visited a quilt shop. I'll tell you about that in a separate post. From there, we stopped at a PetSmart to pick up a couple of new cat toys. Sadie and Smitty have pretty well worked over the ones we brought with us. When they start to fall apart, it's time to replace them. I only mention this because we spotted these plants growing in the parking lot.

I don't know what they are, but this is their flower. I have no idea. I've never seen anything like them. So pretty.

And after that, we could put off our grocery shopping no longer. We were able to find most everything we needed, and then we headed back to the RV park. We enjoyed the drive along the ridge of mountains both coming and going.

We're only a couple of miles from the site of Biosphere 2. If you're unfamiliar with Biosphere, I would encourage you to click on the link I've given you. It was an interesting experiment a few decades ago when a group of scientists tried to create a self-sustaining community under a glass "dome" in the Sonora Desert.

Mike and I visited many years ago, and it was interesting. It now serves as an educational and research laboratory affiliated with the University of Arizona. 

Back home, the kitties were happy with their haul. Smitty liked the kitty burrito. You see here the "tortilla" portion of the burrito. The soft kitty inside had already been removed and kicked to death.

We spent the afternoon relaxing. Later in the evening, when dogville seemed settled in for the night, we were able to get Smitty out for a much-needed walk. Believe me, he scoped out the area looking for any loose woofies.

Sadie posted a lookout at the back window of the camper. 

Don't worry, Smitty. I'll watch out on this side.

Of course, there's woofie stink everywhere. This is what kitties dislike most about woofies. They aren't even civilized enough to use a litterbox, or to cover up their "leavings." Woofies. Ignorant, vulgar woofies. Philistines, all of them.

Just to be sure, Smitty turned on his lasers. A cat can never be too careful.

He had a pretty good walk once he worked up his courage.

Sadie's lookout post was a portable one. She watched from the catio too.

Sadly, and wouldn't you know it? The still-loose dogs got a whiff of Smitty and came bothering him. He hissed and then freaked, and then slipped his harness. Fortunately, he did just what I hoped he would do: he ran directly to the camper to be let in. No harm done, but he was thoroughly offended. The dogs will continue to be a problem, but at least Smitty got in a good walk. He was antsy, and he needed it.

It rained off and on during the day, but by late afternoon, the clouds and the rain were moving on. We spent the evening outside admiring the incredible cloud formations. This was the view to the east with the sun lighting up the mountains:

After that, I was reminded of that old Joni Mitchell song, Both Sides Now. 

Rows and flows of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere

I've looked at clouds that way...

After dark, we went outside and enjoyed the stars in a dark sky. It was a new moon last night. Also, there were flashes of lightning beyond the mountains, and it was beautiful.

Okay, so riding is in our future. I'm hoping I'll have some good pictures and stories for you tomorrow. It's time to get going on the morning. But first, I'll tell you about the quilt shop in a separate post.