Saddle Mountain, Arizona

     After our few days at Havasu City, Eldon had only 3 more shifts to work in Page, AZ. We were 5 hours south on the route we were planning to go when he was done anyhow so he opted to drive back with just the truck and stay in a motel. Friends of ours have a contract in Phoenix (he's an airplane mechanic) and acted happy to have the us hang out with them during that time. They chose a lovely boondocking spot west of Phoenix about an hour. As it turned out, 9 different families ended up there over the course of a couple weeks!

Saddle Mountain

This is the first time we've been far enough south to see sagara cacti!

Most nights we had a campfire. I loved wrapping potatoes and meatballs in foil and sticking it in the hot ashes in the morning. It made a delicious, easy lunch!

Michael and Makayla have a mission to create a fort at every place we go :).

Evening light!

Some nights the sunset was more spectacular then others.

So much gorgeousness!

Forts were frequently transformed to stores, libraries, hospitals, and more.

Makayla is well loved by the younger children.

This picture simply does not capture the length of this huge "hill" behind our campsite. It had the most elusive peak ever, but after an hour, we made it to the top!

Baby cacti. Most likely, this 10 incher is at least 50 years old.

Pretty red flowers on a tree.

Looking down

Any Sagara with 5 arms is at least 150 years old!

One day some of us took a hike to find petroglyphs.

But, we ended up hiking up the wrong draw and found ourselves in a pretty creekbed with tons of vegetation!

A little fairy house!

At long last we found the correct spot. I was disappointed but the hike was still worth it!

     Staying in the desert with friends has been such a great experience for us! There is a small group of us that is particularly close and we have so enjoyed being with them. Letting the kids roam the desert until they crash from exhaustion is so fun for us all. We tend to work together when it comes to getting fresh water as well as disposing of black water and trash. Anytime someone goes to town, you have the opportunity to add a few items to their grocery list (or Amazon pick-up). I love seeing young teenagers playing tag and ring-a-round-the-rosie with 3 year olds. Frequently there is a craft of some sort happening (aka, painting rocks, building a rock tumbler, beads, hot glue......) and eventually clean-up happens. Our potlucks are unplanned but somehow our food always goes together perfectly. And then some nights the adults wander out to the fire where we talk and laugh late into the night. 

     We've spent over 30 days (broken up) in the last 4 months with these families so leaving the southwest was hard! But we have  memories, new adventures, and next time to look forward to! I'm sharing a picture and a very fitting Facebook post a friend wrote about us.

Friends ❤❤❤

     "In the middle of some Arizona desert, under a full moon, in the embrace of some craggy mountains, a dying fire, and the glare of some truck headlights, I’m surrounded by some women who have become very special to me. We’ve traded jokes, food, medicine, childcare. We’ve hiked through slot canyons and pools of standing water. We’ve been too hot and too cold. We’ve nursed sick children, celebrated birthdays, and wild crafted herbs. We’ve seen each other work in partnership with a spouse and step up to do all the things in their absences while finding the comfort to lean into community when things get overwhelming. On and off we’ve shared the same shifting back yard, watching children claim their space for freedom in the landscape, under the shrubby tree by the empty wash or the abandoned tires claimed by wind blown sand. We might have little or much in common depending on the day or the need. I’ve found a village and lucky for me it has wheels. " - Becky Long  -