Organ pipe

Organ Pipe is the quietest place we go. There are no hookups. The only electricity is from batteries, generators, or solar panels. Generators are only allowed in the RV section of the campground, and the hours for use are very limited. There are four hours each day when generators are permitted, but basically, you run on batteries and only run your generator for an hour a day if you need to recharge. Our closest neighbors, in a fifth-wheel trailer, never ran their generator; don’t even have one. Three solar panels and careful control of power drains provide all the electricity they ever need. They never hook up to anything. They dump and fill once every two weeks and never plug in to electricity.

Only a few people in the campground this time of year; maybe 10% occupied. It will get busier later as it gets closer to January. The campground is far from any roads, so very quiet during the day, and totally silent at night. Brilliant stars. First night I woke up and thought it was daylight, only to discover is was the moon at midnight, a couple days past full.

It was great to get there after all these years. It got better each day, sitting outside at 75 degrees, retreating to shade during the heat of each day. Sit quietly for a few minutes and a half-dozen quail come out of the bushes to cluck and scurry around your feet. Another half dozen curve billed thrashers in your site, and curious cactus wrens inspect everything. Two different times we had to shoo a cactus wren back down the steps and out of the motorhome hoping to avoid any messy confrontation between Annie and a bird inside the house. Cool at night, 40 degrees.

We finally pried ourselves loose this afternoon and headed back closer to civilization. We’re at Gilbert Ray Campgound outside Tucson Mountain Park.

Happy Birthday Judy.