Friday afternoon Paul and I loaded up the Yukon, and with about 25 Young Single Adults and a few other old folks like ourselves headed out to the "Arizona Strip" - a piece of very rugged high desert backcountry owned by the Bureau of Land Management. One of our friends, Darrel Blake, owns the ranch and about 500 acres and leases more land as his family has done for years. Out in this truly desolate wilderness he runs about 300 head of cattle with a few working horses added into the mix. The animals roam freely about the place. There is a fenced off area for the animals when he wants to "work" with them (see below). Rather than sleeping in the bunkhouse with the kids, Paul and I decided that the back of the Yukon would serve as our sleeping quarters. Here you can see our blessed air mattress along with our sleeping bags, hiking boots and assorted gear.
Here is the brand that they use to identify their cattle. After we arrived we had fun looking around as Darrel explained a bit about what goes on there. Before long some of the cattle discovered us and came nosing around. Next we prepared a delicious meal of grilled chicken, Dutch-oven potatoes, salad and rolls. Somewhere along the way a campfire was built and after cleaning up dinner we all gathered around it. The ranch is at a little over 7000 ft. so the air became a bit chilly as the sun went down. There was lots of chatting and some story-telling before several of the girls pulled out their ukuleles and began to sing. One of the songs was a hula and we had a great time watching some of the guys attempt the dance complete with hand AND hip movements.
Look at the handsome guy that I found at the campfire. He even let me sit on his lap for a little while. After I was accused by the kids of flirting, I had to jump up. Sigh... Anyway, soon the fire was burning low and it was time to bed down for the night. And what an interesting night it was. Before I describe that, just let me say that the stars were amazing!! As I mentioned, we were quite a distance from civilization - St. George was to our northeast about 60 miles away and other than that there was nothing for over 100 miles in any other direction- and the Grand Canyon was just due south. The Milky Way was so clearly visible as were several planets in addition to the stars. It was truly spectacular. To see a night sky like that is such a privilege. About our night, suffice it to say that yowling coyotes are not a great lullaby. And who could figure out what the other snorts, scufflings, hoots and crys were. Also, I was very grateful for my convenient potty when I got home. Here are said noisy cattle.
The next morning, we had a great pancake and bacon breakfast complete with matermelon (of all things). The horses were very interested in getting acquainted with all of us. I decided to see if they liked watermelon as much as I do. Who would have guessed!
