After quite an uncomfortable night trying to sleep, I awoke before dawn and just waited and waited for the sun to rise and put some nice colors on the Carrizo Plain. You see, I was camping in a canyon and I knew that the wind blows one way in the afternoon and the opposite in the morning. What I didn't know is that in the middle of the night the wind goes down the canyon and then it apparently comes back up the canyon an hour later and another hour later back down and so on. It was so annoying and in the 30s so I needed to keep making sure no wind was coming in my sleeping bag and I put my "beach towel-come-pillow" at the top of the bag, scrunched down and then put my jacket between me and the zipper to block that and somehow managed to tuck the top lip of the bag down under the bottom lip... of course as i move around while i sleep that gets loose and i have to start over again. It was best when the wind was moving from feet up. You may be asking, well why didn't she put her body 90 degrees to the wind? Good question... I was afraid of those little holes in the hillside which I imagined had rattle snakes in them and didn't want them getting any ideas that my sleeping back was another hole for them to come in. I'm sure that was a ridiculous fear, lol.
So anyway, in the morning the sun finally came up and I walked down to the Selby Rocks to get what I consider to be one of the best I took. The sunlight left a pinkish hue on the rocks... and there was just enough shadows to make it interesting.
The night before I talked with a couple who was also camping in Selby Campground and they let me know about Shell Creek Road going from Hwy 58 north. They had driven down that way and saw all kinds of people picnicking and taking pictures. I thank them so much for that tip because I had not seen mention of it before my trip when i googled california wildflowers. Without that tip I would not have seen this (goldenfields with oak)
or this! (baby blue eyes)
And i also would not have seen an antelope! First time ever for me.. and I was shocked as the valley was inhabited with ranchers and wineries.
Pronghorn Antelope
all this before noon!
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3 comments:
Very nice. I didn't realize that you had never seen a pronghorn before. I think you've heard me say to others that there used to be pronghorn across the road from where we used to live back in Castle Rock. It was such a treat to see them grazing on the empty field to the west of us. And then they disappeared when the empty field became developed with housing. I also used to see them grazing in fields when I drove I-25 to Denver and back.
I still can't get over the fact that you went camping by yourself. There could have been escaped convicts out there you know.
ha ha! yes, i suppose there could have been escaped convicts out there... i did drive by a few prisons out in the desert ;) ah well, there could just as well be escaped convicts and some not convicted yet criminals in the neighborhood too, so why not camp?
mom, i guess maybe i HAVE seen an antelope before, but i just didn't remember it... guess that goes with being under 3, while in Colorado.
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