South Dakota Badlands

Last October I passed through the Badlands while heading to Montana en route from seeing Maggie in Michigan. The Badlands here and especially in ND are beautiful, exuding an aura of mystery and lending a sense of traveling back in time.
I stayed in a remote campground where bison roamed nearby and coyotes yipped at night. Unfortunately, I didn’t get pictures of the Bighorn sheep the next day. There was one ram and about 20 ewes and lambs crossing a back-road to descend into a canyon. It was interesting to watch the ram guiding the group, making sure all made it safely without lagging or straying. I love observing wildlife and I get a lot of use out of my binoculars. Even when I’m up close, the binoculars provide a greater sense of intimacy and awe.

Anza Borrego Spectacle!

I spent all of March 2005 in Anza Borrego desert in southern CA and it was glorious! The bloom was spectacular – I felt like I was Alice in Wonderland after falling down the rabbit hole. I went on fabulous hikes and sometimes just wandered out in the desert soaking up the beauty. The mountains and flatlands were green and colorful with the ground covers, cacti and bushes in bloom.


Carpet of color along Henderson Road


~~~ Beavertail begins the bloom ~~~

Friends came down for a few days and we enjoyed hiking the Hell Hole Canyon Ridge Trail that transitioned through varied terrain and vegetation as we descended 2,500 feet over six miles. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the park. Two weeks later I met new friends Sheryl and Dan from Colorado, who also have a rig like mine, and I repeated this wonderful hike with them.

I love traveling in my compact 4x4 Sportsmobile since I can drive out rough roads or into canyons to find lovely places to camp with few people around. Jack rabbits and cottontails scampered through camp just feet from where I sat quietly reading during the day. At night I would sometimes sit outside in the darkness and enjoy the starry skies and the serenading coyotes.

~~~ Sunset near Coyote Canyon ~~~

Hanging with Maggie in Michigan

I've traveled to MI twice to visit Maggie, staying about a month each time. Maggie has been a dear friend for over 35 years - since we worked as nurses at San Francisco General Hospital in the 60's (a great time to be living in SF!). She now lives in the lovely and interesting town of Ann Arbor where she grew up. We traveled up the shores of Lakes Michigan and Huron and took some wonderful hikes and also explored the shoreline in my inflatable boat - a Sea Eagle Paddle Ski, which is a cross between a kayak and catamaran. I was amazed at the vastness and beauty of the great lakes, and the white sand beaches and dunes. The water is clear blue with gentle waves and looks like the ocean - but No Sharks!

~~~~~ Maggie at Lake Michigan ~~~~~

We also stayed with Kathy for a few days on her 75 acre island on Lake Huron - reachable by a wild ride in Kathy's speed boat.

Ivanie and Casper

Ivanie lives in a gorgeous setting at the foot of the Crazy Mountains in Montana, where she raises a small flock of sheep. She used to lose several lambs to the coyotes until Casper, the Great Pyrenees dog, came to live with and protect the flock. Can you spot him in the picture below?

~~~~~~~ Casper and his flock ~~~~~~~
~~~~~~ Ivanie, Holly and Rosemary ~~~~~~

Ivanie is a very talented artist and, in addition to painting and creating pottery, she and David built their cozy and unique home. The exterior is made of slabs of metal.

Montana Calving Experience

Val culling cows from the herd

In the winter/spring calving season in 2003, I worked on Val's Montana cattle ranch. She had over 60 pregnant heifers (1st time mothers) and needed help during calving season, so I moved into a small cabin at the ranch and had a fantastic experience. Part of my job was to get up every 2 hours during the night to roam the pasture with my flashlight and see if any of the girls were in labor. There were a few nights minus 10 degrees and snowing, so it was important to get a laboring cow into the barn so the new calf wouldn't hit the ground and freeze. Some of the newborns were pretty big for these 1st time mamas and we had to pull several. I was literally up to my elbow in cow a few times guiding the head out. Val was in up to her shoulder straightening legs out and repositioning calves for an easier delivery. And I doctored sick calves and cows with herbs and my CHI machine and did chiropractic on a crippled calf. Pretty awesome experience for me!

Begin the Blog!

Well it’s now July 2005 and I’m just getting around to starting an online journal for friends and family to check in on my travels. I’m in Walnut Creek, CA right now visiting Mom and Dad and helping my sissy Barbara during her convalescence from foot surgery. Next week I’ll hit the road again and head for Montana. In the meantime, here’s a recollection of my experience as a cow-midwife. I accidentally erased my digital pictures of that adventure, but perhaps I can find another photo of a scene at Val’s ranch.