Portal RV Resort
Moab, UT
August 8, 2014
What a pleasant surprise the weather has been here in Moab. As excited as I always am to return to one our favorite places, I was dreading the hot temps August usually brings in this area. But, according to locals, this August has been more mild than in the past. Yippee! The mornings and evenings have been very pleasant for sitting outside and I even found myself in a sweater as we lounged outside at coffee time today. The hottest time of day is between 2:00 and 4:00 and we all know what those hours are for...that's siesta time!
Belle is quite at home in site M22 here at Portal. There is not a bad site here, but since this is an owners resort, some lots have more appeal than others. We like M30 and M18 also, but the pergola and sunscreen, comfy seating, and beautiful garden on site M22 gives this spot a "real home" feeling...just right for a three month stay!
We only have to take a few steps to enjoy the simple pleasures of nature in our own "backyard". The hummingbirds have been zipping, zooming and hovering all around...and emptying the feeder!
The butterfly bushes have had lots of visitors too...
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| Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly |
This beauty became Arizona's State Butterfly in 2001. It is only found west of the Mississippi in North America. Its wingspan is 3-5 inches with 4 almost parallel stripes on its wings. The innermost strip is the longest while the outermost two may simply be bars.
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| A Hummingbird Moth |
There are about 125 different species of hummingbird moths in North America. They are all in the Sphinx family. These unique moths are active during the day traveling from flower to flower to sip nectar.
As it was getting dark a few nights ago, Wrecks began to get a little antsy on the patio. We had a visitor...
This is the meadow behind Belle.
Of course, mama wasn't far away...
The Tan Clan is enjoying these cool morning and evenings too.
Sally had a vet appointment last Wednesday for blood work to check her thyroid and also a urinary PH balance test.
As a result, she was prescribed a lower dose of thyroid meds and will return next week for another PH balance test.
She has lots more energy these days...
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| Pat Parelli |
We did enjoy a presentation by Pat Parelli...a former rodeo bronco rider and all-around horse lover. Its a people-training focused on the study of horse behavior and horsemanship skills. If interested check out his web site, www.parelli.com for more info. It was very interesting and we saw first hand how one handler had amazing results with his horse Chole.
We also had ourselves quite a fun ride on Jax Trax this week. The Red Rocks 4-Wheelers Club will introduce this trail during the Labor Day Safari. Its an older trail that hasn't been used in awhile.
It wasn't all play...signs were corrected, painted and/or secured...
...and side routes/shortcuts were blocked to insure no one goes off trail.
But the highlight for Joe and I was meeting Ber.
That's Ber in the center of the photo wearing a white t-shirt and kaki pants. He just turned 90 and has been wheelin' for over 40 years!
Ber drove behind us...what a character he is!
He has a 1980s CJ7...what a character it is!
Ber nor his Jeep shied away from any of the obstacles...
Did you know there will be a full moon this week-end? Not just a full moon, but the largest full moon of the year. It is the moon's closest encounter with earth for 2014. And, peak nights for the Perseid meteor shower are August 12-13. AND, guess what we have planned?
Have a wonderful week-end. Until next time, enjoy and...
...happy trails!
Sego, unlike most ghost towns in Utah, has a history of coal mining. A rancher named Harry Ballard (he lived in Thompson Springs) made the discovery in the early 1800s. He bought up all the land surrounding his find and began mining on a small scale. In 1911, he sold his mine to a group of investors who built a store, a boarding house, and other buildings. In 1947, the mine was closed.
