Following my Bliss: A slice of heaven in Skull Valley

I almost knew what to expect in Skull Valley, and then it was better.  In fact I tried to visualize the ranch while driving the second leg from Bryce Canyon.  Would there be nearby trees in the High Chaparral environment?  What about my window views, sunrise, sunset?  I’m just retiring and moving my 5th-wheel home to a possible (temporary) permanent space.  I’m a bit nervous, but am following my bliss.

After the first day driving four hours from Bryce Canyon to the Cameron Trading Post RV Park I felt good about towing again.  It had been quite a while since I moved the 5th-wheel myself.  Too tired for exploration (I refrained from even looking at all the amazing jewelry) I called it an early night.

And that allowed me to get an early start for the second day’s drive of three hours that was rather uneventful except for dodging potholes on I40 west of Flagstaff and the roller coaster road section of SR89 south of Ashfork.  Spotted a few Pronghorn in the fields south of Chino Valley.  Before leaving Prescott I called my new landlord Larry to say I was close and Joann who I met at the Skull Valley cemetery and she followed me in the last few miles.

I followed Larry’s directions: 1/4 mile past the cemetery, cut wide for the 120° right turn onto Ferguson Valley Road; 1 1/2 miles then under the train trestle where pavement ends turn left at the intersection; (yes, I held my breath through the 12×14 foot opening)…

…one mile to Cottonwood trees and houses on left, past the Triple L Ranch locked entry gate where Larry was waiting to lead the rest of the way in.

Through the red gate, also locked, at the cattle guard down a water-cut lumpy dirt road, past my nearest neighbor Susan who I’ve known for years, and through a dry wash to an open grassy field where I stopped and let Larry back the 5th-wheel from there.  I caught one of the rear stabilizer jacks going through the wash and it twisted plus damaged the body a little.

It would have taken me days where it took him only a few hours to wiggle the RV into it’s new space with just a few branch trimmings.  Back and forth, straighten and try again.  That’s the way it works.  He is a patient man.

Once parked and leveled the slides went out and everyone came in for a sit and water.  Then Larry took me for a golf cart ride around the place.  Past Ken’s motorhome—he’s the local handyman who I can keep busy for a while, the shop, greenhouse, Larry’s house, and Susan’s place where some guys were putting up fence panels for her two horses coming in a few weeks.  I was told about the friendly bull and two heifers who aren’t friendly but not aggressive, sometimes seen bobcat and bear, plus javelina, deer, and I’m sure much more. Saw hawks soaring and woodpeckers pecking.  I told Larry I never wanted to leave. Not sure I could get back out anyway.

What a place.  The high Chaparral includes Arizona Oaks plus lots of manzanita interspersed with open grasslands, oh yea and several varieties of small prickly plants.  Good idea to wear leather boots and wipe off pants before coming inside.  My view is amazing, except for a few large piles of long timbers that are mostly toward the front bed end with no windows anyway. There’s a short pole in back with the electric box, the wire must be underground, that I should hang a bird feeder on. My desk view is west to Brushy Mountain.  You’re sure to see many photos of that view.

According to Wikipedia, Skull Valley is a small, populated place with about 800 people as of the 2020 census, and rural ranch community in Yavapai County, Arizona located 17 miles west of Prescott.  The local historic society operates a museum and stands by this story of how Skull Valley got its name from Will C. Barnes book Arizona Place Names, “In March of 1864, a company of the First California Volunteers, led by Captain Hargraves, was escorting Coles Bashford to Tucson.  While passing through what is now Skull Valley, they found piles of skulls, which were left behind after a battle between Apache and Maricopa tribes.”  The 4,250 foot valley is surrounded by rolling hills, so the elevation goes as high as 7,693 feet.  The High/Low temperature in July is 93/58 and in January is 56/29.  Bet you can guess when I’ll head further north or south.

Awoke my first morning to the delightful smell of light rain at 65°.

By 9am the rain cleared and Larry and Ken came by to remove the rear stabilizer jack.  It’s among many parts I have since ordered.  After they left Susan came by to see if I needed anything from Prescott and then hung around for almost two hours visiting. I puttered around outside and in setting things my kind of right.

A late afternoon walk provided gorgeous golden light and got me thinking about what a nice outdoor table one of these huge slabs of Cottonwood would provide, minimum four feet across.

I am excited about making this little space my own but first worked on putting the inside to rights.  Seems everything about this place fits my simple requirements including a decent phone signal that I can tether to the laptop to get online.

It’s so far Heaven in Skull Valley.  My first sunset.

The next morning clouds hung low in front of Brushy Mountain and it wasn’t long before the rain came, in fact predicted on and off for the entire day.  I was glad I didn’t have to go anywhere and just enjoyed the show out my windows.

RV to the left and truck to the right

But I did give some thought to the wash so moved the truck to the other side.  It’s a short walk for the peace of mind.  Predicted to rain the next day also when I did want to go out.  Larry says water rarely flows through this wash and goes underground at my crossing but without 4×4 I wouldn’t drive across it when wet.  Need to get some goulashes.

With a good signal, that evening I turned to YouTube for some evening entertainment and tripped upon FINDING JOE, a Joseph Campbell production about “Finding Bliss”.  So resonated with me as I found Bliss becoming a Park Ranger and now retiring I want to continue following my bliss into a new phase of life.  Or am I reverting to youth?

Once again the morning clouds hung low but cleared by the time I left for my one hour drive to Wickenburg.  (BTW, no water in the wash.)

Appalled by the mess at the site of the Kirkland pozzolan mine (used in concrete) that many locals fought against in 2018.  Nasty stuff that puts fine volcanic glassy material in the air.

Picked up five pieces of mostly useless mail and am paid for this service until November 19th.  That will give me time to get a Post Office Box in Skull Valley and notify the few who care about yet another change of address.  Happily filled the tank at $3.0899/gal for diesel, stopped at the Feed Store for water hose and more heat tape, Goodwill, and Safeway.  On the way home stopped at the Peeples Valley Market and bought local frozen organic ribeye steak.  Felt like a country girl having to unlock the gate at the end of the driveway.

And neighbors were grazing in my yard when I pulled in.

Long day and a gorgeous sunset.  Heard thunder in the distance but didn’t get any rain.

No rush the next day, I so love that, but I did get the water hoses hooked up putting teflon tape on every thread and still had a leaker at the source with a hose divider where I want to add a second outside hose option.  Oops, forgot to put in the hose washer.

Planning that local steak for dinner I wanted to add fresh tomatoes to the salad and fried green tomato on the side, so took a walk to the greenhouse taking photos along the way. So much to see and many distractions.

My bovine neighbors followed me.  Blackie, who is black and white, is quite friendly and now that we’ve been introduced I can pet him.  The all black smaller yearling stays back but they seem to hang out together.  I also met the two outdoor cats that gave me a sniffing over, and Larry’s daughter who also lives on the ranch.

Sunset tonight was pretty but quickly over.  Have I mentioned how much I love this place?

And how much I love not having to do a damn thing all day long.  This retirement gig is going to be OK.  If I don’t get too lazy.  Did manage shooting an exceptional sunset.

Thursday afternoon I took a walkabout.  Wasn’t sure where I was going but left the house headed mostly westward following animal trails.

Not too far out of sight of home I came to a creek with some water in it and turned south following parallel but plenty steep above the rather marshy flow.

I had a feeling I’d end up back by the greenhouse and did after passing what once upon a time could have been a great swimming hole.

The clouds danced overhead for my several hour stroll and I didn’t even walk one mile.  Yet I saw so much.  A plethora of butterflies eluded my camera and birds spoke hidden in trees.

The giant, 2-3 inch, colorful Plains Lubber grasshoppers posed plenty long and appeared to be mating.  They were everywhere.

Day to dusk gave rise to a colorful sunset and even better the reverse colors on rain filled clouds plus both ends of a double rainbow but couldn’t see the middle of the arc in the sky behind gray clouds.

Only a few more days before leaving Skull Valley to retrieve the truck-camper and finalize my season at Bryce Canyon.  When I sent Joann a message with that information she was already on the road and headed my way.  Actually, she was headed beyond me by several miles to pick up her granddaughter Perci and go to breakfast in Yarnell, so she picked me up on the way.  We also stopped at a couple yard sales and Perci scored with free balloons, fingernail polish, and small cheap bags of jewelry, ribbon and cloth. She’s making clothes for her dolls.  Nice to know that still happens for 10 year-olds.

The rest of my weekend involved preparing this post and packing the truck for a six hour drive this week from Skull Valley to St. George, Utah where the camper is, with Sierra cat in a carrier.  Oh, I’m sure that will be another story.         

(I’m still working on the 2022 Geogypsy calendar.  If you see a deserving photo let me know.  Also, if you’re interested in ordering, $25 each including shipping in USA.)

                 “If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living.  Wherever you are – if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.”      -Joseph Campbell