Summer Mornings

Sunrise

There is something about the sun slowly rising in the sky out in the desert. The cactus seem to catch the light and then each needle seems to glow. The rocks have not yet been heated in the furnace so the temperature feels tolerable. Birds begin to move from their roosts and search for breakfast before seeking midday shade. This makes for the best time to be out here year round, especially in the summer.

For many summers now, trips out to the Usery Pass archery range have become the norm. The time spent with bow in hand tossing arrows is always relaxing. The facilities are great with several walking courses, including a 3D target course. There is also the important covered canopy range with target's starting at 15 yards and going out to 100 yards. It wouldn't feel like summer without a few trips out here to keep the shooting skills at peak level. If you go during the morning you get double the pleasure.

Having Fun

Long Hot Summer

The month of July has been a long hot month here in the desert. I have not spent much time blogging either. Work hours have changed and I have been adapting to a new schedule, hopefully things will settle down now. During the month of July I have managed to escape to the rim country a few times. Much of the Tonto forest section of the rim is currently closed for fire hazard, a rough year for Arizona. I was forced to explore some new country, so I went with a friend and visited East Clear Creek and tossed some flies. Followed the next day by some fishing at Blue Ridge Reservoir. Did not catch a lot of fish that trip and took even less photos. That is a lesson for blogging learned, caught two nice fish in the first 15 minutes and that there would be plenty of photo ops, but that was pretty much it for the day.


East Clear Creek

Blue Ridge Blue Gill

 

 

The Blue



Two weeks later took my kids back up to East Clear Creek to camp and fish. Watched my 16 year old son land his first redside on a dry fly, thanks to the mini-hopper an Arizona must have dry. My daughter also landed a nice fish which got away as we prepared to take a picture. The twins did their best to dent the crawdad population that is out of control on the creek. That evening we were able to see the forest get a lot of much needed rain, about 7 hours worth. As we packed up and left that evening the lighting put on a show the whole 2 hour drive home.



Dry flies in the morning



Storm cloud seeds




Crawdad Kings



Now that August is approaching, we start in to my favorite time of year. Just got a new fall catalog to remind me of all the gear I need. Days will shorten and the morning temps will dip back into the 70's. Bird hunting can then only be right around the corner. Time to prepare for a great fall of hunting, fly fishing, and biking.