Today it’s overcast, cool, and windy, so a good day to catch you up on some of my exploring over the last few days.  Most of the time it’s been sunny and warm and I feel like I’ve decompressed a little since arriving in this valley.

Speaking of which, it’s calving season right now and this valley is full of new borns.  Now I don’t know much (anything) about cattle, but I’ve been watching them some through my binocs and gotten a feel for which ones are days or hours old and which have maybe a week or so on the newest ones.  One of the guys I talked to at church yesterday told me how to look for the moms that are birthing off in the brush or trees on the edges of the herd.  I took some pictures but they don’t really show anything.  Too much distance.

And speaking of church, I had another experience with a very welcoming community yesterday.  This is the only parish in Nevada that currently doesn’t have a priest so they are praying to be blessed with a new pastor.  And they aren’t meeting in the church right now because they are excavating under it to upgrade plumbing and wiring.  So Mass, when they have it once a month, is in their community center, St. Joseph’s Hall.  Joe sure has a lot of halls named after him.  Yesterday the Deacon did a Communion Service which was very nice, but the food.  Lord, the food.

As soon as the service ended the couple in front of me turned around and said, “we have breakfast, so stay, ok?”  Yah!  On the first and last Sunday of the month, (the last is when they have a priest), people bring food and the community has breakfast after their service.  There was three different egg dishes, biscuits and gravy, and a plethora of pastries.  And the person who made the coffee knew the importance of grounds in the coffee.  None of this tea like the Lutherans make. 🙂  Now, c’mon, I’m just kidding about the Lutherans, so don’t get all excited.  But seriously, this group of parishioners knew how to be welcoming, and exuded a close sense of community.  It was a wonderful morning for me.

This morning, this park is full of kids.  I can look across at the Day Area and see at least five busses.  It’s too bad they didn’t have a nicer day, but they seem to be enjoying themselves ok.  Let’s see, what else this morning?  I hear an occasional wump from over in the direction of the test range.  But it’s also pretty dark over that way so it could be just thunder.  Still, it isn’t like a rolling sound, more abbreviated.

Continuing back over the past days, on the other day it was crummy outside, I did some driving around the area.  There are a number of state parks somewhat close together here.  Echo Canyon has a medium sized reservoir as it’s main feature.  These are from the upper end of it.  I like the park I’m camped in better.

Pioche is the nearest town north of where I’m camped.  Not much happenin’ in Pioche.  Here is their local rodeo grounds though.

The hiking and biking has been good here although you’re always bucking some kind of wind.  Exploration has produced some interesting spots.

Next I’ll be heading to Moab and I’m looking forward to spending some more time there this year.  After that, depending on what the weather is doing, I’ll be looking east, picking a route, and starting to mosey towards home.

As I’m finishing this post I’m looking out at the ground covered with snow.  A dramatic turn of events.  Hmmmm, I am well and hope you all are too.