Walk about

I strolled around the new campsite and noticed some interesting things. Atop an old Ponderosa pine stump were the remains of a squirrel’s pinecone snack. I never would’ve imagined they peeled the husk from pine nuts. Or maybe this was just one picky squirrel.

Then I saw the remains of a campfire. Evidently the campers were the type to follow all of Smoky Bear’s guidelines for extinguishing campfires. I assume they poured water on the ashes before, as you see, covering them with dirt and rocks. They also neatly organized their leftover wood. Thoughtful campers.

On the other hand, there was evidence of thoughtless campers. I gathered up this bottle and others.

Besides the forest, there were signs I was up out of the desert. One was the ground littered with pinecones rather than cholla pods. (They crunch but don’t stab you.) The other was moss.

I’ll be here a couple more days before heading northward, back into treeless desert. But there’s more forests ahead this summer.