Jan 31, 2023 Day 3 McDowell Mtn Scottsdale, AZ

Thanks everyone for your warm birthday wishes!

We started the day by driving to a nearby trailhead, Nursery Tank, in hopes of getting some bird photos. It had gotten chilly overnight at 43 degrees and the skies were overcast – not optimal birding conditions. It’s a nice trail and leads to a former cattle watering area and now provides a watering hole to the wildlife here. The ranger had given us a heads up that it’s a great birding spot and we’ll come back another day this week. But it was a nice way to kick off the day.

As the day went on, the clouds dissipated, and the sky was clear with temperatures climbing to 62 degrees. Ron took a long hike down Stoneman’s Wash hoping to catch a glimpse and photograph of the owls that reside there, but no luck today.

After work I opened the gifts, Ron had given me he bought at Carlsbad Caverns. A pair of turquoise earrings and a Navajo hand-made pottery. They are both so beautifully made and so appreciated! The vase is signed by the artist and the turquoise earrings are sterling silver.

We had a couple ribeye steaks to fix on the Blackstone, along with a baked potato and salad, it made a fantastic meal. After dinner, we took another hike on one of the trails in the desert, the scenery here is magnificent and we decided it’s our favorite park. When we got back, Ron also started a fire in the Solo stove and with the mountains in the distance, tunes on the speaker, it was a perfect ending to the day.