Groundhog Day - Baboquivari Style

 Ah yes, Groundhog Day, when people in at least two places in Canada and one in Pennsylvania turn to a large rodent to forecast when Spring will arrive.

The movie by the same name, with Bill Murray, is definitely worth watching over and over....ba-dum-pump!

Spent most of the morning in the VRRV as things were quite brisk outside due to early cloud cover and then some pretty brisk winds from the west.  By 1130 or so, the outside temperature had reached 50°F (4.4°C) so it was time to ride!

Got geared up and took Scarlett, my 2014 Ural Patrol Sidecar Rig the 18 miles or so to the small village of Arivaca.  It's a nice road to get there, with some sharp turns that will make life way too interesting if you aren't paying attention!

Note: The starter isn't seemingly engaging on Scarlett so I started her each time today using the kick start pedal.  No worries, but I'll have a go at cleaning it once the weather warms up a bit.

Got there with no issues and did some shopping for condiments and some groceries at the general store/gas station.

Then I rode Scarlett the extra five miles or so to Arivaca Lake to check out the sights.  The place was almost empty, it being a weekday, somewhat cool temperatures and a bit of luck.  

That is, with the exception of the Border Patrol vehicles one sees in this area of Arizona.  Two near the lake and one on the road going and coming back.

I'll have to return later this week or early next week, saw some interesting trails and such that needed exploring.

On the way back to Arivaca, one has the Baboquivari Peak in one's sight for a lot of the time while on the road.  I stopped and posed Scarlett at a spot which allows for the use of the zoom lens to create a long depth of field shot:

The above shot, was inspired by my loving wife Martha who said I should use the day's motif.  So here goes:

Baboquivari Peak, today, saw it's own shadow at Noon, predicting six more weeks of desert time for me!  

I drove on home with no issue, feeling the winds get stronger and stronger as I neared my campsite.  The rest of the afternoon was spent inside again, sheltering from the cold wind even though it was clear skies and the sun was out.  That wind chill you know...

One more day like today in terms of weather predicted for tomorrow and then a rather gratifying warming trend by the weekend!  I'm looking forward to it as you might imagine.