June eagle

Eagle and snag

Another test drive for my little Lumix camera. It zooms pretty well but the crops aren’t all I’d hope for.

Ok. I’ll admit it. I’ve only printed up about half the Lumix manual and studying it on a screen just doesn’t do it for me. And you’d think I’d have learned this lesson from decades of college test stress dreams: you can’t learn a darned thing if you don’t attempt to study.

Woodpecker

Sun Lakes State Park
Sun Lakes State Park

We didn’t spend a lot of time at Sun Lakes State Park looking for wildlife. But there was a bird persistently chirping and hopping from branch to branch as we sat near a lake. As far as I can tell this is a woodpecker, probably a downy woodpecker, but I’m a rank amateur when it comes to birds.

I did readily identify other wildlife. Mosquitoes. Swarms of them, following us. They even came out of our trailer cabinet a day or two after we left Sun Lakes. It was like Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds” on a miniature level.

Wet and dry

Sun Lakes State Park
Sun Lakes State Park

The days were already growing warmer when we stayed at Sun Lakes State Park last month. As we drove some of the backroads we discovered a number of small lakes that peppered the landscape like little jewels. The relief from the dry landscape was palpable. This is Deep Lake.

Sun Lakes State Park, Perch Lake
Sun Lakes State Park, Perch Lake

People fished and enjoyed the lakes in little inflatables as well as canoes and kayaks. The views were stunning.

Lakes in the desert

Sun Lakes State Park
Sun Lakes State Park

We camped in and explored Sun Lakes State Park for a couple of days last month. While the region is a classic desert landscape – think sage and coyote bush – the park has many small lakes. A couple are within walking distance of the campgrounds. Others, which I’ll share tomorrow, are reached by unpaved backroads and are worth the drive.