THE DELLS

 This is a small portion of the Granite Dells.

Commonly known as just "the Dells" to locals, it is an area of exposed bedrock and large boulders of granite that have eroded into an unusual, lumpy, riddled appearance.

At least, so says Wikipedia.

In the early days of Hollywood, the cowboy actor Tom Mix had a home nearby and filmed some of his movies in this area.

Nowadays the area has become popular with hikers and rock climbers.

Two lakes, Watson and Willow, are actually reservoirs formed by man-made dams.

(Above photo by Kevin Spencer of Phoenix)

You may have noticed electricity poles and it's true, not all of the Dells are as remote as one might imagine.

There are a number of private homes scattered through the area, many with spectacular views.

Thirty years ago, when I was much younger and much more agile, I clambered around on these boulders.

I'm not as old as the Dells.

The granite has been dated at 1.4 billion years old.

But age has taken the spring out of my step and in these times I'm content just to watch.

BLUE WATER

I have chosen today to give all of you (and us) a break from my stories of moving and show you a little of Arizona's beauty.

This is Watson Lake, which sits between Prescott and Prescott Valley.

It is actually a reservoir, as I'm sure the Arizona writer Katie Lee would call it.

That is how she twits the lovers of Lake Powell, near the border with Utah.

But reservoir or not it doesn't detract from the natural beauty of that blue, blue water on a sunny day.

Just a few feet away and looking a different direction one can understand why this area is called the Granite Dells.

The granite outcroppings are perfect for scaling either by amateurs or paramedics practicing their skills.

If you are of a certain age it is easy to remember the cowboy actor Tom Mix and his horse Tony galloping around this area.

Long, long ago.

It's a great place for boating or birding or a picnic or for hiking the four mile trail around the lake, though this old man has never tried the circumnavigation.

And the Peavine Trail even links all the way to Prescott Valley.

(Watch for rattlesnakes!)

Now, with apologies to Marlin Perkins, so ends this edition of Wild Kingdom.

DARK AND LIGHT

There was something of a light show on the rocks in the Granite Dells yesterday afternoon.  As the sun peeped out of some angry clouds to the south, a shaft of light would illuminate sections of the rocks while the rest were dark.  Imagine an early prospector seeing this as a sign of where to look for riches.

And here's the sky filled with clouds that occasionally allowed a bit of light to peep through.

It looks promising for moisture but as far as I know only a bit of rain came down.  Nice view, though.

STORMY DAY

A stormy day west of Prescott.

But the Granite Dells (and I) stayed dry.

A WINTERY DAY

Glassford Hill, above and back of the Granite Dells.

Sunny skies today but not very warm (in the low 30's).  But around my home, the snow and ice was melting.

Meantime, one old member of the family was still grumpy about the snow and the cold.



TUESDAY TRAVELS

Does this fuzzy picture of your hero appear to show him somewhat perturbed?

Could be.

Why you ask?

Because while climbing around in the Granite Dells of Prescott, Arizona, he got himself stranded in the rocks.

Not really.

I did get down okay but I don't do that anymore.

ROCK 'N' ROLL

 It's not what you think.

It's a picture I just ran across in my photo file while I was doing some editing.

It was taken in the Granite Dells area of Prescott at Watson Lake.

Frankly, I don't think I'd want to be rock climbing or boating anywhere beneath that.

Surf's down!

Watson Lake.

The Granite Dells.

Blue sky and a very calm day. Not even a ripple on the water.

Of course, if this boulder rolled down into the water, there might be some waves, for a time.

I often wonder about the perched boulders around these parts. How did they get there? What keeps them from toppling? I guess weight and gravity answer the last question but I'm still wondering about the first one.

As always, the photos are bigger if you click on them.