the fifth

Arizona is a beautiful state. Yesterday afternoon we saw balancing boulders, mini-canyons, flat sand desert, all kind of mountains and hills like yesterday, but each one is different. Eventually we stopped seeing snow, although it's not real warm. We're very happy we took the southerly route, Deirdre found out on the internet route 40 is dangerous with ice and snow. Looking out the RV we see saguaros, bunny-ear-cactusses, prickly stick plants, a mini-tree-shaped cactus with its prickly pads hanging down at the end of what looks like branches, and a few small trees and bushes sparsely leafed out.
At Pichaco Mtn there were lots of the saguaros behind the ostrich farm where we stopped for some touristy fun. The kids climbed into the tires of the monster truck on the parking lot - no tours today, sorry, but they loved it anyway. Then, for a few dollars, we got huge cups of feed pellets en tiny cups of nectar. First we fed the deer - so sweet and gentle, picking the pellets of our hands with their soft lips, then the ostriches. That was a bit more tricky, we had to throw the food at them because they peck at your hands and that's scary. The goats were professionals at being hand fed, and then we went to the mini-donkeys. They were the best. We fed the little darlings and petted their soft heads forever. Then back to the deer to finish off the pellets. Finally we went into the lirokeet enclosure. When you hold the nectar cup out you get pretty much covered with them. They were on our heads and arms and hands and shoulders... the kids took a few minutes to check this out on mommy and oma and then gave it a try. Hailey let out peals of giggles, she took to it the best. But even Elliot, safely on Opa's arm, allowed the birds close to him.
We settled for the night in a ginormous RV park in Tonopah, just past Phoenix. Room for over 300 Rvs... paved "streets"... We got there after dark so we checked it out this morning. Palm trees, saguaros, and bunny-ear cactusses, lots of little birds, and I heard an owl in the night. Beautiful view of the craggy mountains around Phoenix.
We were on our way soon after 9 this morning and have been driving through the desert ever since. Right now we're cruising through the town of Quartzsite, AZ. There are RV's everywhere, maybe some rally going on. Almost in California, our 16th and final state!