In The Mountains: Arrival Night and Day 1

I arrived at my casita at the Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon Sunday night as a storm was just beginning. I had been rushing so hard and carrying so much at once that I started having trouble breathing.  Fortunately, a woman was sitting on her porch and was able to get my inhaler for me.  

It rained for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, the air was cool and fresh. I started a fire and grilled my dinner.
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There's a large porch overlooking the woods and creek that is available for all the casita guests to use, so this morning I had my breakfast and coffee out there.  It was a peaceful and relaxing start to my first full day on vacation.  There were quite a few different birds around, some of which I never got a photo (I will list what I did see that I never shot in a later blip).

I was awakened this morning by what sounded as knocking on my door. After getting out of bed and seeing no one there, I came to realize that it was an Acorn woodpecker. I brought my camera out to the overlook and took this photo of one which had been pecking away at the side of my casita.  All of those nicks on the outside of my wall are coutesty of the Acorns. I put a Black-headed grosbeak in as an extra.

Later, as I was preparing my dinner, I had a really nice chat with a fabulous photographer who was staying in the next casita.  His name is Eric Green and he is the one whose photos are on the cards sold in the gift shop.  In true Laurie fashion, later I dropped a heavy can of beans on my little toe, which proves that my Blip Journal is aptly named.

At first, I was completely frustrated that I was unable to get any internet. But I got used to that and actually enjoyed the totally off-the-grid calmness.  I wasn't worried about going through my photos to post my blips or checking my email.