Work, work, work.

With our co-hosts leaving before the last week of September and the closing of the campground before then end of October making it impractical to bring in new volunteers, we are going it alone for awhile.  Starting at 6:30 in the morning, taking a mid-day break and then finishing up at 10:30pm seven days a week is making for some long days.  But we only have to do this until the middle of October and then it is off to the east.  A 3,000 mile jaunt from northern Arizona to the southeast coast of Georgia.

We barely leave the campground now, save a trip to Lindbergh Hill two or three times a week to dump ashes.  Then there is the occasional trip to the lodge deli for a take-out pizza.  There has not been much time for sight seeing or getting the camera out but there were a couple of opportunistic occasions where the phone camera sufficed.

All summer long we have had 4 mule deer bucks hanging out together and making rounds through the campground.  As we have come into fall they have been putting on some pretty impressive racks and a little less inclined to be in close proximity to each other.  The other day on one of our trips to dump ashes (9 miles, one way) the big one of the bunch made an appearance at the roadside.

The only thing bigger than this muley's ears is his rack.  He is at least a ten point and got a lot of velvet shed hanging on.  Pretty healthy looking too, I guess the grazing is good in the campground.

The nights are getting significantly cooler too.  There have already been a couple of really hard freezes out in the meadow, down into the mid-20's, and has kicked off the color change in the Aspens.  We watched the yellow get brighter and brighter and on a particularly brilliantly blue-sky day took the opportunity to grab a couple of shots.

We are wearing heavier clothes every day now, warding off the approach of winter.  The sun is going down really early and heavy coats are necessary.  Gloves aren't bad either.  On evening rounds head lamps and flashlights are a must.  The cool summer was a real treat, no air conditioning was necessary, not once.  But now we are paying our dues and running at least one of our two 42,000 btu furnaces 'round the clock.  If it were not for extremely dry conditions there could easily be persistent snow on the ground.  We are really glad that the park service has us hooked up to a 1,000 pound propane tank.  One of my onboard tanks would not last three days at this rate of use.  Then it would be off to a 40 mile drive to get a refill.  The Grand Canyon Volunteer system really did it right when it came to providing propane.  Thank You! Grand Canyon Volunteer System.