4 dark grey rocks covered in whitish-grey petroglyphs

Gila Bend, Arizona travels, a few laughs, and a great tune (Weekend Coffee Share #21)

January 14, 2022 /

Happy Friday, friends! In last week’s edition of the Weekend Coffee Share, I shared pictures of our visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, part of our short winter break road trip. This week I’ll share pictures from Day 2, along with a few laughs that have crossed my screen this week, and, well… you’ll just have to read to the bottom to find out the rest.

But first, welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. This week, she’s shared some incredible dinosaur murals. Don’t miss ’em!

Winter Break Road Trip Day 2

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site

About 12 or so miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona, is the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, which actually contains a whole bunch of painted rocks, so it really should be called, Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site. I’m sure the Bureau of Land Management will get right on that change.

It’s a hillside strewn with boulders decorated in petroglyphs.

Hillside scattered with dark grey rocks covered in light gray petroglyphs against a cloudy grey sky
4 dark grey rocks covered in whitish-grey petroglyphs

According to the brochure, available from the link above, the site currently contains over 3800 images on 428 boulders. The first images were likely created over 1400 years ago. Visit the link to learn more about this remarkable place.

Birds in Fields

The road to the painted rock site passes through farm fields, and those fields were full of birds (probably because those fields are irrigated, and water attracts wildlife, especially in the desert). The most common birds we saw were egrets, which always remind me of the San Joaquin Delta near where I grew up. Egrets are so lovely.

Many white birds in a green field with hazy mountains and grey sky in background
Egrets in a field outside Gila Bend, Arizona
White bird with long grey legs and narrow, pointed grey beak standing on a dirt mound
Egret beside the road

Less lovely but still interesting–turkey vultures!

Dark brown bird with wings spread and legs extended toward the ground in a green field
Turkey vulture coming in for a landing
A trio of turkey vultures in a field outside Gila Bend

We couldn’t get close enough to get really good pictures, but thanks to a long zoom lens, they’re at least recognizable as vultures. I think this is the first time I saw several vultures together but not feeding on a carcass. I’m used to seeing them as solitary hunters circling above my head, which always makes me wonder if they know something I don’t. Perhaps I should see my doctor.

Aliens!

Well, OK, an alien. Singular.

Yeah, yeah, a fake alien. But still…

An alien! A festive alien! A festive, beer-drinking alien!

Cutout of green alien holding a beer and Christmas bells, wearing a Christmas bow around its neck and a Santa hat on its head
Greeter at the Space Age Restaurant in Gila Bend

And on that absurd note, it’s time for…

The Weekly Funnies

New year, new you

I feel seen.

Enjoy it while you can

I’m a librarian. Why didn’t I think of this?

Embracing our authentic selves in 2022

But… but… pants are so 2019. And pie… mmmm… pie.

Pandemic blues

I kind of want to make shooting targets that look like SARS-CoV-2. I think they’d sell well here in AZ.

In case you were wondering…

And since I love that song (it’s pretty much a personal anthem for my husband and me):

And here’s a really fun live version. Justin Timberlake looks like a little kid meeting his biggest hero. I dare you to watch it and not smile.

Now that I think about it, hubs and I might *be* the friends in low places 🙂

Stay safe and have a fabulous weekend, everyone! Whatcha got going on?

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19 Comments

  • Astrid

    January 14, 2022 at 10:33 am

    Ah, that alien is so awesome. As honestly are the vultures! I used to have a creepy kind of fascination with them. Oh, and I would definitely buy your shooting targets, as COVID cases are through the roof here. Thank you for making me laugh.

    • Janet Alcorn

      January 14, 2022 at 11:51 am

      Always happy to share some laughs! And it turns out someone beat me to the COVID target idea–I found some on Amazon. There goes my plan to get rich and retire early 🙁

  • Susanne

    January 15, 2022 at 2:58 am

    I think your photos of the birds look good! Zoom lenses are great, I’ll try to use mine a bit more this year.
    Friends in low places is a lovely song! It reminds me of the time when I started exploring country music.

    • Janet Alcorn

      January 15, 2022 at 6:11 am

      Thanks! The trouble with birds is, they rarely stand still and pose. Uncooperative buggers.

  • Gary A Wilson

    January 15, 2022 at 8:48 am

    Hi Janet,

    My whole experience with petroglyphs, comes from a different corner than yours.

    I’ve been to Lava Beds National park in far, isolated and desolate NE California where each year it swings from near zero (F) to 110 (F) so I either have to time my visits to be within a survivable temperature or spend all the time in either the air conditioned visitor center or a stable 57 (F) lava tube cave. Oddly they resent my attempts to sleep in those. . .

    But the nearby petroglyphs, are amazing. Each visit there, assuming I’m not frozen or in a deep heat coma, finds me spending time starring at the wall art that some ancient Indians carved and forgot to leave any little monument signs explaining what they meant. It turns the story-teller in me into fictional pretzels each time because who among us can ignore an untold story?

    • Janet Alcorn

      January 15, 2022 at 9:58 am

      I haven’t been to Lava Beds yet—and I was born and raised in CA. Must add it to my list.

      I have a similar reaction to petroglyphs. What stories were the artists trying to tell? What’s special about this particular place that led to so many petroglyphs? How many artists created them? Etc. It’s neat, though, to image myself as heir to this ancient tradition of storytelling that has taken so many forms over so many centuries.

      • Gary A Wilson

        January 15, 2022 at 10:05 am

        I don’t think they really know. There were plenty of Indians living in the area and even a war or two back in the actual lava beds, but the hill with the petroglyphs is kind of isolated from everything else and no one has offered much thought into what the story is behind them. But they’re still very cool.
        Go in the summer. Given your Tucson textured blood, you’ll be right at home in the heat.

  • Julie

    January 16, 2022 at 4:51 pm

    The Neverending story meme was so funny! We’ll get through this!

    Another alien-theme restaurant? I recalled I saw one coming from Las Vegas to LA. We did not stop by. I believe they had alien jerky there too from the ads we saw on the way.

    • Janet Alcorn

      January 16, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      I’ve been to the alien one! It’s Alien Fresh Jerky in Baker, CA. There’s also the Alien Brothel outside Vegas in a different direction. It’s attached to a gas station and convenience store (only in Nevada). I think it’s near the road to Area 51.

  • Kirstin

    January 18, 2022 at 10:03 am

    Loved your memes. Those Petroglyphs are so cool. Growing up in Ohio, we often went across lake Erie to Kelley’s Island. There was a rock called Inscription Rock that has petroglyphs. It’s still there.

    • Janet Alcorn

      January 18, 2022 at 10:53 am

      Thanks! I’ll have to remember Kelley’s Island. I haven’t been to the Great Lakes area (other than Chicago for work), but it’s on my bucket list.