Blowing the stink off in Datil, New Mexico

I'm at the cabin, still, and feeling pretty darn good about it.

Kathryn is a retired science and feature writer, formerly of California, who passed through Datil and liked it enough to come back. She has been road-tripping in her Miata for many weeks. Her wildlife encounters so far include two bears and replacing the Miata's ragtop, a cougar, and a skunk (none in Datil). We may end up in a book!

People ask me where I'm from, and usually now I just tell them where I live. Either they've never heard of it ("it's between the Very Large Array and Pie Town"), or they say, "Oh! That book!" I figured this trip it's time to read that book:

On page 32, something (Me) said frivolously, "Get up and drive to Reserve." I was dubious, and so I negotiated by saying "no." 

Alright, but at least get up and take a walk. Blow the stink off ya.  That seemed like a pretty good deal, considering what I'd bargained down from, so I grabbed my camera and took my day-jammies for a walk.

Must have been my spidey-sense telling me to take a camera.

I wasn't trying to smish him.

Last year, I showed you some big tarantulas we saw up at Santa Rosa Lake:

Desert blond tarantula from Santa Rosa, NM. Not the same guys here.

The little guys here are about 1/3 the size. I still don't know what they're called. 

It's an address, not a speed.

San Agustin plains.

Elk memories.

Dinner memories. Not elk.

It's a good thing I have that foot at the end of my leg. It saves me putting my hands next to stuff.

Do you see the cabin? Not mine.

Second sighting. "Spider, spider, let me be! Keep your urticating hairs FAR from me!"

This is the time of year when males go a'courtin'. Like Mr. Frog dating Miss Mousie, but intraspecies.

I was just now sitting in the warmth of the sunshine; when clouds get all up in the Sun's business I have to turn on the heat.

Arizona blond tarantulas: do they really have more fun?

Quentin, you've grown!

I am not standing with my foot in this picture just to show off my cute hikers. For perspective, the Arizona blond tarantula wears the same size I do.

He was crossing the road as we approached, but once he lowered the flag we could proceed without tire damage. It's possible he was crossing the road to mate (one more question answered), but we didn't want to stick around to see him reach under the female to insert his pedipalp into her gonopore.

He could easily cover Annie's palm, if he relaxed. He could easily cover Annie's palm, if Annie relaxed. 

Weather feels pretty perfect at this elevation, at this time of the season. Flagstaff nights are too cold for us to deal with in the Duck, but here we're warm enough to sleep with the windows cracked. I always check under the covers before I get in. Sometimes I find Annie under there.

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The tarantula dance

We've been hyper-vigilant of our surroundings ever since seeing the scorpion and rattlesnake while our NY buds were here visiting.

We went for a walk yesterday afternoon here in our little slice of desert. As were were walking down the ATV trail that serves as our driveway, I spotted a tarantula, our first live spotting.


A: Stop

R: What?! What?! What?! begins dancing about, turning this way and that, ready to run but not knowing which direction she should point

A: Stop! Stop! Stop!

She calmed and we admired the spider for a bit then walked on.

A: So, just for future reference, what should I say when I want you to stop?

R: I wanted to obey but my butt got scared.


I know I'll be the one left to fight off the hordes of rattlescorantulas.

Good thing I have mad ninja skills.

I did a podcast interview. I know.

My friends are saying yeah, we notice you can't talk on the phone to us, but you'll talk about poop with strangers. It's not something I can explain. Please forgive me.

Quacking begins at around 16:00 and just goes on until you fall asleep. I was interviewed by Kimberly and Margie from Road Rebelles Radio.

This is a magical place. In this campsite, we've seen our first:

1. scorpion
2. rattlesnake, and
3. TARANTULA!

He's a baby, maybe. But, he's big and he has hair = tarantula. He was not as scary as talking on the phone.