We are enjoying a pleasant evening in a desert campground on the west shore of Lake Mojave, a reservoir on the Colorado River south of Las Vegas. We drove here from Yuma on this beautiful spring day. After a week of temperatures in the 90s and 100s, a little cold wave has brought back enough cool air to balance the southwestern sunshine. It is now about 70 degrees and we'll have the comforter ready tonight.

Before dawn we will drive west into California and the Mojave Desert National Preserve where we'll look for thrashers and the juniper titmouse. We'll definintely find "the largest Joshua Tree forest in the world" and lots of interesting volcanic geology.

To the east across the lake is the front of the Colorado Plateau forms a wall. The river is only slightly entrenched here, but we know it flows through the plateau at only a slightly higher elevation to the east. We will not, however, visit the Grand Canyon of the Colorado this year, but the sight of the river brings back images of it. I am reminded of noticing in a history book long ago that a certain Spanish explorer ventured northward east of here. The trace was interesting. It stopped, then looped east and north again, and then stopped again. There was no route across and the expedition was terminated. I did not fully understand why until I finally saw the trench that stymied the determined mission.

We have followed the river from near its mouth in northern Mexico to Yuma and now to Las Vegas. From there we will turn west. The river turns east and we will part company. A future expedition will take us to its source across the four corners and canyonlands areas.

On this road day we added only one new year bird to our list. A pair of h ooded orioles has arrived in this recreational village. We found them on our afternoon walk after the drive. Tonight we will listen for owls. Chuck is sure ther are some western screech owls here.