It is not easy to get panoramic views in a forest, even a ponderosa forest. But we managed to boondock at such a place, just a quarter mile from the Mogollon Rim. Here the Rim is a misnomer. There is no vertical discontinuity to ogle. The Rim is merely a mathematical concept, like the Continental Divide.

Campers who shoehorn their rigs into the rectangular slots of commercial campgrounds don't know the pleasure of choosing the aspect of their RV.  The first morning at this campsite I woke up to a chilly trailer, and quickly made my espresso on the propane stove.

Then the morning sun hit the trailer door. I couldn't resist opening the outer door so the sun could blast the screen door alone. Actually my screen is white solar screen. All that whiteness makes you think warm even before you feel it.

In contrast the usual stereotype of the "RV Dream" being synonymous with visual stimulation, I have come to appreciate our other senses like the feeling of warm sun simultaneous with cold air, in the example above. An RVer can easily become addicted to breathing  fresh air.  In a normal house we almost suffocate.

Sometimes I seem to be suffocating when hiking in a forest. Since we were camped on top of a small mountain our hike had to go downhill, and soon there was no view at all. It's hard to believe that my DNA is the same as Northern Barbarians who lived full time in dark, dreary forests. The Vikings were no fools to take to ships, and head down to the Mediterranean. I'll bet they never went home.

From time to time the lifeless, stagnant air of the forest gave way to a cool breeze. With nothing in particular to look at, the pleasure of air against skin was greatly appreciated. I kept trying to see something about the forest that was interesting.

When I hadn't seen my young Australian kelpie, Coffee Girl, for some time, I blew the whistle. I was startled to see two wild turkeys trot off, just a few feet away. I have never seen male wild turkeys before. I could have hit them with a rock--they were so big and weren't trotting that fast. Their iridescent colors astonished me--my eyes finally had their candy for the day. If only I could "draw and shoot" faster with the camera!

That was the highlight of today's walk on Fool's Ridge. I'm glad that I had to suffer a little before seeing them. Hunger really is the best sauce.