Tanka Tuesday #224 Poet’s Choice; #Haibun
#Prescott Walk #11 Constellation Trail
Wide trails, narrow trails, Missed trail? Never lost --- for long, Perfect wandering
Main wide trail 
Narrow side trail 
Side Trail 
Off trail to view Granite dells
On a perfect February day, we were two of the few hikers wearing a coat. We found easy access to the Constellation Trail at the lower parking lot of the Phippen Museum in Prescott Valley, AZ. We thought that the trails we walked looked a little rugged for our new e-bikes.
Take your time, breathe in Breathe out, Stretch your arms up high Touch the sky with health.
The clear air deceives you. It is thinner and takes more effort to breathe for new comers and older hikers. There’s no need to rush. This is not a good trail for runners. Rock outcropping spring up in the middle of the trail. Main trails were marked with white dots.
Blink and you’ve veered off the main loop. One wrong step, and you’re separated from your walking buddy, but not for long. Maps appear out of nowhere. Or use the app on your phone.
If you stay on the broad trails along the mail loop, you can walk it in only 2. 4 miles or less than an hour if you don’t take pictures. We couldn’t resist the views of the Granite Dells, scruffy shrubs, an area of new homes, with the Flagstaff Mountains in the background.
Endorphin blue skies Daydreaming distant mountains Cliff structures --- enjoy. © 2021 Marsha Ingrao Haibun
One side trail that heads up to the top of the dells named The Lost Wall Mountain Biking Trail has only one review – “Not nearly as compelling as photos imply. All slow no flow.” Lost Wall Biking Trail
Vince and I were glad we left our bikes and took only our dog. Kalev enjoyed it.
Happy Blogging This Week.
Poet’s Choice today and Writer’s Quotes Choice tomorrow — It’s as simple as making a meme.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
43 responses to “Tanka Tuesday: Constellation Trail #Haibun”
[…] Marsha […]
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What a lovely hike, Marsha. There is just something so soul-satisfying about taking photos, hiking, and writing poetry. I love it! ❤
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Me, too! Are you getting out much in MI?
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Not until yesterday. I’ve been working on my book. We had a great time yesterday with my two sons from another mother. I have photos up on FB. ❤️
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Cool I’ll look.
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Thanks for taking me along with you Marsha. Lovely pics and poetry. 🙂
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Thanks for coming, Marje! How are you doing? Deb’s husband passing had to have a major affect on all of her good friends. Hope you are well. 🙂
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Hi Marsha. Yes so sad, must be so difficult for poor Debby. We are all well, I’m being careful as I work every day in an international sixth form school for older kids. Trying not to catch anything. Hope you and yours are well. x
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It must be super hard for teachers. I admire you for all the things you have gone through and are still going through. We are doing well. I have had my shots and never had any problems, so I don’t anticipate anything. Best to you, Marje. 🙂
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Yes, so hard for teachers – I feel for them so much. I work on the administration side. My eldest daughter is loving training to be a teacher. I’m so proud of how she has coped getting through the stages of her training during a pandemic. Teachers do a wonderful job. Glad to hear you have had your shots with no problems. All the best, Marje x
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It’s hard for administrators too, especially making all those hard decisions. Wishing you the best, too, Marje. 🙂
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A tad different than the Allegany Mountain trail my hubby and I trod last autumn 😀
But nature is beautiful in all her turnout gear 😉
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Jules, the more blogs I read, the more astounded I am at the loveliness all over the world. 🙂
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On our trip, on one of out walks a small Brushfoot Buckeye butterfly. It only stopped briefly on an autumn leaf – but I was able to take its’ photo!! 😀
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Send me a link. I tried to visit you by clicking on your name, and I got a message that it was a private website. 🙂
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The icon doesn’t go to my open site;
Try this yesterdays post here:
Five Little May Verses
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I enjoyed walking with you, Marsha, and your poems made it even better.
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Thank you so much, Robbie. It was fun having you along!
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We haven’t spent much time around Prescott. We will have to put it on our list for when we return to Arizona in the fall.
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Definitely, John! There are many, many trails here, downtown is fun, there are several museums, and always something happening.
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What a great hike and pictures! I love the red rock and like you, I would be taking lots of pictures! I love the line “endorphin blue skies” and how it captured the excitement of exploring the beauty.
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Thanks, Denise. I was pretty proud of thinking of that word. I started with blue, then cobalt, then I thought about how good those blue skies make me feel. 🙂 Thanks for noticing! 🙂
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It looks like a beautiful day out. Shame out the new buildings, personally I would not like to live out there in the middle of nowhere. The views are amazing. I love your Tankas.💜🦋
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Hi Willow, I know exactly what you mean, and I don’t want them encroaching on the Granite Dells. What I like though is that this hiking park is so close to civilization. It’s easy to get to, and almost immediately you are in the middle of nowhere. The fact that you can see the houses just a little bit from the trail – to me means that the trail is accessible. As an older person, I don’t want to be too far from civilization when I’m hiking. 🙂
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I totally agree with that, sadly over here they are gobbling up all our beautiful countryside and building ugly houses ! Take no note of me.💜💜
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You have a valid point, Willow. I don’t know what the answer is – send people to another part of the world, I guess where houses are sparse. Families living together as houses become more and more expensive. Our societies have grown way more complex than I can conceive mentally. Stop one thing, and another problem crops up. But I do know that if they take down the granite dells and level it to build houses, the world will never get back that beauty – EVER!
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It is the same here, we have lived in this area over forty years. It was a small town surrounded by farmland and green fields latterly houseing estates are being built everywhere. The fields are gone the town is straining. Amenities are stretched, we will never get our fields of green, purple or yellow back. The houses are so expensive too. It is so sad. 💜
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That is so sad, my friend. That was probably Los Angeles in the 1950s. Vince said it was heavenly growing up there, but he won’t go back for anything. It is forever ruined.
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Yes indeed it is the way of the world these days. Nothing changes for the better We left London in the early 70s now we only visit, could not live there again for love nor money. 💜💜💜
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When I came back from London in 1992, Los Angeles seemed deserted.
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Really, do you mean London was so busy and packed?
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Yes. I got tired of riding the underground one day from one downtown stop to another, so I decided to walk. I have never been anywhere that crowded except New York’s Time Square on New Year’s eve. I had to walk in the street, the sidewalk was so packed. I don’t know how people got into the stores if they had been pushed all the way to the street as I was. I decided that even though the Underground was crowded, it was better than walking. That was in 1992. Can you imagine how it is now?
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It’s been quiet bin the pandemic but that is changing now , slowly but surely.💜
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Nothing seems like pandemic here right now. It’s busier than busy.
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Really well that’s good, I went for an hour’s walk and I think I saw no more that 10 people. So it’s still very quiet.💜
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That’s strange in a big city! Even on a trail we see more than that!
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I am not in London now, I am in Berkshire, not far from London, but it is still quieter than normal ,,,💜
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It gives you time to think. My life is quiet even though I meet people on my walks. I still have a lot of time to think.
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I LOVE all forms of hiking, including vicarious ones. Thank you for taking us along with you. Gorgeous pics!
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Thanks, Donna. I’m safest on vicarious ones, but I do love to walk. Hiking winds me a bit, but we did Thumb Butte a couple of days ago and that’s going to make another great post eventually. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
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Your life looks very full of fun based on your posts. I love your What’s on Your Plate? idea. That is something I’ve never seen. When you get some more time, I’d love to feature you and Deb in an interview about your Link-up. It seems like kind of a cool blogging challenge. 🙂
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Enjoyed your wandering through the pics. 😊
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Thanks Irene. I appreciate the visit. 🙂
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