Thus

Thus ends our winter travels as they began. Snowy country, northern Indiana. 

Helen

Columbus, Mew Mexico

Museum. 

Would this fly in Goshen?

El Patio Restaurant.  

Border Patrol. 

Historic inn. 

Social hall's patio wall. 

Helen

Poncho Villa State Park and Palomas, Mexico

We joined Al and Marcia at the park for a couple days of camping in our RVs and one of the days walked across the border to spend time in Palomas. 

Pancho Villa, both hero and villain, was the inspiration for the park's name. He was a Mexician revolutionary. When he ran out of funds to support his troops, he took to banditry. One raid took him across the border to Columbus. Incensed, US authorities sent troops across the border to catch him. They were unsuccessful, even with a major offensive of over 10,000 troops. 

Poncho Villa, attack mode (or defense?) portrayed in statue in Palomas. 

The Palomas Catholic Church faces the town plaza. 

The place most often visited by tourists is "the Pink Store," one block from the border and full of artifacts from across Mexico.  It also has a restaurant with delicious food and live music. 

It was good to be back in Latin America, if only for a few hours. (We even purchased some Mennonite Cheese, which tastes just like that from the colonies in Bolivia.)

Helen

Rusty's

National forests are wonderful places to camp. The forest service campsites are usually spacious with wonderful natural features all around. They have minimal amenities, water and pit latrines. 

The same can be said about the settings at Arizona and New Mexico State parks. But, they have all more amenities, including hot showers. Sweet!

A couple times we've needed to stay at RV Parks which usually have the rigs lined up close together like in a parking lot. (Well, probably you get two regular parking spaces.)

Rusty's RV Ranch just outside Portal, Arizona was quite different. The RV sites were generous, spaced far apart. And spring had arrived with blooming trees.

The only ranch like thing was open spaces and this horse.

The gathering place also had a $1.00 a load laundromat. 

Here's the view to the Chiricahuas and the entrance at Portal. 

Helen

Cave Creek Canyon, a sense of place

Cave Creek Canyon is one of the premier birding places in the states. But here we are and we found it also is a place of passionate devotees, people who love the canyon, the wildlife, the Chiricahua Mountains; astronomers, herpetologists, artists, and conservationists. 

Friends of Cave Creek Canyon have just published Cave Creek Canyon, revealing the Heart of Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains, a book with 42 contributing authors. It's fascinating reading. 

The canyon's towering cliffs overlook a lush diversity in plant and animal life. 

Years ago, When we traveled here with all four kids, we sat on rocks in cave creek and read Narnia aloud before hiking up the trail. A recent flood (caused by a previous fire that devastated the vegetation) wrecked havock with the stream, the roads, the accessibility to the canyon. 

It's back to running clear and merrily. 

Some fellow hikers pointed out a path to an overhang with petroglyphs. We would never have noticed. 

Historic bunkhouse. 

Helen

Sky Palette.

Montana should not be the only state to claim itself as Big Sky Country. Yesterday's skies at Whitewater Draw, Arizona were achingly beautiful. 

Helen

Patagonia Lake State Park

Don't plan to camp on a weekend unless you have a reservation. Two years ago we had no problem getting campsites, but the weather was cold that year. This year it's nice, and the campers, birders, hikers, and folks who fish filled all  the sites. So we paid for day use and did a bird walk. 

The willows along the lake's edges are in bloom, and the bees were busy. There was a continual buzzing hum. Lovely. 

The recent rains redirected the flow of Sonoita Creek. 

Plants and reflections in the creek. 

Cow patties litter the birding area. The wet, trampled low areas smelled like a barnyard. 

Helen

Room for one more?

Sabino Canyon must be the most used National Recreation Area in the US. We, along with 4 friends, arrived in time to take the first shuttle to the end of the road up the canyon, and already there were folks walking, hiking, running, jogging, pushing baby strollers. . . . 

Phoneline Trail ascended rapidly. 

Norm led the way, here he is walking with Doug. 

A few flowers were blooming earlier than usual. 

Fairy Duster blossom. 

From the trail high above the stream we could at times see down the canyon to Tucson. 

Sharon and Bruce cross a side canyon. 

And how do they find sustenance in such small crevices?

Helen

Mt. Lemmon

We went up Mt. Lemmon with Joyce and Jep. It was a lovely sunny day, and a fabulous place. 

We climbed around the rocks at Windy Point.  From the look out we could see the road descending below. 

Before going up the mountain we stopped by the DeGrazie gallery. DeGrazie is one of Joyce's favorite artists. 

Jep and Joyce stand by the gallery entrance. 

The gallery had many paintings and enamels, plus prints and copies for sale.

The southwest beam and adobe structure is the perfect setting to display the art. 

Helen

How can it be?

We spent a bit more time at the gem and mineral show, this time in the minerals and fossils section. I am amazed at the beautiful, marvelous, spectacular variety of God's creation. 

How can there be this many amethyst geodes?  And so large?

And last night we camped beside an ocotillo in full leaf, starting to bud. That is unusual, for most are still winter dormant. 

Helen