BLOG ELEVEN - MAY 17, 2009

BLOG ELEVEN - Photos Now Here
May 17, 2009

I don’t know where the time goes, but I never seem to have time to sit down and update my blog, so here goes.

I’m still staying at Quail Ridge RV Resort near the tiny town/village of Whetstone. It is very peaceful here because most travelers have headed back home, and I continue to enjoy watching birds come to the feeder in the tree outside my window. Whetstone is ten miles north of Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca, a huge military base where I am told troops are trained in intelligence. Sierra Vista is a small city with lots of big box stores, supermarkets, banks, two movie theatres and a huge recreation complex with a pool, a wave pool and a spa. I haven’t been to the pool complex because it is only open for public swimming on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and now that the temperatures are soaring, I tend to stay at home during that time in my air conditioned motorhome. Temperatures are in the 90’s now and even though there is no humidity, I find it a bit warm.

Radio Stations
I was glad to find that the National Public Radio (NPR) operates down here through the University of Arizona, so I do have an alternative to country music which every radio station in the neighbourhood seems to favour. It’s not my favourite genre, so I’m glad that I can listen to good classical music, and in particular the announcers who are very knowledgeable about the music they are playing.

Square Dancing
On most days here in the park, there are just a few RV’s, some of whom live here permanently, but on April 17th we were invaded by a large group of people who came to share square dancing for the weekend. They weren’t rowdy by any means, but it meant that the clubhouse was taken over by them, and I had been accustomed to going there to watch television and relax. But they left on Sunday and everything returned to normal.

The Sky
One of my favourite things to do at dusk is to sit outside the clubhouse in one of the comfortable chairs provided, with Ripley beside me, and just watch the sun go down over the Whetstone mountains to the west. On a good day, the sky is lit up with brilliant shades of red as the sun descends.

And then a little later, the sky sparkles with a multitude of stars, both bright and dim, one of the nice benefits of being in an area mostly clear of pollution. Right now dusk happens about 7:15 p.m. and dawn is around 5:30 a.m. Most people are up by 6:00 because they tend to chores while it is still cool, and I have fallen into the habit as well (at least on most days).

My Day
First on the agenda is to walk Ripley and let her relieve herself. She likes to strut at a good pace when we go for these morning walks around the park, stopping whenever she discovers an interesting smell to check out. I am told that javelinas come into the back section during the night and, judging from Ripley’s reaction, I would say that they do indeed. I feel it is more prudent not to walk around at night to test the theory!

After breakfast, I will check my email and that may take a bit of time, depending on how many jokes have been sent to me. After that, I may drive into Sierra Vista to do some errands, read a book, work on my computer, do some housecleaning or go off to see an attraction. If I’m going to do a hike, I usually start off by 7:00 a.m. and I try to find areas where I can take Ripley with me, as she loves to go to new areas with all sorts of wonderful smells to check out, lizards to chase, etc.
One of the dozens of Gambel's Quail that come to my feeder daily

And before I know it, the day has gone by and evening rolls around again, with another walk for Ripley (there’s one also during the afternoon if we haven’t gone out anywhere). Then depending upon what day it is, I may watch a little television in the clubhouse. I must confess that I have become addicted to American Idol just because of Adam Lambert. What a breath of fresh air he has been this year on an otherwise very dull show. Most of the contestants seem to have come from the same cookie cutter mold of whitebread America, and it is really refreshing to watch someone who comes up with new interpretations and dares to push the bar ever higher. As I write this the finale is coming up, and I am eagerly looking forward to yet another great performance by Adam. But alas, after this week I won’t have any more fixes until he releases his CD. Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a Glambert!

Border Patrol
This entire area of southern Arizona is very close to the Mexican border and consequently is at risk for illegal immigrants and smugglers sneaking through. As a consequence, the Border Patrol people are ever on alert and whenever I travel north towards the Interstate I go through a checkpoint. It has become routine now for me to hand over my passport. Sometimes the officer waves me through while on another occasion one will check out my passport before letting me go. I understand that in June it will become mandatory to have the passport, but I don’t begrudge the slight inconvenience, as these personnel have an impossible job, in my opinion. There is just simply too much open land to cover and the powers that be have refused to increase their numbers. Illegal immigrants continue to make the dangerous trek across the desert and mountains and many die in the attempt. Bribery is a way of life in Mexico and many believe that there is no way that smugglers are going to be stopped completely. There may be the odd arrest that looks good, but the culprits are generally soon out of jail again after money has crossed palms.

West End Block Party
Since I still had a lot of jewelry left over, I decided to rent a booth in Sierra Vista at their West End Block Party on April 18th. Mary (the lady from Minnesota) very kindly made sure that Ripley was okay while I was gone, and I managed to borrow a table from the clubhouse in the park and set up shop on Fry Boulevard, along with many other vendors. There were quite a few booths selling jewelry, including the couple right next to me who specialized in expensive gems. They did quite well, but I managed as well by keeping my prices low. Despite the fact that I suffered from exposure to the sun all day (I did wear a hat), I was happy that I made the effort. Besides making a bit of money, I also met several of the local crafters who belong to the Huachuca Art Association, as well as a helicopter test pilot who lives in a mobile home in Sierra Vista.

Pig Roast
Because many of the people who own their lot in the back of the park are leaving to return to their homes, they organized a pig roast, to which I was invited. After spending all day out in the hot sun at the West End Block Party, I welcomed the opportunity to sit down to roast pork, potato salad, vegetables and a raspberry dessert. It was also an opportunity for me to get to know some of these people a little better. The square dancers were still here and, despite their mature ages, seemed to enjoy themselves a lot. They were in the north clubhouse while the pig roast took place in the south clubhouse. The only thing missing in this park is a pool.

Snow’s Little Bead Store
In conversations with Mary, I learned that she too is a beader, although she does bead weaving - a different technique from what I know. She told me about Fran Snow who runs a bead store from her garage in Benson and we agreed to drive over there, along with Mary’s husband Ed. Of course I had to buy some of the beads, but I also signed up for a class with Marcia to learn how to wire wrap a swirl around a pendant. Wire wrapping is something I have wanted to learn, and as it happened, I ended up taking three different classes with Marcia. The fee was very reasonable and I have now learned how to wire wrap a swirly pendant and a caged pendant, and also how to make a ring. So now I have expanded my knowledge and can offer some different items. The only problem is that this technique requires using gold or silver or copper wire, all of which material is quite expensive.

Ring Wire Wrapping

Caged Wire Wrapping

Spiral Wire Wrapping

Chiricahua National Monument
On April 21st Ripley and I set off on less-traveled roads through the historic town of Tombstone, then on to Gleeson on a primitive road, passing the White Gulch Experimental Watershed, the Rattlesnake Store (featuring lots of items made out of rattlesnakes – I didn’t stop), and on to the little town of Elfrida where I discovered a delightful shop featuring great coffee and a homemade apple/cinnamon muffin.

This little repast kept me going on to the Chiricahua National Monument where Cochise and Geronimo had made their home. The signs leading to the Monument warned there were no gas stations or restaurants in the area, so I was glad that I had stopped in Elfrida. The Chiricahua National Monument lies within the huge Coronado National Forest, and the road twists and winds to an elevation of 6870 feet, endng at Massai Point. Because the nature trail here is closed to dogs, we just walked around the parking lot area to see the beautiful view. The brochure mentions that four ecosystems meet in these mountains (Chihuahua Desert, Sonoran Desert, Rocky Mountain and Sierra Madre), making it a naturalist’s paradise for the number of species that can be found in the area of the park which encompasses 11,985 acres, most of which is wilderness.

This mountain is called the Face of Cochise

The brochure also mentions that the tourists in Chiricahua National Monument are climbing up a sky island – an isolated mountain range rising above the surrounding grassland area, and an area where the vegetation changes from cactus and mesquite to sycamore, juniper, oak and cypress, pine and fir. “The Chiricahua Apache called these pinnacles “standing up rocks”, and I remember seeing similar formations in other parts of the U.S. and Canada in my trip last year. They are referred to as hoodoos in other parts and are the result of rhyolite cooling and uplifting during volcanic action 27 million years ago. Very spectacular views everywhere.

On the way back down I took Ripley for a walk around Faraway Ranch in Bonita Canyon, an original settlement dating from 1888. The eldest daughters converted the ranch into a guest ranch where visitors came to watch birds and hike in the hills. After their deaths the ranch was incorporated into the national park as a historic district.

What I truly love about Arizona is that there is so much history everywhere you turn, from the original native inhabitants to the pioneers and cowboys who called it The Wild West. There are still many areas that have been preserved in the way of scenic drives and hiking trails, as well as ghost towns and archeological sites. Although I haven’t been on it, the Arizona Trail is an example. The brochure states that it “is a scenic, non-motorized trail that stretches for 800 miles through some of the state’s most renowned mountains, canyons, deserts and forests. The Trail begins at the U.S.-Mexico border in the South and ends at the Arizona-Utah border in the North.”

Housesitting in Arizona
I’ve mentioned previously that I have signed up on a website that puts together people willing to housesit with people who need a housesitter. I had answered one of these ads and Susan Scott contacted me. She has a wonderful adobe-style hacienda in a remote area outside the small town of Sonoita, right in the heart of cowboy country, and only about 30 miles down the road from the RV park where I am staying. The house has the typical red-tiled roof, with two courtyards, one with a fountain and several lovely eating nooks. The main part of the house is an open concept with a high ceilings and beams. The master suite is on one end and the guest suite on the other. Ripley and I enjoyed this wonderful luxury for six days while Susan went to San Diego. Zoe is an elderly border collie/Australian sheepdog mix (it seems to be a popular breed down here) and she and Ripley got along well. Zoe is used to getting up at 6:00 a.m. and made sure that we did too! Every morning after breakfast we would go for a leisurely mile-long stroll down the nearby gravel roads, and then we would head back for another luxurious day. I had brought along all my jewelry-making material and was able to lay everything out on the dining room table and consequently I managed to make several new pieces and re-work some old ones that I wasn’t happy with. Susan had given me permission to use her Jacuzzi bathtub and I indulged myself every day. It really does help my arthritis. Then, I had the option of sitting in one of the two courtyards enjoying the breezes, making meals in Susan’s modern kitchen, watching TV on one of the three sets, or just simply lounging around. It felt very decadent, and all too soon Susan was back, and I returned to my motorhome which seemed very tiny!.

Ripley’s Birthday
During our time at Susan’s, Ripley and I celebrated her eighth birthday on April 23rd with a New York strip grass-fed steak dinner (simply delicious), and of course Zoe participated too. This is real cattle country around Sonoita and the beef is very reasonable.

Gardner Canyon
On the way to Susan’s hacienda, I took a short detour to Gardner Canyon, a gravel washboard road that led to several ranches. I couldn’t help but stop at the sign that I came across on this road, shortly after having to wait for several cattle to cross the road.

Patagonia
April 25
While I was at Susan’s I wanted to investigate some of the nearby area and Patagonia sounded like a funky place to start. The town is home to many quaint shops and restaurants, as well as a historic hotel and I stopped at the Gathering Grounds café to order a delicious coffee. I sat outside at one of the little tables while Ripley investigated the nearby area.

We pressed on to the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy, and of course Ripley was not allowed to enter. This is one of several nature reserves totally 1.5 millions acres in Arizona that the Nature Conservancy has protected, and the birding is wonderful. I managed to park in the shade and left Ripley in the car while I joined a tour led by Elaine, a woman who knew almost every bird we encountered or heard. She knew their individual songs and would pull out her guidebook to show us a photo of the birds that we couldn’t actually see. We came across dung beetles and nasty red ants whose bite can be very painful. I didn’t write down all the birds that we encountered but there were dozens as well as beautiful butterflies. Even though it was still relatively early I was disappointed that we didn’t see any mammals (not even a squirrel). Two hours later I made my way back to the visitor centre while Elaine continued on the tour with the rest of the participants. The hummingbird feeders there attracted many birds for a close-up look.

As I was giving Ripley a drink of water, a couple noticed my Ontario licence and introduced themselves. Mary Beth and Bob Worthington are from Toronto and had a tent trailer in nearby Patagonia State Park. They are avid birders and as we chatted, Bob asked me if I knew Jim Fairchild who used to work at the Toronto Zoo. Of course I knew him but regretfully had to inform Bob that Jim had passed away the week previously. Jim was also an avid birder and he and Bob knew each other quite well, so it came as quite a shock for him to learn that Jim had died while out birding.

On my way back through Sonoita I had wanted to stop to see the quarter horse racing that was being held that day. Naturally I wasn’t going to leave Ripley in a hot car, and took her with me when I paid my admission fee. Nobody stopped me until I was actually by the grandstand, where a security guard informed me that dogs weren’t allowed, so I went back and asked for a refund. I was very disappointed as the Mexican caballeros in their colourful outfits were demonstrating their horseback skills, putting their horses through the beautiful paces of dressage.

April 26
My friend Mary (from Quail Ridge RV Resort) is a bead weaver and I asked her to teach me how to do this. As a result, I invited her to come over to Susan’s hacienda for lunch and we spent the morning weaving, another new technique for me. There are several different stitches, and Mary showed me the straight stictch and the peyote stitch, the two most common types. It takes a good deal of patience and decent eyesight, so I’m not sure how much I will get into it, but at least I know the method now, and it was enjoyable to get to know Mary better over a lunch of barbecued hamburgers (on Susan’s outdoor grill), red beans and rice, hot corn muffins and the pickles that Mary had brought. She is about 15 years younger than her husband Ed and back at Quail Ridge she works out every morning in front of a video in the clubhouse. Mary and Ed are from Bemidji, Minnesota and own one of the lots here where they park and live in their bus for the winter. They have a cocker spaniel named Daisy. I do meet some very nice people on my travels!

Ripley is limping quite a bit today, so we had only a short walk. I’m not sure what she did, but she seemed to have injured her left front leg. The next few days she was still sore, so I decided not to go for a hike in the adjacent 30,000 acres land grant, which was disappointing as I was hoping to see some reptiles and mammals.

Susan had left me a few books on the history of Arizona, and I enjoyed skimming through “Arizona in the 50’s” by Captain James H. Tevis in which he described frontier life battling Apaches including Cochise, as well as his friendship with Esconolea, an Apache who saved his life. Another book was entitled “Journey of the Heart by Annette Grey, a true story of Mamie Aguirre who lived from 1844 to 1906. She was a southern belle of the Wild West. Richard Shelton wrote a book entitled “Going Back to Bisbee” recounting his experiences of returning after many years. Betty Barr is an author who lives nearby and wrote a book entitled “Hidden Treasures of Santa Cruz County”. It was really fascinating to read of the accounts of people who had lived in this region and the history of the places, many of whom are now ghost towns.

And all too soon, my mini-vacation was over. Susan returned with a gift of assorted jams, and after a brief discussion about whether or not she should get one kitten or two (I was pushing for two) from a friend of hers, we parted. Later, she informed me that she was going to get two kittens.

Back at Quail Ridge
I returned to my routine of checking and answering emails, working on my computer and reading mystery books obtained from the Benson library, visiting nearby attractions and shopping in Sierra Vista, and sitting by the clubhouse at dusk. The entire environment here is so laid back and relaxing.

I took time out to go to see the movie “State of Play” starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. My friend Pat who lives in Calgary, Alberta, is absolutely nuts about Russell Crowe, so naturally I had to see his latest flick to discuss with her. I have to admit it was very good.

Every time I went back to Benson for another jewelry class, I took Ripley with me, and she charmed everyone in the store. She would sit in a chair and watch the class or visit with Fran, the owner and her husband, or else just stretch out flat on the carpet.

After one of these classes I took Ripley to the nearby Lion’s Park for a run and we encountered a group of adults who were under supervision. I’m not sure if they were mentally disabled, but they had a ball and Ripley soon joined them in a game that everyone enjoyed. One of these would throw the ball and Ripley would race over and bring the ball back to the person. Both she and these people had a great time, and after the ball became somewhat deflated, they gave it to her to keep.

Later, we went over to meet up with Doug Thompson, my friend from Indian Skies now staying in Benson, and we caught up on our news. He is still busily editing and revising his latest book “The Human Tribe”, a philosophical attempt at analyzing human behaviour, especially with regard to religion.

May 1
I still had some mail at Indian Skies up in Coolidge, so Ripley and I drove the three-hour trip there, and at the same time took the opportunity to make an appointment with Kathy Burchett, the wonderful massage therapist in nearby Casa Grande. She really knows how to put me back in shape!

While in Casa Grande I stopped at Pet Smart to get Ripley some low-protein natural dog food to replace the type that I have been feeding her, which is 42% protein. Hopefully the change will help to get some weight off her, as she is still about three pounds too heavy. I also ordered a product called Missing Link Plus through the online Pet Meds store. Susan Scott had been feeding her old Zoe with this and said that it really improved her comfort level. Since Ripley really hates the glucosamine tablet that I crush into her food (it’s very bitter), this should be a better alternative to ensure that she is getting all the supplement she needs to keep her active as an older dog.

May 2
For a change the sky is overcast, but there is no rain. However, the winds have picked up.

May 3
I was originally planning to leave Quail Ridge RV Resort on May 9th, but have decided to remain here for two additional weeks, as the rate is very reasonable, so I now will be leaving for California on May 23rd. That gives me seven days to reach the meerkat sanctuary near Palm Springs.

The Oasis Sanctuary
Mary had mentioned that there was a parrot sanctuary nearby. I called Sybil Erden to make an appointment to visit and on May 5th I drove out to The Oasis Sanctuary, located in a remote area about 40 minutes north of Benson. She is the founder and executive director and started taking in psittacine birds (parrot family) about twelve years ago at her home in Tucson. She realized that she needed to be in a more remote area with more land, and bought 72 acres beside the Rincon Mountain range southeast of Tucson. There are currently 650 birds at the sanctuary!!

Sybil has done an amazing job in providing excellent care for all the birds, many of whom are in very large flight cages. There are many that cannot adapt to these large cages and consequently they are kept in smaller cages. Some have mutilated themselves and plucked out much of their feathers. Many of these poor birds have gone through traumatic experiences in their lives and exhibit psychological problems as a result. The sad reality is that many of these birds outlive their caregivers, because they are very long-lived and they may then end up in a dark garage or worse. Others have been confiscated by authorities. The birds range all the way from the very common budgie and cockatiel all the way to rare parrots and macaws, and thanks to Sybil’s paid staff and volunteers, they are very well cared for. Every cage was very clean, contained lots of toys, fresh food and water. The bowls are disinfected daily.

One of the large aviaries

Besides the birds, Sybil has also taken in many dogs and cats that have been abandoned in the nearby desert by thoughtless people and at the sanctuary itself there were two Great Pyrenees, two deaf cattle dog mixes, an Akita mix named Koda plus several others (nine in total, four of whom act as guard dogs at night). She also currently has twelve cats in her house adjacent to the sanctuary.

The Oasis Sanctuary has charitable status and of course is always in need of money to continue their work and to build more cages. Many of the birds come in needing medical attention, and the annual veterinary bill alone is $30,000. You can check them out online at http://www.the-oasis.org/. She has just initiated Pennies for Parrots. There are approximately 10 million parrots in 5 to 6 million homes in the United States. Her thought is that if each of these owners donated a penny, it would add up to a great deal of money towards the future care of the birds.
Ground Squirrel enjoying a free lunch

Sybil very kindly spent three hours out of her very busy day to take me around and I have to say that I was very impressed with the sanctuary’s facilities, cleanliness and her dedication to giving these birds a second chance, including Gulliver who was abandoned by his owners on a South Pacific island when their boat sunk. It took a great deal of effort on Sybil’s part to wade through the paperwork to bring Gulliver to the sanctuary and he now acts as spokesparrot when she goes out to do talk. I took out a membership and if things work out in the future, I hope to return to volunteer. Gulliver

May 6
There are reports of wildfires breaking out, one of which is very near the area where Susan Scott’s hacienda is. She reassured me via email that the fire is further south from her, but I wonder if Whisper’s Sanctuary (the place where I tried to be a Workamper) might be in danger. The grassland is so very dry right now that it takes very little to start a fire. I have been told that many of these wildfires are started by illegal immigrants who light a fire to keep warm during the cool evenings.

Good Sam
Good Sam is a camping group for seniors who get together around the country, and the club also provides discounts at various parks. A group of them from Tucson arrived for the weekend, so the clubhouse was again filled with people. They enjoyed playing cards and chatting with each other, some of whom seemed quite elderly.

Spiders
I mentioned that I often took Ripley over to the chairs outside the clubhouse at dusk, and in the grassy area beside there she encountered a large white spider. She kept pawing at it and I went over to investigate, only to find a very large creature on its hindquarters, in an attack position, with its mouthparts open. Later on I checked on the web and determined it was a colour variation of the venomous brown spider. In a person its bite causes the skin to die around the wound, which may have to be surgically removed. After reading this, I felt it was prudent to stop Ripley from bothering these spiders, which climb out from under the clubhouse at dusk.

Fairbank and Lizards
I’ve returned to the ghost town of Fairbank beside the San Pedro River a few times whenever I’m in the neighbourhood because I can let Ripley off leash. She just loves to be able to check out the various scat and other smells encountered on these walks, and recently all the lizards are out. They are much too fast for her, but that doesn’t stop her from racing after them!
Fairbank cemetery

A little further on I parked the car beside the bridge and walked down to the San Pedro River so that Ripley and I could soak our feet in the cool refreshing water. While she explored the area I sat and watched the birdlife.

Scanning Photos
Before I left on this current trip I had ordered a photo/slide scanner that would allow me to scan my old slides and old albums, many of which are deteriorating. They are all from my travels around the world, and I wanted to preserve them. And who ever looks at slides on a projector anymore? In any event, I’ve finally started scanning an old album, and hopefully I will find time to do more before moving on.

GoingWildCreations
Of course, I am always optimistic about the amount of time I have. Another project that I am working on is creating a website to sell wildlife t-shirts. I’ve registered the domain name of goingwildcreations.com and am in the process of putting together the website. But it is much harder than I had thought, plus I have a huge learning curve to figure out how to do it. But with any luck I’ll complete the website and have it up and running in the near future. It is one of my attempts to earn extra money without having to actually commute to a 9 to 5 job again.

Philippa Needs Work
Speaking of extra money, what can I say? My motorhome would not pass an emissions test, which will be required when I return to Ontario to renew my licence, so I decided to take it in to Midas Muffler here in Sierra Vista on May 12. I was expecting to have to replace the piping and perhaps the muffler. However I was not aware that the previous owner had removed the catalytic converter. The price for this one item alone is $800!! The part had to be ordered so I started back to Quail Ridge, only to have Philippa cough and sputter and finally die just as I entered the driveway. My rear end was still sticking out on the highway and some kindly fellow Rotarian stopped and pushed me off the road.

So then I was faced with the dilemma of how to fix this problem. I had actually made a call to my insurance company back in Canada to arrange a tow to a garage, when the park night watchman came along and suggested that he go get John in the permanent area, who is a mechanic. Shortly afterwards John arrived, crawled under the motorhome and took off the fuel filter, shook it, replaced it and when I turned the key, it started. I was very grateful to avoid another bill, as John graciously waived a fee. I was very relieved and parked Philippa.

Two days later I returned to Midas Muffler (with Ripley of course, who sat in the chair beside me during our two-hour wait). I had brought my laptop along with the idea of bringing my blog up to date, but found that the keys would not tap out the correct letters. I usually use an external keyboard which was inside the motorhome and at this point in time, it was up in the air on the hoist. So I gave up in frustration. My computer is slowly dying. The fan is broken; the CD drive no longer copies and three of the five USB ports no longer work. I’m hoping it will last until I return to Toronto where my brother assures me I can get a better deal on a new laptop than I would get here in the U.S.

Eventually the mechanic finished the repairs, and the bill came to $1,100.

More Problems
I almost made it back to the RV park, but Philippa started to cough and sputter again and died on the highway. I had previously been told about a mobile RV repair service, so I gave them a call and about an hour later the driver showed up, took the fuel filter off again, cleaned it and Philippa started once again. He followed me back to Quail Ridge just to make sure I’d make it and promised to return the next day with a new fuel filter. It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that I had a new one put on when I broke down in Albequerque, but I should keep in mind that it is very dusty here. I have learned my lesson to be more attentive to Philippa’s needs!

My Tooth Still Hurts
I had mentioned in the previous blog that I had gone to Naco, Mexico to the dentist there and he couldn’t find any cavity. However, the pain has returned and I made an appointment with a different dentist in the same clinic (the one who had originally been recommended to me – Dra. Lorena Martinez).

On May 13 I arose early, said goodbye to Ripley and drove the 1 ½ hour trek down to Naco, Arizona, parked my car and walked across to Mexico. Dra. Martinez took another round of x-rays and determined that I had a cavity down the groove of a tooth that had a cap on it. After a great deal of effort she managed to get the cap off, drill out the cavity and have me fitted for a new porcelain cap. The old one was made of gold and she gave it to me to keep. I’m going to see about having it melted down into a ball so that I can make a pendant out of it.

I will need to return in a week to have the permanent cap put on. Total damage was $320.

On the return trip I stopped at the historic town of Bisbee, one of the old copper mining towns. The mine is no longer in operation, but the pit is still visible. Much of the town is now populated by creative artists, etc. and the buildings reflect their tastes.

The Military Life
While I was sitting in the waiting room at Midas Muffler, I overheard a conversation between the owner and a customer who was in the military from nearby Fort Huachuca. He appeared to be about 25, and has already had two stretches overseas – nine months in Afghanistan and a year in Iraq, and has been transferred now to another base in the U.S. He is married and his wife must find it difficult to be left alone for long periods, never knowing if she will see her husband again.

It’s Raining Men!
One thing that I am discovering is that there is no shortage of older men whom I have encountered in my travels. In the short period of time that I have been in southern Arizona, I have met Darold (a helicopter test pilot); Terry (retired pilot who flew 747’s and who is currently studying for a position with the unmanned aircraft program at Fort Huachuca) and Fred (traveling in an RV from Florida who is here to take soaring lessons from an expert). All interesting men, but I’ve given up on male humans.

Other Interesting Travelers
There are also many couples whom I have met along the way who are enjoying the RV lifestyle. One of these couples arrived recently in the park originally from Maryland, but now fulltiming. They remained for a couple of nights, and we watched American Idol together. After they had moved on Jim and Anna arrived, originally from Oregon and on their way to Chicago. Anna is an avid birder, so I was able to share some good locations with them while they were here. They are traveling in a VW van.

Amerind Foundation
Time is getting short now and there are still several places that I would like to visit. On May 16 I traveled out to Dragoon about 40 miles from Quail Ridge to the east to a privately operated foundation that features a large collection of archeological material from the region. The original person who set up the foundation was a Mr. Fulton, an amateur archeologist who had purchased a number of items from private individuals in the early 1900’s. They are now on display in the Foundation’s museum and are studied by researchers who visit. I was fascinated by the various katchinas, pottery, baskets and other early artifacts of southwestern cultures. There is also an art gallery featuring mostly native art. No photography is allowed inside the buildings, but I did take several photos outside of the surrounding countryside in the Dragoon mountains, including a pioneer cemetery.
Rock Formation in Dragoon Mountains

Millville – Disaster Strikes Again
Another place that I had wanted to visit before leaving features ancient petroglyphs on rocks in the vicinity of the ghost town of Millville.

Historic Trash

The town no longer exists but used to be a thriving mining town, and some of the trash left behind by the inhabitants is still there, protected by the Bureau of Land Management. The petroglyphs have suffered from vandals as well as the weather, but it was still possible to see the drawings on several of the rocks.

Ripley accompanied me on this walk and enjoyed chasing more lizards.

We were walking on a path very near the San Pedro River to get to the petroglyphs, and I noticed a path leading to the river itself. It’s easy to tell where the river runs because large cottonwood trees grow near the water source. We followed the path and encountered a low tunnel that I had to stoop to walk through and eventually we came to the very shallow but cool river. Ripley of course walked right in while I sat by the riverbank for awhile observing the birdlife. I decided to walk along the dry part of the riverbed to get closer to two geese and almost stepped on a gila monster. This was one of the many species that I cared for during my time at the Toronto Zoo, and I was very excited to see it, as I have never seen one in the wild before.

Found this shot of a gila monster on the web

It stopped to look at me, and then slowly wandered towards a bank leading up to grass cover. At this point Ripley noticed it too and started towards it. Gila monsters are venomous and don’t let go after they bite, so I was really distracted in stopping Ripley from getting too close and managed to bang my camera hard on a rock, destroying the optics. So, not only did I not get a photo of the gila monster, even though it was posed beautifully, but I wrecked the camera that has traveled with me for many years. Needless to say, I was very upset.

So, now what do I do? Spend more money to buy another camera? I don’t think I have a choice as photographing my adventures is one of my hobbies.