Imagine if you will; towing a smallish trailer with a reasonable sized pickup truck and driving for about 45 minutes through very southern Arizona ranch land. The road is packed dirt and gravel interspersed with small to mid sized rocks and pot holes. Our path curves and dips like a skilled trapeze artist as we slowly gain elevation. On several occasions, we pick up speed to grind our way up a steep hill only to get to the top and not be able to see the road at all as it falls away into another steep and long curving dip. One such dip is complete with running water (a wash in desert terms) immediately followed by a tight curve leading up yet another hill. TRUST is a huge factor as we follow our friend Jeanne in her truck (and not towing a trailer) through the twists and turns of the rather long approach to their new home. Heart in mouth? A few times. Holding breath while cresting those hills? Several times. Ricky and Lucy as dirty and dusty as they’ve ever been? Yup.
Now let me tell you that, having succeeded in making it to their new digs and settling Lucy into our own personal little camping site, we were blown away by the ‘over the top’ beauty of the new to them home and property. Tom was not exaggerating when he said 360 degree mountain top views. Their home (a work of art and their skilled craftsmanship) is stunning. The thought and planning they have put into every room and each service needed to exist this far from civilization is amazing. From back up water systems to self generated power grids and from bare walled rooms (some only framed in) to beautifully appointed masterpieces…. well, I’m left (almost :-) speechless.
There’s also the wild and untamed wilderness surrounding them. While their property (40 acres) is surrounded by mountainous ranch land, the ranch is so large it is literally a desert wilderness. Wild life abounds in the form of deer, cougars, skunks, reptiles, javelinas, a huge number of birds (Tom’s special passion) and many more creatures all living within a stones throw - as evidenced by the images captured by Tom’s collection of ‘game cameras’. I should clarify; this ‘desert’ land is not what you’ve seen on the old movies… we’re not talking Sahara Desert here; but it is land that is largely rock and sand with scrub/bushes, tall grasses, interspersed with wisened and thorny (scraggly) trees. It’s the same landscape you’ve seen in many of our photos. It’s not particularly easy for humans to traverse but the creatures who live here (including Tom and Jeanne) have adapted very well. The photo on this post is of the view we woke up to this morning and the mountains in the distance are, in fact, Mexico.
We’re here for three more days, after which (if we make it out :-) we’ll be on our way to Casa Grande to catch up with friends. If we don’t make it out we shall have to stay put and live here forever… sigh.
Hope you are each enjoying your own commune with Mother Nature.
PS: Madison Mulhaley 🐶 turns four tomorrow!
Adios for now… CJ
www.cjdaley.ca
www.ruddyduckpress.ca
www.svshannon.blogspot.com
