Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Good-bye Chronicles: Chapter 9. Carpe Diem/Texas Canyon

1.Gus_0029 Texas Canyon 8-1-10

It is Gus’ last weekend here with me. We have been taking care of last minute details for the past two days. The company Gus works for has every other Friday off so we spent Friday and Saturday doing errands. We bought him some new clothes, had his truck repaired, cleaned out his closet, got rid of old clothes and shoes. By Saturday night we were beat.

2. Hot tubWe both woke up early this Sunday morning around 6 a.m. It is a cool gray morning, cool enough to jump in the hot tub, so we get into our suits and climb in to the steaming water and let the bubbles roar! The hot tub is only a few steps out our bedroom door. We just bought it this year a couple of months ago. We were finally settling down and investing in our lives here. Two weeks after we bought it the lay-offs started. Now here we are enjoying every moment in it that we can. Having the hot tub has really made living here feel like we are on a permanent vacation.

We sit in the bubbling water and watch the birds watch us. They fly to the feeders to feed and land in the nearby trees that we planted. The hummingbirds fly over our heads to the feeders on the windows. We laugh at their antics as they battle each other for food. Two Costa’s hummingbirds face off in a beak to beak battle as they ascend in a frantic spiral which ends with one flying off and the other in hot pursuit. I love my life here! In the sky above the wash the purple martins fly and twitter joyously. I think they sound like one of the happiest birds around. It seems to me they revel in the feeling of the wind beneath their wings!

As we sit here in the hot tub watching birds I start to think of the few chores we still have left to do. Gus was going to hang a mirror for me and fix a leaky faucet. But this is our last free day together and I start to formulate a plan. I pose the idea to Gus. What if instead of fixing the sink and cleaning out the rest of your closet we just take off for the day? We can drive to Graham and Greenlee counties to see what we can see and go count birds. He thinks about it for about five seconds and then agrees. We both think it will be good to get away from all the moving stress, so we quickly shower, eat breakfast, pack up the car and head east on I-10.

Graham and Greenlee counties are two of the least birded counties in all of Arizona. In fact, only 5 people have submitted bird counts from Greenlee County. I counted birds one time in Graham County last year when we drove up there late one afternoon in the autumn just so I could say I had been there. I only counted birds in the town and at a couple of spots along the roadside. We didn’t have much time and darkness was falling as we drove out of town for the 2 hour ride home. On that visit I counted 8 species of birds. Now I am hoping to add to that total, plus add another whole county onto my list. I have never been to Greenlee County so I have no idea what to expect.

Greenlee County is on the eastern border of Arizona running vertically along the border with New Mexico. It is not an easy county to access from where I live. There are few roads into it and when I googled directions to get to a town called Alpine it actually suggested a route through Lordsburg, New Mexico and up through the Gila Mountains. It said it would take 4 hours! Well, we don’t have time for that today, but we can get into the southernmost tip of Greenlee county by traveling through Safford and so we head east through Cochise County.

3. Rocks_0002gus

Our first stop is at Texas Canyon, a rocky rest area along I-10. This is one of those places we have passed by every time we head east and we always say, “We need to stop there someday!” Well, today is the day. Who knows when another “someday” will come? We pull into the rest area and park.

4. rest area_0025-Gus Huge boulders are strewn around the landscape. They are piled into mountains on both sides of the road. They tower above us in the picnic area and we see other tourists climbing about and taking pictures.

4. Rocks-kathie 5. tourists-gus 6. Beyond the fence

I can hear a few birds as we open the car doors but to my disappointment I see that most of the rocks are fenced off. You can look but don’t touch. I gaze across the boulder strewn field through a tall chain link fence. It makes it difficult to take photographs but there are a few spots where one can aim over the fence and get a decent shot. Gus and I both have our cameras so we are both taking pictures, though I am more interested in birds. I hear some chatter from beyond the fence and spot a scrub jay in the brush.

7. barn swallows-kathieOverhead a few barn swallows swoop and a few land on the roof antenna of the caretaker’s house. Along the parking lot I find some house sparrows and one western kingbird. Over the open desert turkey vultures ride thermals on great dark wings.

8. rest area-gus 9. Fence_0021gus

As I walk along the fence line I find a sign posted warning that this area contains poisonous snakes and insects. I am suddenly made conscious of my feet clad only in sandals, poor protection from this type of hazard. I now watch wear I place each step and head back to the car.

10. car-gus It was fun to stop here and see what I could see, but this is only Cochise County and Gus and I are both ready to continue our trek east to my real goal of counting birds in Graham and Greenlee counties, but I am glad that we finally stopped to see Texas Canyon! (See links and info below)

11. rocks-kathie 12. Texas canyon-Kathie 13. heading east-gus

My World Tuesday 

Birds seen:

Location: Texas Canyon Rest Area
Observation date: 8/1/10
Notes: Stopped here to look a rocks and count birds on our way to Graham and Greenlee counties.
Number of species: 9
Turkey Vulture 3
Gila Woodpecker 1
Western Kingbird 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Woodhouse's) 1
Barn Swallow 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
Canyon Towhee 1
House Finch 3
House Sparrow 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Update: after Reading Gaelyn’s comment I went out and did some research and discovered that most of Texas Canyon is owned by either the Amerind Foundation or the Triangle T Guest Ranch. The Triangle T also has RV spaces for rent. You can find information about Texas Canyon by clicking on these links:

15 comments:

Arija said...

It all makes me sad for you. You had settled in so happily into your environment and to have gone to all that trouble to install the hot tub and get so little enjoyment out of it. Just thinking of all you are leaving behind makes me cry.
Must not go on like this. I am sure a wonderful future awaits you.

Anonymous said...

Good decision, Kathie. We always seem to regret more the opportunities we let pass the ones we take full advantage of.

Cheryl Ann said...

Oh, I am going to miss you! The canyon reminds me of The Valley of Fire, in Nevada. Have you ever been there? We were in Alpine once. We were staying on the Mogollon Rim and took a day trip. Alpine was were the Mexican wolves were released back into nature.

Gaelyn said...

This seems like a much better idea than fixing a leak at home.
I've always driven past Texas Canyon also. But if you can't get into the rocky terrain, it doesn't seem quite as inviting.

Kathie Brown said...

Arija, don't cry for me! I know that many new adventures await me! I was sad but now I am doing fine, though it is hard to leave that hot tub!

Wren, amen and amen!

Cheryl Ann, no, I have never heard of the Valley of Fire and I have only been in Nevada once. I just want to see the whole world! There are so many exciting and beautiful places out there!

Gaelyn, your comment made me do some further research and just look what I discovered! I added links to the bottom of my post!

Gaelyn said...

Thanks Kathie. I see there's a whole lot more to explore in Texas Canyon than the rest area. Next time I'm down that way I'll have to check this out.

DeniseinVA said...

Sounds like a lovely day out well spent. I remember Gregg coming back East for a job after he got out of the navy, while I waited for the school year to end. It's always hard leaving a place we love but knew adventures await you :) Have a great week Kathie.
An English Girl Rambles

eileeninmd said...

Kathie, I enjoyed your post. Especially the part about watching the hummers from the hot rub. Going on a day trip is a lot more fun to me than house chores. Wonderful photos and post.

Dean said...

Hi Kathie: As one leaves, another takes their place. We too are preparing our house for sale so as to move to Sycamore Canyon. I too am reviewing points of interest rather than fixing things. Love your back yard and am hoping to make mine equally inviting! We'll miss not connecting over tea!

Jim said...

Fantastic rock formations.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

BraCom said...

Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos

Have a nice week,
Greetings, Bram

My WordPress Blog

Seen om My World Tuesday

Dawn Fine said...

Howdee Kathie,
I love driving thru Texas Canyon..we stopped once or twice but never explored..
Thanks for the links.
See you soon!

Noel Morata said...

wow, those rocks are huge, really interesting place, thanks for sharing this

Barb said...

Besides all the birds you saw, what a fabulous collection of rock formations! I'm glad you took the day off to enjoy the scenery.

Quiet Paths said...

You two have the right idea in getting outside on your last weekend. I like your attitude about adventures. Hope you find someone to buy the house who will take care of everything to your liking.