Photo Project

I have embarked on a photo project that seems epic at the moment.  I am scanning all our old photos.  It is amazing how much photo quality has improved over the past 35 years!  Along the way, I'm enjoying reliving the moments of our lives, at home, on trips to visit family, and on vacations.  These are a few favorites from 1981-1988.  So many more to go!

Grazing Heifers

There are 60 first year heifers grazing in the pasture nearest our house.  About half of the heifer herd was in front of the house as I was returning from my hike yesterday.  They are nice looking girls!

Santa Catalina Mountains

We spent a couple of nights in Tucson this week.  We woke up one morning to 

wispy clouds down over the Santa Catalina Mountains... a rare site.

Tree Bark

When we are hiking, I am always reeled in by trees and their bark.  So beautiful and textural.

Sunday Hike

Since we bought the ranch in 2003, we have looked for Native American activity and sites.  We've found a few and imagined others.  Some time ago, we found a slightly sloped yet flattened site, at a Y between two seasonal creeks, that appears to have been worked as a garden, with rocks thrown to the edges.  We hiked there yesterday, and noticed several other sites nearby, also flattened and with rocks thrown to the edges.  We found several deep pools of water in one of the creeks, which makes the locations all the more possible as garden sites.  So interesting and fun for us to imagine!

Fields of Gold

Papa and I rode on the ranger, to the pasture uphill of the old Schilling homestead.  We hiked down a long ridge, with almost every step through golden bladder pod.  The aroma was fragrant as perfume.  Hundreds of acres on the ranch are covered in gold!

Deer Encounter

We are back on the ranch after a short road trip to Northern Arizona, to visit Prescott, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki.  I hiked up the mountain late this afternoon, and came upon a white tail deer, midway between the top of the ridge and the dirt tank.  The deer stood his ground until I was within 50', and then he turned quickly and was off!

Indian Ruins

After a big breakfast at England House Bed and Breakfast in Flagstaff, we set off for Walnut Canyon National Monument.  We visited Walnut Canyon about 25 years ago, and remembered it as a canyon full of ancient Indian condominiums, or small cliff "apartments."  We hiked along the Island Trail 

and inside many of the cliff apartments.  It is a spectacular setting!

We drove another 30 miles north and along the road passing Sunset Crater, 

with the San Francisco Peaks at our back and the Painted Desert ahead.

We stopped to explore Wupatki National Monument.  When we visited Wupatki 25 years ago, 

we were mesmerized with a blowhole, so it was high on our list to check out again. 
Cool air was blowing up and out of the blowhole.  Amazing!  The ruins were interesting,
with two ballcourts in the compound.  We spent a few hours, exploring other
nearby ruins too, Wukoki, the Citadel, Lomaki and more.