Record high temps here ...

We've enjoyed a couple days with record high temperatures; yesterday it got up to 81 here in SV and day before about the same.  It's so clear that when you're out in the sun it feels hotter than that. Always cools down at night and makes for nice sleeping! 

Yesterday we drove to Patagonia to hike at the Sonoita-Patagonia Nature Conservancy Preserve, but when we got there found that it had been flooded in the fall and was choked with debris, so we just looked around the visitor center and did our "hiking" downtown !  We had a light picnic lunch in the park, which runs down the center of this small town, then checked out almost all of the shops on the main drag. The thrift store at the local UM church was having a sale so I had to check that out, too. We enjoyed some dessert at the café (I had espresso chip ice cream and W. had rhubarb pie and coffee).  Yum! There was a gallery with a lot of really nice locally produced items from paintings to jewelry to flutes! It was the best gallery I've been in in this area so far. Better even than Bisbee! Today I'm doing laundry and we're staying in. Wendell bought a swimsuit and was in the pool late yesterday and he's going out again today. High should be about 72.

Since I've checked in last, here's some of the things we've been doing ...

We've been to the farmer's market every Thursday we've been here; I especially enjoy watching this lady sack oranges each week. They bring a pickup load  & she sits in the back and bags them to sell; $5 for a nice large bag! Delicious (and they give samples - smart!)!

 

We went to the Brown Canyon Ranch. You can walk though the ranch house. There's also a pond, barn, water tank, windmill, picnic tables and trails into the foothills here.

At the Brown Canyon Ranch Wendell got to have an up close and personal meet with a deer. They're used to people; not like Indiana deer!

We drove up Ramsey Canyon and visited another Nature Conservancy site. Ramsey Canyon Preserve is my favorite trail so far! You begin at 5500 feet at the visitor center and at the end of the trail the elevation is 6200 feet. Because of my bad knee we only made it about 2/3 of the way up ... I'd like to go back and try again.

Lots of big sycamores along the Ramsey Canyon trail, which parallels a fast moving stream coming down out of the mountain.

At one time as many as 100 settlers lived along the creek. Here's an old cabin still standing in Ramsey Canyon. It was named for an old guy who charged a toll to use the "road". Mining was their way of life.

Last Sunday was the annual Western Heritage Sunday at SVUMC. Here's how the altar was decorated! Love it! There was lots of special music, featuring Barry Ward from Kansas, a really good Western singer. Following this special service, lunch was served at high noon, catered by AZ BBQ from Phoenix. Delicious! We sat at a table with two other couples and had a wonderful time making new friends.

We drove out to the ghost town of Fairbank this week. It's about 15 miles NE of here. Good hiking trails here! It tickles me; they always warn you of snakes then say 'enjoy your visit'.  Several buildings are still standing but not open. We enjoyed walking around the town. This was the old general merchandise store; there's also a couple houses, outbuildings, and the school building which is now a museum/gift shop.

I especially liked this Miller High Life sign, used as a fence in an old stable in Fairbank. I'm surprised it's still there!

Well, that's not all but I don't want to bore you -- I'll close for now and add more later. God bless you all and have a great week. I had to get up early this week so I'll close with this picture of the sunrise from our balcony .....