Blogs from Patagonia, Arizona, United States, North America

blog 03-21-20 Opposite Side of the Park For this mornings walk we went south to further explore that part of the park. Past the Lakeside Market, the entrance to the marina then to the Visitor's Center which is closed til April 8th. The volunteers all went home early and there is not enough staff to man it, too bad for me, no new movie tonight. The first mountain picture you'll see has a building on top that I just had to find out what it was. It's an observatory that has tours certain days of the week but of course, it's closed now. Another trip. There is a high pedestrian bridge I had to work up courage to cross so it was now or never. Watson did the low crawl as did I, and we stopped ... read more

blog 03-19-20 Tumacacori National Historical Park Our first outing today was a little later than normal because it was so cold this morning. It was below 40 last night in the driving rain and we hunkered down in our little house and were toasty warm. I took the car to the visitor's center to return a movie and get another one for tonight and got way-layed with all the bird activity. There were 2 very knowledgeable bird watching so I found out a lot about the local birds. There was an eastern cardinal pair in a bush and everybody was all excited to see them. They were extremely colorful but surely not new to me. There was a black-chinned hummer feeding on the flowers that was new to everyone so all the cameras were pointed in ... read more

blog 03-17-20 St Patrick's Day There was an appointment on the books for this morning for between 8 am and noon so I had to get up and going just in case they showed up at the first hour. As time dragged on I decided to sweep out the camper. Well one thing let to another and before long I was washing the cabinets and scrubbing the floor. The repair man didn't show up until 11:45. It was Safelite coming to repair the chip in my windshield in the car. The fellow was very pleasant and had the repair done in under 1/2 an hour and was off to his next job. They need to hire a helicopter for him,his territory is so big. Watson and I headed out for his walk and my exploring of ... read more

MICKEY FREE General Crook’s chief of scouts, Al Sieber, called him half Mexican, half Irish, and all sumbitch. His real name was Felix and he burst onto the scene in 1848 down in Mexico as the red haired son of Jesusa Martinez and an Irish dad. His dad was a deserter from an outfit of renegade Irish mercenaries who fought for Mexico in the Mexican War. He was on his hurried way to America and did not tarry long with Jesusa. She then fell in with a rooster named Santiago Tellez, who gave her another son named Santiago, but would not marry her. Felix took his name anyway. Eventually Jesusa and her two sons took up with a fellow named John Ward. John was an American who had built a ranch on Sonoita Creek a few ... read more

SYLVESTER MOWRY Sylvester was born in October of 1830 and graduated from West Point in 1852 near the top of the class. As a sparkling new second lieutenant he went west and took part in the survey, along with George B. McClellan, through the Columbia River Gorge for the Pacific Railroad. When that task was complete in 1854 he went off to Fort Leavenworth and joined Lt Col Edward Steptoe’s command. They were taking a group of remounts and new recruits out to California when President Buchanan asked that they stop over in Salt Lake City and investigate the Massacre of the John Gunnison Party by Pahvant Indians on the Sevier River. The investigation ended in the recommendation that an Army post should be established in Utah to keep an eye on God’s chosen ... read more