Update on the Benson House

Today is Friday, March 5th. We forewent (is that a word?) the drive on the Apache Trail with the Cuatros folks to come into Apache Junction and take care of business. We have been proceeding on the Benson house. Sydney, our agent, emailed us copies of all the legal documents, disclosure forms, well and road maintenance agreements, etc., and it all looks good. We are trying to get ahold of her to set up an on-site meeting with the builder so we can get more info about how all the solar stuff works, warranties, and so forth. We've contacted a lender, and, while we haven't formally applied for the loan, it looks like we won't have any trouble qualifying. Our plan, if it works out, is to drive back to Benson and meet with the builder on site Monday, and, if things still look good, make an offer soon after that.

Sadly, Chris and Sharon had made other plans for this weekend and won't be able to join us for a reprise of the Boulder Canyon hike. However, we offered to lead any interested Cuatros Estados folks who want to come, and it looks like we may have a few takers. That will be tomorrow, as Sunday we hope to be leaving for Benson.

Hiking in Boulder Canyon

Today is Thursday, March 4th. I got up this morning and met Edith for our birding walk around the campground loops. We saw quite a few birds, including some Lesser Goldfinches, lots of cactus wrens perched atop saguaros, a couple of cardinals, a White-Crowned Sparrow, a beautiful hummingbird with an irridescent red throat, a Gila Woodpecker, and tons of grackles. We watched one of the cactus wrens fly into his (or her?) nest in a cholla, and, with the binoculars, could see his tail sticking out and his head peeking out to look at us. Very cute! I will try to get back and take a picture with the sort-of-telephoto and see if I can get a decent one.I also learned to identify the chattering call of the cactus wren.

Afterwards, Steve and loaded the dogs into the Samurai and set off to find a trailhead. I remembered seeing by Canyon Lake as we drove in yesterday. It was about 2 miles back up the highway, right across the road from the marina. We parked the car and set out. What a beautiful hike! Good trail, varied terrain, and gorgeous views in every direction. At one point, a huge saguaro cactus had fallen over and was blocking the trail. Luckily, it had fallen a LONG time ago and has lost all its spikes--climbing over it wasn't as crazy as it looks! We talked to some people we met along the way who have hiked it before. They said it goes on for miles and miles into the Superstition Mountains. We hiked for two miles, to a little spring and pool, before turning around. With all the rain the area has had lately, the desert is really green, and there were lots of little wildflowers everywhere. Too early for cactus blossoms, though.

Back at camp now and heading out of the canyon back to Apache Junction to check on phone messages and post this. I’m going to call Chris and see if he and Sharon are interested in driving up on Saturday or Sunday and doing the Boulder Canyon hike with us.

Tortilla

Today is Wednesday, March 3rd.We left Chris’s this morning and drove to Tortilla Campground in the Tonto National Forest, on the edge of the Superstition Mountains, home of the famous Lost Dutchman Mine. The campsites are huge, with nice views of the canyon and the rocky cliffs. There’s sewer and water at each of the 70 or so campsites, but no electricity. The campground is tiered in three levels, so if feels much smaller and more intimate than it really is. The price is right--$3 a night.

We’re here for a rally with Cuatros Estados, one of the FMCA Rving groups we joined. This is our first outing with them. We got here around noon, and welcome festivities and potluck happy hour didn’t begin until four, so we quickly set up camp and, with directions from John and Mary, the campground hosts, set off for a little hike. We waded across the creek at the edge of the campground and found the trail that eventually led to the tip top of “The Boot”--a big rock formation that towers over the camp. The views from up there were stupendous in every direction. The lake is called Canyon Lake, and it’s about two miles from the campground. Can you pick out the Royal Palms in the campground? We’re in the center tier of campsites, about in the middle.

There are 12 rigs here for the rally. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Most of the people are long-term members and know each other pretty well, but there are two other new couples besides us. There are different activities and sightseeing in the area planned most days, but tomorrow is a free day until happy hour and fajita dinner. I’m meeting one of the other women, Edith, at 8:30 a.m. for a birding walk around the campground. She doesn’t claim to be an expert, but others say she is very knowledgeable, and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot. There are lots of birds here; I’ve already spotted several cardinals, which we don’t have in Utah. After that, Steve and I are planning to take another hike, probably from a trailhead we saw as we drove by Canyon Lake this morning.

Florence Junction to Tempe

After leaving our campsite in the desert gardens south of Florence, we proceeded another 40 or so miles northward to a BLM area near Florence Junction. It was listed in our Don Wright Free Camping Guide, but the directions were so vague that I was sure we wouldn’t be able to find it. “From the junction of Highway 60 and Highway 89, head past the rest area on the north, past a tree on the south, cross the railroad tracks, go south through a gate about a mile.” The highway was 79, not 89, and we saw a rest area but no tree. Just past the railroad tracks was an unmarked dirt road with a cattle guard and gate. Miracle of miracles! About a mile back were lots of nice campsites. We chose one by some big trees next to a dry wash. It had a campfire ring and a fair amount of trash; I cleaned up the trash and Steve scouted for firewood, and we had a nice spot with a campfire. There was less cactus for the dogs to pick up, but there were cows. Ellie’s herding or guarding instinct kicked in, and she patrolled our perimeter, carefully herding the cows away anytime they got too close to camp. Tex found the cows, or rather cowpies, irresistible. He would go out on patrol and come home brown and smelly from rubbing himself. We had to bathe him not once but twice. He hates baths, and felt very sorry for himself.

From that campsite, it was only about an hour and half to our son, Chris’s, in Tempe. We arrived Saturday morning, and he and Steve spent the next several days tearing apart and then rebuilding his patio roof. I played clean up crew one day, then spent another checking out the yarn shops and quilt shops in the area. On our last evening there, we went to a really fun restaurant called Oregano’s, near ASU. The food was delicious and the portions gargantuan. Possibly the best part was the dessert--a huge half-baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, baked in its own little iron skillet and brought to the table piping hot with a huge scoop of ice cream on top. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Even Steve and Chris, who are not normally big on sweets, ate their fair share. I should have had the camera, but, as usual, it didn’t even occur to me to bring it along.