They say the mark of a tourist visiting the Southwest is the massive amounts of photographs taken next to saguaros. I guess I will always be a tourist because I cannot resist stopping to visit these ancient beings, and of course, I must take a ton of pictures.
Near the end of June we chose a cool-ish morning and trotted off to the base of nearby Granite Mountain, around two miles from home. All four Cordrays relish a nice trot out in the desert whenever possible. One stop was the former site of the Julian Group Mine. The primary commodity at the Julian Group was gold, with silver, copper, lead, and zinc listed as secondary commodities.
The Julian, or Julius Mine, as it was also known, was an underground mine. The shaft ruins are still in place. We call it Rattlesnake Cove. While visiting a few years ago, a leashed Miss Layla sprung backwards through the air, alerting to the sound of a rattled warning. It was not Layla’s first rattlesnake sighting, nor ours. She does seem to be the one who makes first discovery most often, though. We are grateful for her sensitive sniffer.
We can count on finding lots of rusty rubbish out on the desert. After a morning of walking here and there, we brought back a nice load of it. My plan is to make a rustic lizard B & B in Lizardville, located in the back corner of our yard. You can see it in the yardwork video. The Slither Inn will be the name of this establishment.
Of course, I have to find at least one heart-in-nature and a few “what in the world is this rock” beauties to give me something to think about on the way home. I regret that trash is part of the view, but I can even find beauty and new use for discarded items out there amongst the sand and rocks.
As we travel, we are amazed at the number of people who have lived in an area a long time, or even their entire lives, and know nothing about their local terrain. They move from air-conditioned box to air-conditioned vehicle to air-conditioned box and see nothing of nature except the raindrops on the windshield or the pesky tree limb in the road. Many have no idea whether there is a park nearby, or if there are walking trails or somewhere to fish, ride bikes, or play outdoors. Some scratch their heads when asked if their town has a library or community center. All very sad facts.
I challenge you to explore your surroundings and unearth the history and mysteries of the familiar, but largely unknown area you live in. I assure you, there will be surprises galore, and maybe a few places to share when those adventuring Cordrays come to town.
As Dan always says,
“Get out, be safe, and go adventure!”
Just doooo it!
Brenda Cordray
‘The Desert Rose”
The Early Bird Rockhounds