Connecticut and Snow

At the end of February I traveled back to snowy cold Connecticut for a week. The house has heat but no water so I am 1/2 an old pioneer.  I have water in jugs and my great grandmother's pot chair.  That comes in mighty handy. Here I have wonderful wifi and cell phone service and even a home phone.  Out in the desert we have been having problems with terrible wifi and cell. I eat some with family, shower at their houses and I have a borrowed car for errands.  I have been to the doc for a check-up, to my hairdresser, visited family, filed the 2013 income tax return, run errands, read two books, and looked out at the snow. I have gone to out to dinner with family and seen The Monument Men at a theater. Sunday I will be traveling back to Arizona.  John did our obligated 32 hours a week alone.  Lauren and Pam, two of our daughters, are also traveling with me and spending 5 days out in the desert.  I am looking forward to Sunny Warm Arizona!


The Travinski barn up the road no longer looks like this.  They took down 1/2 of the barn while we have been gone!

Snow in New England looks beautiful.  I have not spent the winter here, just a week!
I have had to pay the oil bill so I know how cold it had been!

Our Volunteer 50 Mile Day Trip

We went to an old line shack of the Gray Ranching era.
 Since I talk about ranching to the public on the VC patio, I was especially interested in this.

We saw an old mine that has been closed for a century.
  This is one of many on the monument.  Now it is bat habitat.



We saw man made Quitobaquito pond made from a spring in the middle of the desert.
 Once the land next to the pond was a farm that grew pomagranates and figs.
It was also an infamous stopover on the Devil's Highway to California.

The pond has a dying old cottonwood tree, fish and ducks

We saw Puerto Blanco Gate, a outcropping that turns white at certain times of the day.

We made a day trip out of it.  We traveled along the 50 mile, closed to the public, terrible washed out road that circled the monument. The southern edge was along the border of Mexico where the pond was and you could see the border barrier fence (sorry no pictures).  We were a caravan of 5 high clearance trucks, one of which John drove.  It was a treat in that it was the first time we (the volunteers) got to go to this part of the monument. We were escorted by Law Enforcement Rangers.  We did not see anything amiss.  The road in washes was very steep and washed and I felt like we should shift our weight to keep our balance, just like on a motorcycle.  We saw Senita Basin, where special Senita cactus grow and other desert cacti that only are on that part of the monument.  It was a wonderful outing!

We're working

We have started our assignments.  John has given his night program (endangered Sonoran pronghorns and captive breeding program here) and I have done a watercolor art 2 hour demo.

We both have driven/talked on the 21 mile free tour in this beautiful desert and I am practicing a patio talk about women and ranching "A Window into Another Time".  I bought a wig, black dress, shoes, black socks, jewelry (all for $9 at thrift shops).  I have never done anything like this before and I came up with this myself!!!!!  I am crazy!!! But I have read a transcript of a woman ranching in this place and I got hooked on her story. I did research on other women and I want to tell the public about "another time and women's contributions".  I will post pictures of "Mary Nell Gray"(me) later. I intend to start  the talk sitting in my volunteer coat and hat with a quilt around my lower half and then when I introduce Mary Nell I get up turn around, take off my hat and coat and put on my wig and earrings and sit down as Mary Nell for beneath my coat I am dressed in socks, shoes and dress of another era.  Am I crazy????? The library here with original documents and transcripts (tapes also) is at our disposal.  It is very interesting to have all original documentation at our disposal and they let you pick an interest and research it.  Of course it has to be approved. 

We are one of 3 couples of interpretive volunteers.  There are also 2 campground volunteer host couples, 2 fee taker volunteer couples and a maintenance volunteer couple working here. They are from throughout the country (most are from western states). We are the couple who have traveled the furthest distance to volunteer. 
 


One of the other interpretive volunteer couples on our field trip

 

This is the group working last time we were here.  We are one of many.
 John is right below the flag looking at my camera.  He is just soooooo happy!



Dripping Springs and working the VC

We have done our 2 week orientation and have started our schedule working 32 hours a week.  We have both been training so we have each worked 32 hours (actually more with research of our programs) but now we should be cutting back on hours.  Our last training field trip was to Dripping Springs, the newest drive and hike opened to the public in the monument.  It is open by permit (5 at a time issued) and the road is very narrow and rutted.  We were glad we were driven in a park vehicle, not our little scion.  We have started driving (John talking) the Ajo Mtn 21 mile loop and John has done an evening program once and I have done my watercolor 2 hour demo once.  We must go to civilization tomorrow for food and things.  So we are settled and starting our commitment for the next 2 1/2 months.  This is a wonderful place to be.  And we feel "the most dangerous park in the nation" is safe and beautiful.  Please do not listen to what you hear and read!

View of the start of the hike up to the dripping springs and it looks like a desert.
 

The springs itself dripping inside of the rock in the middle of the desert.



Randa & Jim, members of our interp team, are looking out at the view on the top
 of the climb. Below is what they are seeing.  Quite a view!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

We have been in class including field trips to get us up to speed here at ORPI.  We traveled to Bates Well, an old ranch and Alamo Canyon ranch site and been given our official clothing. 

 

A New beginning 2014 in the Sonoran Desert

 

Bates Well and Alamo Canyon

We had a training day at 2 old ranch remains in the monument.  Both are remnants of a bygone era in this part of Arizona.  It was very interesting. 

Our interpretive group (people who will tell visitors about the monument and give talks, etc) are discussing the old remains of Bates Well ranch

John looking at ancient stones in Alamo Canyon wash

An old cattle pen made out of recycled materials found in the area.  Recycling is not new.  The old timers just made due with what was available or at hand.

Old ranch home remains at Alamo Canyon used by the Grays, cattle ranchers in the valley of the Ajo.

We have arrived in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

This is our setup for the next 3 months.  We have a good view back of our rig of the area.