Patagonia Lake State Park, Patagonia, Arizona
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. ~ Proverbs 21:2
I’ve discovered that my editor’s been slacking. He’s failed to notice that the last two moves we’ve made didn’t include a map of where we are. It seems you just can’t find good help these days. Then again, my mother and the son who first suggested it, didn’t tell me either. 😊
It’s shocking what a good night’s sleep and a weight being removed can do for a person! I’d not slept well for about a week (due in part to our neighbor in Bisbee coming and going at all hours despite curfews in place at the campground), so when I woke this morning about 6am and had slept a consistent 8 hours, I was thrilled and felt like it!
Add to that, the fact that I went to bed caught up on the blog, and I felt like a new woman! I know it sounds like I feel like this is a headache for me, but it’s not. I liken it to having a deadline at work, and when you meet that deadline, you breathe a sigh of relief. 😊 I actually love working on it. I just don’t like being behind by more than 3-4 days at the most. When I’m more behind than that (usually due to internet accessibility issues), I begin to feel pressure that just keeps building until I get caught up. Blaine doesn’t like me so much when I get that way. . . .
Late this morning, our “short walk” into the bird-viewing area of the Park, turned into something more. Of course it did! That seems to be our way. 😊
We just kept following pink-tape trail-markers and ended up climbing part way up a rocky hill. We had no provisions, not even the requisite Tic-Tacs in my pocket, because it was supposed to be a short walk, remember? And no proper footwear. Our tennis shoes are good, but not quite suitable for rocky trails. And since we were now out in the sun and climbing, we were overdressed.
So back to the hike itself.
We passed a couple dozen birdwatchers along our way, and at one point, we came to a closed gate with a sign to keep it closed.
I didn’t get a picture of that because there were too many people hanging around with their binoculars and cameras slung around their necks, or hoisted to their eyes.
We wondered at that, but all along the trail we experienced evidence of why. We heard cows lowing (though we never saw them) and cow paddies were everywhere! Although, I can’t imagine that a cow could fit through that small gate.
I began our walk with a light jacket.
It didn’t stay on for very long.
this tree was buzzing with hundreds of bees!
A few of the little pollinators visited those yellow bushes. : )
So we walked some more, and up the side of the mountain as I mentioned, until we reached a height where we could take a picture of the lake. And then we turned around, promising to complete the task tomorrow.
Isn’t our Creator’s design incredible?!?
but the camera wouldn’t focus until Blaine offered his hand. : )
As we were approaching our site, we passed a couple coming up from the side of the lake, carrying an empty box. We thought that a bit strange, and then noticed what they’d done. They’d released a full-grown cat into the wild! The poor thing was obviously terrified! But there was no way it was coming to us.
Still, you can’t release a domestic cat into the wild, especially in a State Park, and especially in a State Park known for it’s birdwatching! I called the office immediately as we finished our walk home, and let them know, and almost immediately, a Ranger showed up and began the search. She didn’t find it. ☹
We ate our lunch at the picnic table as we watched and listened for the cat. We were also looking into the cars that drove passed us, looking for the offending couple. We spotted them, jotted down their license plate number and called the office again. We’ll never know what became of all this, but at least we did our part to help.
This afternoon, we spent our time kayaking the lake. And searching the banks for the missing cat. No luck. But there were plenty of aquatic fowl and scenic views to keep us in awe all afternoon.
Those are cabins you see.
These ducks were like synchronized swimmers!
The entire flock would swim and dive all at the same time!
Wonder how they coordinate that?
It was pretty funny to watch!
And only the females have creasted heads like this.
The male’s heads are smooth and black.
Hmmm . . . . no one’s swimming on a nice day like this?
Well, it’s been pretty chilly! The water’s cold and the air’s still cool. : )
In English and Spanish.
Nice!
If you like that sort of thing . . .
But I don’t think it can hold much water back.
Maybe it just helps with erosion?
After dinner, we walked over to that arched bridge to watch the sunset. It was nice, but there were no clouds to enhance it. Still, God always paints a beautiful picture!
