Dec 10, 2014 Tucson and points south

Dec 10, 2014 Tucson and points south
Sunday Doug and I headed south from Tucson to Sierra Vista, AZ to do some birding. Birds generally prefer more remote areas, yet remote describes a different place this close to the US/Mexican border. On the way to “remote” we passed Border Patrol and went through check stops on the highways; several miles down the dirt road in route to Miller Canyon we saw a new-to-me sign; we stopped for a quick photo op before going on. At the end of that particular dirt road is Beatty’s Guest Ranch, which is not really a ranch but a “cottage industry” for birders. Their world — miles from any pavement — is quiet, the slopes run quickly up to the Huachuca Mountains, and rocky banks contain a stream, except when flood waters win and throw the rocks around like dice. The Beatty’s home was one of several we’ve visited where the public is invited to sit in a private backyard and enjoy the birds attracted to a variety of feeders. Each feeding station is labeled, “A,” “B,” “C,” etc. and the birders talk in hushed tones to one another, “See the Acorn Woodpecker on “C!” You are charged $5 per person, per day (I think to help defray the cost of feed and offset the inconvenience of giving up their yards), and you leave the money in a box or jar. Mrs. Beatty also grows organic produce to take to the town market each week; we left with tree-ripened Granny Smith apples, yard eggs, squash, sweet potatoes, and onions.
From the Beatty’s we went further south on Hwy 92 to Turkey Track Road, and headed to Ash Canyon on a different dirt trail to another private yard, known as Ash Canyon B&B. We had seen hummingbirds in Mrs. Paton’s yard in Patagonia, but the hummers weren’t at either Beatty’s or Ash Canyon. But at Ash Canyon we saw several varieties including Mexican Jays and a Gila Woodpecker, and something I dubbed a Very Small Beaver, of some rare desert variety. Picture proof is provided; feel free to rename it. I only saw about 3 inches of it; assuming some proportionality I’m guess the critter may be 5 inches long. After sitting for a while in that backyard, we decided against going further up into the canyon; it was getting late, we were hungry, and the Tucson Audubon Society book describes the road beyond the B&B as “rough and rocky and suitable only for high-clearance vehicles.” Given some of the roads we’ve been on, I didn’t want to learn what “rocky” means.
I have spent years developing a reputation as a totally disinterested and unimaginative cook who takes great pride in washing dishes for others. And although I scrupulously avoid cooking practical meal-things, I enjoy baking – a fact known to few. Though I hadn’t turned on the stove or oven since I got to Arizona, yesterday I used those organic apples to create a from-scratch apple pie, and it was very good. Doug doesn’t own a rolling pen, so I had to be a bit creative.