HOLY CHIRACAHUA. GREETINGS FROM PARADISE

WELCOME TO PARADISE!!

PARADISE ARIZONA, THAT IS.
JUST BISBEE, MONICA AND ME, ALONG WITH THE COUPLE OF DOZEN FULL TIME RESIDENTS OF THIS FORMER MINING CAMP (ANOTHER BOOM TO BUST STORY, ANOTHER TIME) AND A ZILLION BIRDS.
BUT NOT JUST ANY BIRDS. NOOOO. SOME (MOST?) OF THESE BIRDS I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
IF YOUR A BIRDER (AND THEY'RE A BREED APART!) OR JUST LOVE BIRDS, THEN THIS REALLY IS PARADISE.


AWWWW SHUCKS.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO FAR TO TAKE ANY OF THESE BIRD PHOTOS. RIGHT FROM THE PORCH OF OUR RUSTIC CABIN, ITSELF PERCHED 5400' IN THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS IN EXTREME SOUTH EAST ARIZONA.

THE BIRDS WERE SO OBLIGING, I COULD HAVE SAT THERE ALL DAY AND EXHAUSTED MY COMPACT FLASH CARD IN NO TIME.

WHAT, YOU LOOKING AT ME?

THESE BIRDS ARE A RIOT OF COLORS. IT'S REALLY SO RELAXING AND ENTERTAINING TO JUST SIT AND WATCH. BY THE WAY, I THOUGHT OF PROVIDING THE NAMES OF THESE BIRDS FOR YOU, BUT WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY NEED THAT FOR?
OK, I'VE NO IDEA WHAT MOST ARE CALLED.

THE VIEW FROM INSIDE THE PORCH. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED A VIEW FROM OUTSIDE THE PORCH, BUT I BECAME FIXATED ON THE BIRD SHOTS. SO TRUST ME, IT'S VERY NICE!

EVER THE INTREPID EXPLORER, MONICA MANS (WOMANS?) THE CAMERA AS WE MAKE OUR WAY TO THIS WILDERNESS, TRAVERSING OVER 12 MILES OF DIRT ROAD. WE HAD OUR DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER OUR CAR COULD HANDLE THIS, BUT SO FAR SO GOOD.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE SURROUNDING AREA LOOKS LIKE. IT'S EXTREMELY RUGGED AND WILD. ABOUT THE ONLY TOURISTS YOU SEE ARE DIE HARD BIRDERS. IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SHOT, THERE'S A ROCK FORMATION WITH AN ARCH THROUGH IT. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NO WAY TO MANEUVER AROUND TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE SUN OR MOON SETTING OR RISING THROUGH IT. NUTS. WHAT A SHOT THAT WOULD BE. APPARENTLY THE MYANS HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH HERE.

THIS WASN'T AN UNCOMMON SITE. NO ONE ELSE HERE, AND THAT'S FINE FOR KEEPING THIS AREA SUCH AN EXCELLENT BIRDING AND HIKING AREA. THERE ARE HOWEVER, WILD FIRES. THE CENTER OF THIS SHOT SHOWS SMOKE FROM ONE OF THEM, ALTHOUGH WITHOUT BLOWING UP THE PIC, I DOUBT THAT YOU CAN SEE IT.

OK, MORE TO COME. WE'RE OFF TO SILVER CIY NEW MEXICO. WE'LL SEE WHAT WE SEE AND IF WE SEE ANYTHING WE THINK YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, WE'LL LET YOU SEE.
WHAT?

LOVE,
MONICA, LEIGH AND BISBEE TOO.