At Trish's place just outside of Show Low

 

The next 4 days were pretty relaxing just checking out the local area around Show Low in the National Forest and just relaxed around the property. Following are some of the flora and fauna which we discovered on our drive.

These are Indian Paintbrush.

The following are a grove of quaking aspen and they make a nice contrast with the dark pines.

The nex stop was Fort Apache and the museum there. And then we drove around some of the original buildings. There is a school on the property that is being used today. It is called the Teddy Roosvelt school.

We had picked up a rotisserie chicken and some fry bread with cheese and so stopped at the picnic tables here and enjoyed our lunch.

Then I did a quick tour of the museum.

We left there and went out to the

Then we drove around the site and these are some of the original buildings at Fort Apache.

 

 

 

 

 

We left Fort Apache and drove down the road a few miles to view the Kinishba Ruins. These ruins are the remains of a village built and occupied by ancestors of today's Zuni and Hopi Pueblo Indians. Nearby pit houses indicate settlement here as early as AD 800.

These are some of the wild sunflowers which grew higher than the jeep and in great prolification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back we passed the Hon-Dah casino. How about that. They named their casino after a brand of motorcycle.

 

The next day we went a visited a few people in the area and then as is the tradition we all met up in Concho at a little cafe' for Taco Tuesday. It was quite good and all the people who live up in that little area were there.

 

Wednesday there were 2 vehicles who set out for the Mogollon Rim. That is pronounced Mugion Rim. It is in the National forest and borders the Apache Indian Reservation.

Here again we looked at flora and fauna and there were some unusual ones here such as alligator juniper. 5 intrepid explorers set out in 2 different vehicles. Don, Trish and I in their jeep and Mary Marcus and another Mary in her jeep.

 

 

 

And then we saw a manzanita bush. It has very red smooth bark. Mary Marcus thought it was Jojoba but I saw that later in Joshua tree Monument and it is very similar but does not have the red bark.

 

I cannot believe that is all the pictures I took. We had some magnificent scenes of the Rim where it looks out over the plains as far as the eye can see to the horizon. Then we decided to stop for lunch and eat our peanut butter sandwiches and as we did so we saw a storm approaching so decided to call it a day. We never did find the raod that led to the fire lookout tower. We did not get that far along the rim but this way save something for next time. The next day I reluctantly left my friends as I had to get on with my trip. Every morning at breakfast we were visited by a little cottontail bunny and a large Jack rabbit. It gave us something to look forward to each morning. As I turned up the mountain to go to the property my fuel light came on so to be on the safe side when we were out one day we picked up some gas and my parting pictures are of Don and Trish refueling me.

 

Well I am still playing catch up so will save the rest for another day.