December 18-19, 2020 McNeal, Arizona

 High 60's and sunny. 

We visited Douglas, AZ. Beautiful historic downtown Douglas. Lots of adobe and bricks. Down the road is the border crossing. Douglas The premier southwestern border community. 

We found this monolith in the desert. The plaque on it said Mormon LDS Church Battalion San Bernardino rest camp. Dec 5, 1846. We went to San Bernardino National wildlife refuge. It was a 15 mile drive on a remote dirt road along the border to the refuge. Springs in the headwaters o the south-flowing Rio Yaqui provide habitat for  threatened native fishes and frogs. Birding is excellent in this 2, 300 acre refuge. The gates were closed, only foot traffic allowed in.  Pretty area, many of the mesquite trees still had their green leaves. 

We hiked to the overlook of the wet riparian area. John on the trail (road). The yellow cottonwoods are on the Rio Yaqui riparian area. . At the overlook there was a sign showing mountains in Mexico. You can see the border fence behind the cottonwoods. The refuge is right on the boarder. It was late in the day so we did not hike down there. Maybe another trip.

Cool looking mountains in the distance. Another view of the riparian area. 

Construction site for the border wall. The border wall, that is an outhouse in front of it and what looks like street lights along it. 

The border wall. Cool looking desert peak.

Another cool desert peak.  It was in the low 70's and sunny. We went back to the wildlife refuge to hike in the riparian area. Slaughter Ranch is a museum of an old time ranch out here. It is part of the refuge, but it is closed now. 

John on the trail (road) in the wildlife refuge. One of the ponds. The refuge was made to make some protected habitat for some endangered fish. They used to live all along southern Arizona but they lost their water and habitat to housing and farming. The water is pumped in from artisan wells. 

Another pond at the refuge. On the bottom of this John is talking to a roadrunner that was begging for food (red Arrow). He is leaning on the vehicle barrier fence that was here before. Across the road is the new wall with flood gates here for the refuge. The top of the photo John is standing right at the flood gates (red arrow again)

This border patrol guy whizzed up while we were there. He is to stay there and guard the flood gates because they are not done with them and they are not locked.  He was very polite to us. Answered some questions. Cools shadows on the heavy equipment. 

Volcanic soil rocks here, a bi-color prickly pear cactus, the begging road runner and a heart shaped prickly pear pad with red thorns glowing in the sun. The wildlife refuge sign. The spring fed Rio Yaqui runs through the riparian corridor. It is dry this time of year in the drought, but we went in for lunch. It was lovely with the autumn leaves. 

Looking down the dry river bead. We stopped at the old cemetery from when the land was a ranch.

A cross in the cemetery. Me riding a pony in the middle of nowhere in the desert. 

Also a bull ride, but the bull is missing. We dropped some change in the can for a replacement bull.  Sunset in the campground tonight. We are in the middle.