Last night we took advantage of the remoteness to stargaze, until we got too cold and went back inside.

This morning dawned cold and clear so we visited Chiricahua National Monument which managed to be extra beautiful and not particularly desolate. Really stunning scenery.

Our week in Arizona has been filled with two lane backroads, some dirt, most paved; sunshine, hiking, and mountains. When we are in the valley, there are mountains all around us, and when we are on the mountain top, there are still more mountains, some close, some in the distance. The roads have either been super straight or super curvy. The food has ranged from surprisingly good to way past time to change the oil in the fryer, from Mexican to burgers, from picnic lunches to sit down dinners. Our current Airbnb even provided a basket of farm fresh eggs. The people have been super friendly, from locals to tourists. Tonight the manager (probably owner too) of the restaurant we picked dinner up from told a gentleman who ordered a drink with his to go order he couldn’t sell it to him since he was openly carrying, but if he concealed his pistol or put it in his car there would be no problem. Arizona has been fun.

As always, we start with the obligatory usie. All systems are go for MBH, I’m struggling to smile in the cold or maybe the wind is moving my mouth around.
The stones are impressive at Chiricahua
The valleys are impressive at Chiricahua
The rocks and stones themselves sing the glories of God
A petrified dinosaur head, perhaps
Us, Sugerloaf Mointain, the valley where our Airbnb is, and more mountains way off in the distance
Yesterday’s snow on the Sugarloaf Mountain trail. Between the snow, the cold, and the fierce wind we turned back here
So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight
We hate to go and leave this pretty sight