For several years, Denis and I rented a cottage up in the Mule Mountains outside of Bisbee, Arizona in January and June. In January, we would head over to Whitewater Draw to watch thousands of sandhill cranes or bounce our way over dirt tracks to locate old ghost towns. Cochise County-- where the cottage is located-- is one of the premiere birding spots in the world, and there was always something to see, regardless the time of year.
Our route from Phoenix to Bisbee took us through Benson, a railroad terminus founded in 1880 when the Southern Pacific came through. Although the town (population approximately 5,000) is still a railroad terminus and has some gorgeous murals painted on the outside walls of several buildings, when I think of Benson, I think of the Ace Hardware store. (The second thing I think of is the Singing Wind Bookshop.)
Every June, Denis and I would stop at the Ace Hardware to watch the barn swallows. The architect who built the store provided very nice, sheltered ledges for nesting and raising young, and it was a treat for us to stop by and watch the birds for awhile.
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| A barn swallow at the Benson Ace Hardware, keeping an eye on me and my camera. |
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| The Benson Ace Hardware barn swallow nursery. |
Granted, it did get a bit messy, but no one seemed to attempt to block access to the ledges, so perhaps the manager of the store was a bird lover, too.
The next time Denis and I are in the Benson area in June, you know exactly where we're going to go, don't you?
What a great trip that must have been for you, Cathy. Saying 'hello' to the barn swallows, catching up at the hardware store, it all must have been terrific. I hope you'll get to do it again this year. Just goes to show you that you don't have to go all around the world to have a lovely travel experience.
ReplyDeleteNo, sometimes the best travel experiences are very close to home.
DeleteYou know it's spring when the swallows show up. And what a fun-sounding trip! :D
ReplyDeleteDenis and I loved going down to Bisbee.
DeleteBarn Swallows really are beautiful birds. They do seem to make a mess of the exterior of their homes, but they are amazing to watch. I used to go fishing a lot when I was young and we would often fish from a boat in a river. There were always bridges crossing the river and the barn swallows would nest under the bridges. When I was bored with fishing, I could watch them for a while.
ReplyDeleteDenis and I sat on a bench overlooking a pond outside Springerville, Arizona one evening and watched the swallows swooping low over the water decreasing the insect population. They may be messy, but they certainly are beautiful and graceful.
DeleteIt's great that you and Denis can go again and see the birds and all of the flora around.
ReplyDeleteSo far, we've only been able to go to the Desert Botanical Garden. We're looking into trips farther afield, but they're off in the future.
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