Visiting Grammie and Grandpa in Arizona (by Walden)

Sunset view from the back ramada

My Grammie Diane and Grandpa Dick live in Patagonia, Arizona which is very near Nogales on the Mexico border. In fact, they are so close you can see Mexico (less than 10 miles away) from their house. At night, the city lights twinkle like stars that have fallen onto the desert floor. We were going to take our time driving here from Utah… but once we got started, we were so excited that we drove all day and into the night, almost 10 hours. Arizona doesn’t have Daylight Savings Time, so it was like getting an extra hour along the way (we are on Pacific time now). On the way through Arizona we went over some big mountains and we watched the temperature go from the 80s to the 40s and then back to the 70s. Somewhere around Phoenix we went over a mountain and all of sudden there were saguaro cacti on the hills. Patagonia is in the high desert. That means even this time of year it is cool in the 40s and 50s at night and warm in the 70s and 80s during the day. It is always sunny and warm but not sweaty hot like Wisconsin in the summer. We’ve been playing outside a lot since we got here.

Fresh fruit cake with strawberry flowers

The first day we were here we celebrated my birthday since Grammie and Grandpa didn’t see me on my actual birthday. We had a party with dinosaur hats, a cake that was all made of fruit, opened presents, and had a water gun fight. Squirting people with the water tubes was the best fun I’ve had in a long time. I’ve played with the water squirters every day since then. I like being settled here and having lots of space to run, play soccer, blow bubbles, launch foam rockets into the air (thank you, Grandpa!), and ride my tricycle up and down, up and down the Ramada pretending to be a mailman and delivering packages. Wendy and Tula (Queensland Heelers) live here too. Grammie and Grandpa play with me a lot which makes me very happy and gives Mommy and Daddy a break. They’ve been working on the Burro (Grandpa helped Daddy fix the refrigerator AGAIN), cleaning things, and even relaxing sometimes. Mommy loves having a kitchen to cook in and Daddy loves having Internet all the time.

Broad-billed humming bird in ocotillo

There are LOTS of hummingbirds (broad-billed and black-chinned) that come to drink from the fountain in the backyard and feeders in the front yard. Roadrunners chase lizards in the front yard sometimes. Around Grammie and Grandpa’s house we see the Patagonia Mountains in the distance and smaller hills and washes nearby. Big white cattle free range everywhere so there is a fence and gate around the house to keep them back. The ground is rocky with brown dry plants and some green mesquite trees. If you look close you can see brightly colored flowers blooming all over. They have funny names like ocotillo, Mexican bird of paradise, and cowboy fried eggs

Cowboy fried eggs line the road sides

(prickly poppies).

We’ve been to the library, playground, and the gallery where Grammie and Grandpa sell things they make. We walked on some trails that Grandpa helped the Nature Conservancy build and Paton’s Center for Hummingbirds. Even though Patagonia is a small town, lots of people come here to see the birds. 

One day we went to Tucson and visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. That was a fun place with lots of animals, birds, and plants that we don’t see in Wisconsin. I saw hummingbirds in their nests, javalinas sleeping in the shade under a bridge, a baby big horn sheep, and a cougar. I got to dig for dinosaur bones and explore a cave.

Exploring the neat rocks at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Grandpa and Walden at Ramsey Canyon

Another day, Mommy and Grammie needed some "quiet time," so us boys, Daddy, Grandpa, and I, took a trip to Sierra Vista about an hour away. We went shopping for some cool stuff like dog food and hard drives. Then, Grandpa took us to a neat place called Ramsey Canyon Preserve. It had a bubbling stream, waterfalls, boulders, and big shady sycamore trees, There were lots of people watching birds, but I was much more interested in climbing boulders and trying to balance rocks on my head. There was even a "splash zone" for kids like me to play in the creek. Daddy and Grandpa helped me finish a Nature Bingo game, and I got to pick a prize at the end... a stuffed animal bird! Afterwards, because I was soooooo good, Grandpa brought us to an awesome restaurant where you could eat peanuts right out of the shell! Needless to say, I got my fill.

Blooming cholla cactus at Madera Canyon

There was even a time when Mommy and Daddy went to Madera Canyon to camp in a tent overnight and I stayed with Grammie and Grandpa all by myself. I was so excited to show them the new bell I got for my tricycle when they came home! All they had to show were some pictures of birds.

[NOTE from Mommy: what a treat for Jim and I to have two days together after two months of family time on the road. No diapers to change, hiking at our own pace, and time to read a book and relax. It was our second visit to Madera Canyon. Our goal was to see an Elegant Trogon, a beautiful bird found only in the very southern tip of Arizona. After several hours of searching and listening, we were amazed when a pair of Elegant Trogons unexpectedly landed in a tree above our heads and began to mate!]

Elegant Trogon spotted at Madera Canyon, May 11

Pinata fun 

On our last day, we went to a Mariachi Festival at Patagonia Lake State Park. The music was fast and fun with violins, guitars, and trumpets. There were dancers that moved their feet really fast. The girls wore colorful dresses that fluttered when they spun around. The best part was the real pinata! I even got to hit it with the big stick. Us kids took turns making it break open and then candy spilled out and we all ran for a piece. I was so excited. We even found time to play in the sand and take a hike to look for birds at the park.

Breakfast with Grandpa and Wendy 

In the mornings, I like eating breakfast with Grandpa on the porch and riding my tricycle back and forth. Sometimes I get to help Grammie use her special embroidery machine in her sewing studio or cook in the kitchen. I will be so sad to leave here because I will miss playing with Grammie and Grandpa. The happy part is that we are going to San Diego soon to visit my Auntie Shawna and Uncle Chris. I think we are going to see some cactus stuff (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument) and do some hiking before we get there. We’ll let you know what fun things we find!

Visiting Mooney the pony at the neighbors with Grammie

PS: If you only read our blog from email you might want to check the live site to see our collection of Burro view photos.
buchholzsinaburro.blogspot.com

PPS: Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Buchholz for the special story with your voices in it. I've been looking at the moon and hope you are too.

PPPS: Hi Hannah! I liked getting mail from you and enjoy the drawings and letter you sent me.