and so we came to bisbee 11 comments
Six weeks after setting out on our journey, Sabrina and I arrived in Bisbee. Before leaving eastern Ontario, I had made arrangements to rent a house on the outskirts of the town. It’s perched on the side of one of the round-topped hills in the Mule Mountains, surrounded by live oaks and manzanita. The place was ideal for us. It had a flat garden where Sabrina could roam about. In her (at that time) somewhat debilitated state, she couldn’t handle stairs or steep hills. For myself, it proved to be a peaceful place filled with interesting plants, insects, birds and mammals. Within a day of arriving, I had already shot dozens of photos of the butterflies, grasshoppers, bees, flies and other insects visiting the flowers in the garden and on the surrounding hillside.
Although all turned out for the best, our arrival was not without some stress. On the way up the steep lane to the house, the transmission of my limping van gave out — requiring replacement of the torque converter at a cost of about Cdn $1000. However, I tried not to let such things bother me — after all I had been through over the past year, a broken down van seemed like nothing more than a mere blip on my radar screen. It was just good to be in a quiet place surrounded by nature.
Within a few days of arriving, I filled some bird feeders and soon had about 15 species of birds coming to the garden each day. The Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) are a favourite and there were two pair visiting on a steady basis. The little Anna’s Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) were our constant companions, even through a few snowy days when I would see them coming and going from their cover within an Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeana) just beyond the garden wall.
Almost like clockwork, a small herd of Javelina (Pecari tajacu) wandered along the outside of the wall by the kitchen window each evening while I prepared dinner. At first there seemed to be five, but their numbers have since increased to eight as three young appeared soon after my arrival. At first, Sabrina didn’t know what to make of these strange creatures, but she has since become accustomed to seeing them trot past the yard.
If you wonder how I came to choose Bisbee as a place to rest, it was an easy decision. Don and I had always wanted to spend some time in this area after visiting once back in 2001. While enduring his series of chemo and radiation treatments, Don would often sit with my laptop, looking at possible rental properties in the southeast area of Arizona. It was our hope that, if the EGFR inhibitor drug he began in August worked, we would be able to escape to the south for at least a little while. Unfortunately, that treatment failed and he passed away in early September. However, the dream of spending the winter in Bisbee did not die — and so Sabrina and I came to be here. All in all, this has been a good place to rest for a time. It’s with some regrets that I will soon be leaving to return to eastern Ontario as we have made friends and learned to love the land here. However, we are certain to return, but more about that later. For now, I will be writing a few posts about some of the places we have hiked, and the flora, fauna and geology we have seen.
11 Responses to 'and so we came to bisbee'
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Looks like you settled into a beautiful area to explore, photograph and write about. I love all of your pictures especially the first one with sunlight pouring into the yard.
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The Pyrrhuloxia is a beautiful bird, well captured.
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All great photos, though the one of the view from the courtyard is closest to my heart. I wrote part of the third draft of my novel sitting on that deck, revelling in that awesome vista, so will always remember it fondly as highly inspirational.
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Bev – I’ve really enjoyed your journey to Bisbee, but I’ve been anticipating this post all the while. And so you did come to Bisbee.
I’ll echo Ed’s remark – that courtyard photo is a beauty. What a very warm and comforting spot that must be.
I love that photo of the Pyrrhuloxia. We have cardinals, and I’ve never actually seen a Pyrrhuloxia, but for years I’ve been captivated by the similarities and differences. In much the same way that I am charmed by the contrasts between our Blue Jays, and the Steller’s Jay. Which I believe you have also weighed in on, in the past.
The javelinas are certainly the weirdest looking critters. I guess it’s a matter of circumstance – we have deer move through the yard on a daily basis, but I’d kind of freak out seeing something like that.
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Mark – Yes, that’s sort of what I’ve done this winter — found a good spot to rest and then turned my mind off for awhile — or at least turned down the volume.
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Diane – It’s been an excellent place to find nature, and for Sabrina and I to gain back some of the strength that we lost over the past year or so. For us, coming here was the right choice.
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Peter – Thanks. The Pyrrhuloxia are beautiful birds. It has been so enjoyable to have them coming and going in the garden all winter.
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Ed – I’m glad that you were able to be here to visit and that it helped you to be creative. Tthe warmth and sunlight in the garden have had that effect on me as well.
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Wayne – I’ve had a pair of Cardinals coming to the feeder this winter along with the Pyrrhuloxia. There are quite a few similarities. They’re both nervous nellies and flee into the hedge at the slightest hint of danger! Also, they hide in the hedges and peer out into the garden. I see them in there and know they are watching me as I work around the place. The Cardinals are a little larger and more robust than the Pyrrhuloxia. I’d also say that the Pyrrhuloxia are a bit more sociable than the Cardinals. They’ll come to the feeders and get right into the middle of things with the other birds. I find the Cardinals less inclined to do that.
The Javelinas are very odd little creatures — their shape, but also their behaviour. I’m going to write a post about them sometime soon, but suffice to say that they are quite the characters! -
I have been waiting for this arrival, this courtyard, the frittilary, the Pyrrhuloxia, and Javelina. To see what you are seeing now, to know your life in this moment and not on the road anymore, this is the little sigh of relief. A home of sorts with a wonderful menagerie of creatures and a beautiful sunlit place to spend contemplative time. I am happy you arrived.
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Oh Bev,
It’s all so lovely. I know you’ll spend many sunny winters gracing this unique and special place.
Sabrina at the garden gate – looking toward the light . .
Melts me . . .
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I agree with the others who found the first photo to be remarkable. I like the fact that Sabrina is looking towards sunrise at the dawn of a new day. I’ve always found the peace of the desert to be conducive to healing and to new beginnings. Thanks for capturing that so beautifully in your image.
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Following your links back to September 8 when you so eloquently celebrated Don’s life and to October 10, five months ago today, when you left Eastern Ontario, I’m moved on an even deeper level than I was when I first saw those posts. I had forgotten about the Chagall painting on the wall behind Don, the one called “I and the Village,” the one which celebrates an all-encompassing love of a person and a place. The photo of Sabrina looking at the sunrise on your first day in Bisbee , as well as that of the Gulf Fritillary, the Pyrrhuloxia, and the groups of Javelinas clearly show the love and gratitude you bring with you wherever you go.
Those Javelinas have something of the same oddness that Pileated Woodpeckers do. It’s a laugh-out-loud peculiarity that brings us unexpected relief just when it is needed.
Thanks so much for what you have written about your journey and for what you have shown of your journey through your photos.
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robin – I just finished putting up my new post about Chiricahua and am thinking of your words about how good it is to know that I am resting here and not on the road once more — and yet, here I am, preparing to leave once more. Four months have flown by so quickly, but then, recently, my life seems that way — just flying by on the way to… well… i don’t really know anymore.
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cathy – yes, i hope I do too. I’m sure Sabrina feels the same.
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Doug – the desert has been very good to me this winter. I think that Sabrina and I are both stronger for the time spent walking along the San Pedro River, through desert landscapes, and hiking in the canyons of the Sky Islands. For us, I think it was the right thing to do.
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am – The Javelinas are such curious creatures. Their appearance and behaviour does make me laugh. I’m going to write a post about them quite soon. It’s strange how the passage of six months feels to me. Emotionally, it feels like it has been no more than a week, but on another level that I can’t describe, it feels we have been here a lifetime. Don and I always loved the Arizona desert, so I suppose it shouldn’t be such a surprise that I feel closer to it now.
That looks like a good place to sit and contemplate for a while.
My wife thinks I never stop, but I can turn my mind off with the best of them. Sometimes that’s what it takes.