Those of us who grew up in the ’60’s and watched The Wonderful World of Walt Disney will remember Elfego Baca, a legend in New Mexico history, who resisted the outlaws and cattle rustlers of the late 19th Century.  He was equal parts famous and infamous, though the latter has come to be in question.

In 1885, what is now Reserve, NM, the seat of Catron County, was the scene of a massive gunbattle.  Over 4,000 shots were fired by a posse that had been sent by John Slaughter to arrest Elfego for allegedly killing “Texas John’s” ranch foreman.  Elfego was taken into custody, then acquitted when the door which shielded him from the posse’s bullets was presented as evidence, and there was nothing tying Elfego to the death of the foreman.

His fame came from serving as sheriff of Socorro County, NM, about 60 miles northeast of Reserve.  When I stopped for a while in Socorro, last Tuesday, while en route to Palo Duro Canyon, TX, these pleasant sites caught my eye.  My first stop on a walking tour was San Miguel Catholic Church, the main parish in Socorro.

Elfego Baca is honoured by Socorrenos at this Heritage Park, on the north end of the Central Plaza.

Across from Baca Park is one of Socorro’s largest remaining structures from the land-grant period:  Juan Nepomucero Garcia House, now a real estate office.

South of Baca Park lies another small public space, L.W. Kittrel Park, named for a civic leader who worked to establish it, in the early 20th Century.  It  also serves today as a Memorial to those from Socorro County who served in our nation’s Armed Forces.

Socorro County Courthouse is the city’s largest building, of soothing creme-colored adobe.

West of the Central Plaza, and a bit to the south, lies El Torreon, a home built, in the style of the Spanish torreon fortresses, around 1816.  A  Navajo man, who lives in the area, happened by as I was taking the photo, chuckled to himself and remarked that maybe I wasn’t busy enough, taking photos of old shacks.  It’s universal how we often overlook what is right in front of us.  No problem, shi ki’is (Navajo for “my friend”).

Lastly, my self-guided walk went past Jesus Maria Torres House (1914), built with an amalgam of materials.

Socorro is a business hub for west-central New Mexico, drawing its life from the Rio Grande.  In my next post, we look at the case of Socorro’s neighbour to the west:  Magdalena, and how closely-tied are the fates of these two communities.

For the past several years, the area between the Arizona/New Mexico state line and the small, struggling village of Magdalena, NM has seen me and mine pass through about four times.  Catron County is one of the Land of Enchantment’s sparsely populated areas, at least in terms of humans.  I seem to encounter more mule deer, elk, raccoons and coyotes here than anywhere else I’ve been in New Mexico.  Then again, most of my journeys there have been in Navajo country, Albuquerque or eastward along I-40 or I-10.

Catron is known for its embrace of the Sagebrush Rebellion, not so many years back, but I’ve yet to meet an ignorant, unmannerly or hot-tempered soul here.  I can camp at Jackson Park, in Pie Town, sleep in at Largo Motel, and get a wholesome meal either at the Largo Cafe, both in Quemado, or at Eagle Guest Ranch, about twenty miles further east, in Datil.

The Eagle is shown above.  For equity’s sake, let’s look at the Largo and at Jackson Park.

Excuse the small cameos of Largo, I extrapolated them from Flickr, which does not lend itself to exporting photos very well, to other media .

One other vignette about Catron folks.  On my way back down to Arizona, coming as I was to help with the Prescott Red Cross Evacuation Shelter, I needed gas, and badly.  With only loose change and trusted plastic in my pocket, it was rather disconcerting to find all electronic services were out of commission, county-wide, due to some problem or another with an accident in Red Hill, Catron’s westernmost town along US 60.

After several attempts at jump-starting her computer, the lady at Rico of Quemado let me gas up, in return for which I was to mail her a check from Prescott.  Of course, the sheriffs of Catron and Yavapai would have seen to it that I kept my word, but it wasn’t necessary.  That’s not who I am, and the check went out two days later.

The point is, one doesn’t come across a more civilized place than the next door neighbour to our White Mountain region, itself quite a neighbourly area.  I will always feel there are friends in Catron.

There are now two main sections of the Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum where animals are prominent.  As with any zoological park, the venomous reptiles and arachnids are kept in displays that are apart from other areas of the zoological segment.  Large predators are likewise kept in areas appropriate for their safety and well-being, and those of all other living creatures, including us.   The new addition to the museum is Warden Aquarium, which focuses on the Sonoran Desert’s rivers, particularly the Colorado, and on the Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez.

Let me start with my greeter, a small lizard.      

Immediately to the right of the lizard’s lair is Warden Aquarium.  You may recognize the animals who greeted me there, as relatives of those featured at the Birch Aquarium, in La Jolla.

Yes, sea horses from the Sea of Cortez!

Moving on, we find more curious animals sticking out of the sand.

These are garden eels, saying “Welcome!” to one and all.

Do you think all minnows are small?

Psych!  These are pike minnows.  They are among the largest members of the minnow family, and are carnivorous, sometimes eating kangaroo rats and small birds, which may get too close to the water’s edge.

I visited this cave, but no bats were around.  Actually, the bat area is off limits, as they transmit fungal and other diseases to humans.

Of the larger predators, the Mexican gray wolves were out and about.  The mountain lions are arthritic and have been sent to Mountain Lion Assisted Living.  A new mountain lion is being sought.  The sea otter is also being replaced.  The coyotes and javelinas  were in hiding, as it was afternoon when I got to their area.

Prairie Dog Town was lively, as always.  Prairie dogs don’t take well to strangers, be they big animals or other prairie dogs from outside the family.

A Great Blue Heron was ruling the roost on this fine spring afternoon, near the lagoon.

Finally, the Desert Bighorn Sheep were ranging about their enclosure.  Arizona has some of these great creatures in an area called Palm Canyon, north of Yuma.

There were no sheeple here today.  Everyone was rather animated and engaged in the magnificent surroundings.

In 1952, desert afficionados William Carr and Arthur Pack began this center for the extensive study of the Sonoran Desert and its surrounding geological areas.  It was named for both Arizona and the neighbouring Mexican state of Sonora, to lend credence to the view of the desert as a biological zone which transcends national and state boundaries.  This was one of the first international biological preservation efforts.

I was delighted to be able to visit this beautiful site, 12 miles west of Tucson, on the afternoon of May 5.  Here are several scenes of its botanical and zoological treasures.  In this post, the plant life takes center stage.                

Cacti and succulents, including spurge, are brought here from around the world, just as they are at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden.  The spurge species below are from Ecuador and from Madagascar.

Flora in the Sonoran Desert can be lush,

or sparse.

A single plant may resemble a colony.

A colony may look like a single plant.

A garden may be in its first stages,

just as a nearby plot is in full bloom.

Some gardens fulfill an ecological role.

Others are more spiritual in purpose.

The Labyrinth Garden, above, is arranged to allow the visitor to experience it, while walking in meditation.  The three plots shown immediately above it are intended to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

As plants set the stage for animal life, so the next post will give a few glimpses of Arizona-Sonora’s fauna.

It is visible from Interstate Highway 19, which links Tucson with the Mexican border:  The gleaming white dome shimmers off to the west.  Upon arrival at Mission San Xavier del Wa:K, one encounters a vibrant little community of Tohono O’Odham people, offering basketry and ceramics- and love for their Creator.  They, and the Akimel (Pima) followed the teachings of a Messenger they called I’itoi (“Elder Brother”), so it was easy for them to embrace Christ, when the Spanish brought His teachings.

The mission is among the most active in the Southwest, with several services on Sunday and Wednesday.

As I approached the church, the outside  balconies were striking.  They were built to replicate Christ’s Mount at Capernaum, when He delivered the Beatitudes.

The mission bells struck twice while I was there.

While waiting for Mass to finish, so my photo shoot inside the  church could commence, I wandered over to the west chapel, and noted this fresco of the Madonna.

While entering the church, I noticed the foyer’s ceiling is similar to that of other Franciscan missions in the area-ocotillo lashings, supported by mesquite beams.

At 10:10, the scrum of photographers were able to enter the sanctuary.  I captured these fine features:

With St. Kateri as witness, the choir is in full voice, each Sunday, from this loft:

A soloist frequently rings forth, from this dais on the side of the nave:

Although I am not a Roman Catholic, I find the efforts made by this faith community are laudable and uplifting. The mission is sure to be the subject of further visits.

Way back on May 4, when the temperature was 82 in Tucson, I spent some time inside the Franciscan mission of San Cayetano de Tumacacori, some 48 miles south of the city.  In the previous post, the exterior of the mission and its splendid surroundings were highlighted.

Here are some views of what lies inside.  First are the door to the foyer and the anteroom’s ceiling.

This brick seat was found in the baptistery, just to the front and left of the nave.

The nave itself served as a seating area for the congregants and ushers.

The sanctuary is still kept somewhat colourful, although it is being slowly restored.

Like many other missions and cathedrals, San Cayetano featured a high, domed ceiling.

The walls had three layers of brick.

Here are what’s left of the steps to the choir loft.

The grandeur, while faded in our time, nevertheless has kept the interest of those who look to our heritage for a sense of how to discern what works from what needs to be cast aside.

In the next two posts, I will focus on the third great piece of Spanish legacy, south of Tucson:  The still active parish of San Xavier del Wa:k (pronounced “bvak”).

The above is a lame parody of New Mexico’s slogan, “Tucumcari Tonight!”, from the 1980’s. Tumacacori, three miles southeast of Tubac, in southern Arizona, is no parody, though.  I spent about 1 1/2 hours there, a week ago Saturday, after checking out the art and history of Tubac.

Tumacacori’s mission, founded by Jesuits and later taken on by the Franciscan order, after the Jesuits were expelled from New Spain, was the reason the garrison at Tubac was built in the first place.

I have split this visit in to two posts, for simplicity’s sake.  This post focuses on the outside of the mission and its garden, orchard and annexes.   Upon arrival, one is greeted by the modern Visitor’s Center, after which a side trip to the lovely front garden is in order.

The area occupied by the Jesuit mission was right in front of the still-standing Franciscan structure.

A closer look at the facade of the later mission shows the endurance of Moorish style.

A small nun’s quarters was maintained to the east of the mission.

The compuerta was used to channel water from the nearby Santa Cruz River.

Other acequias retained water for livestock and the watering of heirloom fruit trees.

There was a large orchard, just east of the mission and convento.

To the immediate northwest of the mission, there is a cemetery and mortuary chapel.

Behind these, there lies the ruin of a storage building.

Also in the southeast sector of the grounds is a traditional Tohono and Pima dwelling:  Melhok Ki.

Above all these, the mission bell still reigns supreme.