A Smart Mouse

Saturday started out really nice.  I don't usually get up early enough to see a sunrise, but this morning I sort of  opened my eyes about 6:30 and this is what I saw out my bedroom window.  I reached over and grabbed the phone and took a picture and promptly went back to sleep.

When I finally arose for good I checked all of the mouse traps that I had set the night before and to my surprise everyone of them were licked clean and none of them were sprung.  Remember I had set 6 traps last night so the odds were against the mouse.  But just like in Vegas, sometimes you win, and this time the mouse won.  I will have to re-think my attack.

Before the day started I took a little walk down the road from where we are parked.  I took a picture looking up the road to the Ponderosa.  I hope I put the emergency brakes on when I parked it.

After lunch we headed to Montezuma's Castle National Monument to check out the cave dwellings.  It is near Camp Verde which is just east of us.

The first thing we saw were a lot of trees with no bark which were quite white in colour.  We asked the ranger and she said they are Arizona Sycamore trees.  Very pretty trees, but very naked looking.

The cliff dwellings are very interesting and make one wonder how much work is must have been to build these, but once built, they were like a fortress against the elements and any intruders.

After visiting the cliff dwellings we headed over to Montezuma's Well which is a large bowl of water which is regenerated constantly from beneath the ground.

The trees up on the top seemed to grow right out of the rocks and their roots must go down a long way to get the water they need.

As we were walking the trails we were reminded that almost everything in Arizona either prickles, bites, or blows in your eyes.

Down below the bowl is the outlet for the water.  The early natives created canals with rocks and mud to divert this water to where they were growing crops.  Very ingenious for that long ago.

Charlie even got a present from Kyra for being such a good dog in the parks.  We think he is a little spoiled, especially by her.  Thanks Kyra.

Oh and maybe I am spoiled a little too because she bought me a medallion for my walking stick.  Thanks again Kyra.

I always enjoy a day where we check out the history of the area around us.  There are so many interesting things to see and do that it could take a lifetime to see them all just in this small area.

Tonight we are camped on BLM land near Cottonwood AZ at 34.66837, -111.9620 and this is the view from our window.