Globe to Safford, AZ

78 Miles (last 10 with the benefit of a Tailwind….as rare as seeing a Unicorn)

Brrrrrr. It was a chilly morning 43 degrees as we headed out on this fine St. Patrick’s Day. The cool temp combined with several miles of descent, made for frost on my pumpkins. And hands, and legs. After such a hard day yesterday today was high mileage, but a great ride.  A long descent, rolling hills, and a tailwind was as enjoyable as a pot of  gold at the end of a rainbow! (corny? sure, but I am tired and silly).

The route led us through the San Carlos Apache Reservation for many, many miles.
What a a spectacular view to our left. Mountains and more mountains with spots of green amongst the desert landscape. The Saguaro cactus dotted the hills which made it look as though they had marched off of the desert floor and climbed the hill to stake their claim.

And then there was the view to the right. I have mentioned the trash in previous posts, but the roadside in the reservation was blanketed by trash. Discarded bottles-plastic and glass were everywhere for miles and miles. You could not help but be disheartened by the sheer volume and what appears to be apathy about it.

My thoughts wandered to my trip to Kenya many years ago. We stopped in at a Masai Village where we toured their dung mud huts, and their community circle. (All for a donation, of course). I remember how my first thoughts about how they lived were ones of disbelief…how could they live like this? Then I thought about it a bit more, and they were not to be pitied as they were not impoverished. They lived in a community with family, where they farmed and worked together to fulfill their needs. They had big smiles, and children played and laughed openly. Difficult at times not to judge others by how you live, what you are accustomed to and what is normal.

I did not feel this through the Reservation. We saw little activity, lots of forlorn and unkempt homes. I counted three dead dogs on the side of the road. It just felt sad.

I refocused my thoughts on the ride and the beauty of the landscape.
Tonight is our last day in Arizona already. To celebrate we stopped at Taylor Freeze in Pima for an ice cream. What a great place, if you are ever in Pima, AZ it is a must stop.

I arrived at our hotel ok, motel and was treated to a St. Patrick’s day card sent by three of my favorite lasses. Thank you!