Trip to Safford / Supplies and wide open country

Yesterday a trip to Safford AZ to go to the Home Depot to find what little I couldn't find at the Mercantile in Animas . Essentially I'm sitting here with a fresh cup of coffee thinking , now what would interest others in my trip yesterday ? To start with it's always interesting to go up Rt 80 through Granite Gap and on towards Road Forks  the subdued colors of the high desert give way to a clash of colors in the rocks , boulders and cliffsides of the mountains. Ranging from a dirty brown , slow moving creek color to a higher shade tan the ground cover includes mesquite , snake bush , cats claw , sage and wild rosemary . The minerals of the smaller rock and split boulders glisten in the sunlight like shards of broken glass , as you climb upwards through the pass different strata of rock glow with mauve to a deep maroon . Various lichen growing almost in a carpet show colors ranging from a key lime green to a verdant yellow mixed with a chartreuse shading , depending on where the sun is at right then . You don't get bored driving this route . Rocks and boulders the size of your vehicle rest on the sides of the road waiting just waiting . There is one spot a boulder rests that is roughly the size of a small house , all alone it sits there , no evidence of where it broke off from or even a clue as to what part of the cliff face it may rolled away from , just is there .
Through the gap and the rolling plain of the basin we call home extends towards I -10 and Road Forks , hop on 10 over to 90 and the journey north resumes with wide open grass lands and more rolling terrain . Still climbing in altitude but it is gradual , so no ear popping , rising to Safford , running slow at 50 - 55 mph watching the terrain change more hills creeping up to become mountains , almost a hundred miles of driving without signs of civilization , total vehicles seen on this stretch 4 . A very good day , so far .
Supplies in the van , even did the monthly grocery at the Safeway , it's back on the road and the descent back to the Ranch .The summer sun moves slowly across the distances of eastern Arizona / western New Mexico , as usual I wonder how the ones who came before us dealt with these distances , carrying everything they owned with them walking , on horse back , in wagons . It's still a rough country , break down out here and oh well , you get the picture .
Made it back to the Ranch with no mishaps and only one detour , just had to go down that road , it may or may not have been shorter but I avoided a few miles of interstate . Arriving home , I put the supplies away , fired up the Cobb cooker and readied a burger with green chilis , a silo size glass of ice tea and sit my butt down to watch the mountains and wild life till dark . Life ain't bad if you let it just be ..
A few pictures of the blooms around the fish pond by the office .
Stay tuned ...