cartour 19

Wilcox, Arizona
Public Library
April 1, 2016

Patagonia Elementary and Museum

     Slave to the blog now. Tertiary roads and towns today but yesterday was a concentrated bike of Patagonia and surrounds. Back streets and the museum/elementary school. Eventually down a dirt road to the creek and cottonwoods conserved by the Nature Conservancy since 1966. Biked through the trees by the clear stream on the old railway route. Must have had lunch. Off to the 17 minutes away Patagonia Lake State Park where we had made a reservation couple of days before, or was it weeks; have to check with S. on that. Slotted into #14 ten feet above the lake. Set up and unwrapped the firewood, juniper pieces about 2 feet long and very pungent. Tried a trail after Keven the visitor center woman in the camp told me there were no legal bikeable trails around. As trail rounded end of lake it entered a cow hangout that S. found unpleasant. Looked good except for the cow shit but we turned back after a while to head to the Wagon Wheel Saloon mentioned earlier for dinner with the locals raucously at party.
     Two shots of third tier up from house tequila for me after some negotiation on the matter of hard liquor and 17 minutes of driving back to camp the upshot of which was S would drive and implicitly I would have two shots of the slightly high-tone liquor. One of the raucous stopped over to chat, name of Lars. Lars involved in local politics by virtue of wanting to quit his long term organization of the 4th of July events in Patagonia and the subsequent anxiety about who and what would happen after his exit form these duties; it got ugly. S. was sympathetic. S. said the tequila (she allowed herself one) had finally driven the stench of cow pies from her. A good but not great night in Patagonia. S. also wanted credit here for her earlier swim in the lake which is now given although honestly I can't see how it was that big a deal but I didn't do it so have no standing.
     Fire was worth it even though I dropped the top of the fire paste tube into the flames. I napped earlier probably while S. swam but the both of us passed a restful night.

Note: "Ovens of Patagonia" best cinnamon rolls and bread.

Patagonia Main Street

Old Patagonia train station

Creek and Cottonwoods as it once was more often around about

Immense old broken thing

Pretty but poopy although you can't see the pies so well but trust me

Patagonia Lake very sweet and, as mentioned, S. went in