We’ve been in Patagonia a week now & the weather has been perfect mid-to-high-20’s for highs & sunny.  We’ve walked the Nature Conservancy lands nearby & visited Paton’s yard where all the bird feeders are.  We’ve seen quite a few of our favourites but are unlikely to find any lifers easily this year, since we’ll be in many of the same places.  But you never know!

While walking the Nature Conservancy lands we had a wonderful sighting, just as the man who volunteers for 6 months to live there & open the gate Wed-Sun was telling us:  he saw a pair of bobcats mating the other day near the large cottonwood trees across the field.  We looked over, and there was one of the bobcats!  Pretty far away, but very exciting nonetheless.

AZ is suffering a drought right now & the creek which runs through this property is just a trickle compared to last year when we were here.  Perhaps some rain in the next month or so will help – hope so!  We did find the resident Western Screech Owl sunning himself in his nest cavity.

On Thursday we made a shopping trip into Nogales (which is nearly on the border w/ Mexico) where we stocked up on groceries, etc.  One of my best purchases is a new pair of black sneakers which are nearly impossible to find in Calgary – but I got ’em at JC Penny’s – yay!  Bill also bought new sneakers.  We decided to eat out when we got back & found an Italian place of all things!  It had really nice write-ups in “Yelp”.  It’s called “Cose Buone” (good things) & indeed they were!  We were the only couple in there, the owner, Gene Greigo, having opened just for us!  It was a memorable meal – maybe in my top 10 of all time!  The music was crooners, etc. (Buble, Krall, Sinatra, King Cole, Vaughn, etc.) which we love.  Four course set menu w/ choice of main:

1) A thin crouton each – 1/2 w/ black olive tapenade, 1/2 gorgonzola spread + 5 tiny green olives

A small loaf of crusty sourdough bread on the side!

2) mesclun salad w/ small red pickled cherry pepper stuffed w/ tuna mousse

3) bruscetta w/ amazing tomatoes + marinated butter beans

4) cheese stuffed spinach tortellini in slightly spicy broth (Bill’s favourite)

5) we both chose chicken marsala w/ sautéed fresh spinach for our main (there were leftovers & Gene sent them home for our lunch the next day!).

Wish I’d taken some photos of the food!  (Next time!)  Does this remind anyone of my letters home from Australia?  Seems all I wrote about back then (40 yrs ago) was food (sigh)!

We had some clouds & high winds yesterday & it caused a beautiful sunset.  Here’s a view from our “patio” (the cement pad beside our trailer.

It is another clear, sunny day today and I thought you’d like to see the setting we’re in with only a couple of other RV’s in this place right now.

Hopefully more walks & birds soon!