On the road again - New Mexico

Saturday, Aug 28
After having spent two lovely nights in the guest house at Canelo, it's back to camping tonight. We're bedding down in the Chiricahua National Park, in the land of the Apache general Geronimo; you'll find us if you take a left off 80 N at Rodeo and head towards Portal. Thankfully Athena pointed us here when we left Canelo at around 3.30pm and it was clear we weren't going to make it to Silver City tonight; the Rough Guide mentions the park but not the campgrounds. And thankfully it's stopped raining and we can see the stars. As well as silhouettes of crazy-looking rocks- - can't wait to see what this looks like in daylight.
The afternoon monsoon rain started shortly after we left Canelo, and what a torrential downpour it was! There must have been at least an inch of water on the road in the slight dips, and we'd get that kshshshsh sound of water against the bottom of the car, as when fording a river, and there'd be resistance against the steering wheel, as when skiing and going from the piste to deep snow.
Canelo - N on 83 - short cut on country road through Elgin - make a 120 turn over the bridge - E on 82- S on 90 to Sierra Vista, which is a military supply town. Athena modified the route she'd first given me when she remembered Wren wasn't a US citizen and we'd get turned around if we used the local road across the base.
On to Bisbee via 90, and a return to red rocks hedging in the road, after the open green plain ringed by blue mountains that is the landscape around Canelo.
Bisbee is an old (100 years or so) copper mining town. It's the first place to feel like a town since Flagstaff. Something about the 3-storey houses, the compactness of the streets tucking into the hillsides, people walking about, restaurants and bars bustling with customers. We strolled about the artists' quarter (houses decked out with murals and mannequins and peace signs, angry graffiti in empty lots condemning gentrification) and had a sit-down burrito at San Lorenzo's (?).
As we drove out of town we passed the open quarry, at least a mile of it, closed in 1975 but still producing several thousand tons (?) of copper every day/week/month (?) through leaching.
Continued along 90 to Douglas as the sun set behind us (another gorgeous tableau of pinks and purples and reds, streaks of color and puffy clouds edged in silver) and a lighting storm sent down jagged rays ahead of us and off to our right. Douglas is another border town, and has the wall with Mexico to show for it. We took a wrong turn and dead-ended into it. Word has it that the Mexican town of Agua Prieta on the other side is far more attractive.
Put Barbera Kingsolver's La Lacuna on the stereo and had a snooze while Wren drove.
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The morning at Canelo: skyped and formulated a potential plan for end Sept on; chatted w W; coffee and toast and cherry-butter w Athena - asked about coming back at a later date and talked about things related; fed the chickens and picked tomatoes w Tom; showered; more chat w Athena & Wren (Santa Fe and the Anglo-Spanish-Indian contingents; belonging - independence; stages of child development; leaping and the net appearing at Canelo); took a walk in the hills w W...and finally tore ourselves away when their friend John arrived from Tucson.
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