A Scenic Drive and a Decapitated Bird

On Tuesday Bill and I decided to take a scenic drive that I had read about on-line.  Our friends, Rich and Ronda, came along for the adventure.

First let me tell you about the bird.  Sometimes strange things happen...things you could never plan or ever expect.  Well, we were driving along I-10 and enjoying our stimulating conversation, when all of a sudden, we heard a "thunk."  I had heard that noise in the past, whenever a bug would hit the windshield.  But today's "thunk" was louder. 

I was in the front passenger seat and looked out my window to see this:

 

We were all shocked!  A bird had flown into the CB radio antenna on the truck.  What are the chances???  And then we noticed blood splatter along the windows of the truck and down the side of the truck to the tailgate.  Of course Bill, my hero, took care of the situation.  Once we exited the interstate, Bill pulled off to the side of the road and did the manly thing.  He donned his work gloves and removed what remained of the bird from the antenna.  And yes, indeed, the poor thing was decapitated.  Sorry I didn't get a picture.  You'll have to take my word for it.  : )


Now we were ready to begin our scenic drive.  Today we explored Rucker Canyon.  It was a beautiful day for a beautiful drive into the Coronado National Forest and the Chihuahua mountains.

As we turned off of Hwy 191 and headed onto Rucker Canyon Road, we saw these...tanks!  What the heck?  Actually there were three tanks.  I could fit only two into my picture.  Whatever.... 

 

We continued on Rucker Canyon Road, which eventually turned into Forest Service Road 74 after entering the Coronado National Forest.  Beautiful vistas were on every side.

 

 

 

Being fellow-Yellowstoners, the four of us are used to seeing signs like this one.  But, alas, no bear was to be seen.

 

(However, we did come across a couple of nice campgrounds that Bill and I may visit with our tenting gear.)

I had read that Fort Rucker, an active U.S. Army outpost from 1878-1880, was located in this area.  Apparently, some remnants still remain from the fort that was used during the campaign against the Chihuahua Apache who were led by Geronimo and Cochise.   We had hoped to come across it.

As we were driving along, we saw an adobe building on the other side of a field.  We also saw what looked like an information placard in front of the building.  We parked in a cleared area and went through a fence.  Sure enough, we found Fort Rucker.

Fort Rucker was first known as Camp Supply.  The name was changed in 1878 after Lt. John A. Rucker drowned in nearby White Canyon Creek while trying to save the life of a comrad, Lt. Austin Henely.

Here are Bill and Rich taking a look at what remains of the Captains' Quarters.  It appears that someone, perhaps U.S. Forest folks, have made some repairs to the buildings, as most of them had new metal roofs.

 

There was no information provided about this house, but I believe it was built after Fort Rucker closed and the property went into private ownership via a squatter's claim.  The property then changed hands a few times and was used as a ranch headquarters, until the last owner donated the property to the U.S. Forest Service.

 

Ronda found us a nice spot for a picnic, and after lunch, we took the obligatory group shot.

What a great day!  It was an all day drive, and on our way home, I received an important phone call from Xanterra, the company we work for in Yellowstone.  I'll share more with you once I get the OK.