sunday

today started off slow. just the way i like it. got to sleep in, then putter around putting things away, tidying up the place a bit. no pressure.

as the morning wore on, we decided to take the AT bikes out for a bit of exercise. we headed south until we hooked up with 96 ranch road. one of our last camping trips was to the same area with christopher in tow. it was already getting chilly at the elevation we where we camped.

this time we would take the road all the way to oracle, az. w had done this ride, probably on my bmw. i, had not. it was really a very pleasant ride. the road narrows just before you reach the first mountain range. sometimes it was so tight i was unsure what would be around the next corner, or the next dip. once we crested the low running range, our backdrop ceased. it was like entering an area that man had temporarily overlooked in his home-building, ground breaking plight. i'm sure it's not long to stay this way, but it was a special treat to experience it's solitude today. the ground leveled off to hard packed dirt and the ride was pretty quick through it. we had a total of about 120 miles in our little loop today. it took us down through oracle and back up route 79. we stopped in coolidge for some delicious stromboli's at one of our favorite pizza places before heading home at sunset.

i've been in this state for 31 years now. it wasn't until i started dirt biking that i've been able to see what this state truly offers. so much of the land is off the highway, side streets and into the countryside. i used to consider a desert as an ugly, desolate, place. now that i've seen what mother nature tries to conceal, it is anything but. there are so few people that live here that truly have any idea about what lies beyond the cities borders.

i'm one of the lucky ones. we're trying to share that beauty with our grandchildren.