We arrived at the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge on March 4 and immediately fell in love with the lonely landscape. This is a huge area of over 660,000 acres set aside in 1939 for the protection of mainly the desert bighorn sheep. With management and enhancement of natural water holes the population of the bighorn sheep has increased to the point that they have ben transplanted throughout Arizona and neighboring states. With rugged one-track 4-wheel drive roads into the Refuge we were able to explore some of these water holes. The fall rains over Thanksgiving have carpeted the desert with green. Gold, red, orange, purple and white flowers are bursts of color that cannot be duplicated in pictures! It is the bighorn sheep calving season so they are high in the mountains and virtually inaccessible, so we haven’t seen them or any sign of them. The birds however are very active, singing even through the night.

Horse tanks in the Castle Dome mountains. The water holes are typically referred to as 'tanks'.

A millenia of intermittent water flow has streaked this rock. Most water holes are a series of depressions in a natural water flow pattern. The Fish & Wildlife Dept. has dammed some of the flow to enlarge the water holes and increase the availability and reliability of water in this desert landscape.

Exotic animal life in Sayulita, Mexico!

Parrots on a patio encountered on our walk through town.

A wild iguana in the tree in front of the house, visible from our outside shower!

A large male iguana residing in a huge sanctuary tree in the patio of a restaurant right in town, aptly named The Iguana Azul!

While we were in Sayulita we experienced their national celebration of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 on Nov. 20. There was a parade through the main streets with bands, caballeros on horseback and kids dressed as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, heroes of the revolution. The main square was filled with revelers and kids all day and into the night!

And the band played on.

Pancho Villa and Zapata!

A young girl in dancing costume on the square.

We walked all over town, up in the hills above town, down to the beaches in and out of town. One beach was accessible through the cemetery and carried the name ‘Playa de los Muertos’ – Beach of the Dead. We did some snorkeling there and saw incredible fishes, including a ray, puffer fish and a pipefish, as well as colorful purple, blue and yellow little fishes darting around the rocks. We reached another beach after a hike through the forest and were rewarded with a pristine view, unpeopled and rugged.

Down the street outside our hacienda.

the bay and main beach of Sayulita from high in the hills overlooking the Pacific.

The gateway to the cemetery on the way to Playa de los Muertos.

Pristine Carritos beach after a long, hot hike through the jungle!

Our recent trip into Mexico with the camper was a little different from our trip to Sayulita, Mexico in November, 2008. We flew from Bend into Puerto Vallarta with 3 good friends and quickly found our driver for the 35 mile drive north to the little fishing town of Sayulita. We were struck by the humidity and tropical vegetation, having come from the cold northwest! Our driver found the house we rented right in town, about 3 blocks from the beach, and we easily settled into the relaxed, comfortable and friendly atmosphere!

The first view of the house through the courtyard door at the top of the stairs down to the patio.

Looking back up the stairs to the courtyard door from the patio.

A portion of the patio, to the right there is an outdoor kitchen with grill, a built-in smoker for smoking meat & fish, and a sink!