October 23 -- The Uniqueness of the Chiricahuas, and Portal As A Community

Sorry, there isn't much in the way of eye-opening photos today, and it was hard to take pics of a meeting, transporting tables, and dinner with friends. The sunrise wimped-out once again -- it was a clear blue sky. The main thing today was folks from Portal, and Rodeo, across the border in New Mexico, coming together as a community to provide help for the future of Cave Creek Canyon and the community in general. First up was a meeting of the board of Friends of Cave Creek Canyon. The FOCCC is made up of people, mostly local, who are trying to raise public awareness of the unique  qualities of Cave Creek Canyon, and discussing the present state of things. Among issues discussed were the recent meeting between residents and the Forest Service, future plans for the CCC campgrounds, events and social gatherings sponsored by the FOCCC or in which they're involved, and how to attract more visitors in general. As I've mentioned before, the Chiricahuas, and Cave Creek Canyon in particular, are one of the premier "sky islands" here in SE Arizona, Sky islands are mountain ranges that, because of the harsher land surrounding them, have flora and fauna that are unique to them. The Huachucas, Santa Ritas, Catalinas, and others are examples of sky islands, but the Chiricahuas have the greatest diversity, and in the greatest numbers. 5 of the 9 life zones are here; 375 bird species have been recorded, with some Mexican species where the mountains of SE Arizona, and the Chiricahuas in particular, are their northernmost ranges. There are 16 species of bats here, 4 of skunks, 46 of reptiles, 71 species of mammals, over 30 of snakes (which seem to get the most publicity in the outside world), and over 300 species of spiders. It's why experts of herpetology, biology, arachnids, birds, etc live or spend time here, for research and living amongst such diversity. Astronomers and astrophysicists  live at Sky Village, just down the road from Portal, where houses come with observatories; the sky is among the clearest in  the nation, with very little, if any, light "pollution". The Chiricahuas are a vibrant and thrilling area to be in , but the public perception naturally dwells on disasters -- and the Chiricahuas, admittedly, have had their share in the past few years. In 2011 the Horseshoe 2 fire burned over 40,000 acres, mostly of forest, and contributed to the floods triggered by Hurricane Odile in September 2014. But they've rebounded quite well from those calamities, and continues to be one of the most unique areas in all of North America. If it weren't so far off the beaten path, the Chiricahuas, or a least the Cave Creek Canyon area, would be been a national park long ago. But perhaps it's a good thing that it was never made one, as its fragility and uniqueness would probably have been impacted in a negative way. But, getting back to Friends of Cave Creek Canyon, it's the group's main focus to promote the Chiricahuas, and Cave Creek Canyon it particular, as a destination for the public, and to help ensure that there are enough accommodations for the visitors through monitoring and discussions with the various agencies, mainly federal, that manage the land.

Portal and the surrounding areas as a community...I come from southern California, land of anonymity. You could be living next to the same person for years -- and never know them, or even see them until their bodies are removed from their house by 911 responders. Here, everyone pitches in -- and for the most part are glad to do so (it's up to you to help out; most services are made up of volunteers). Portal Rescue and various clubs and organizations are made up of your neighbors and friends -- necessary in an area that is far away from services that city dwellers take for granted. And there are social gatherings, open to the public. We just had 5 days of Irish music, with music classes and concerts with known musicians, and this Saturday is Oktoberfest -- the 12th annual one, in fact. It's sponsored by a local club (The Sew What) and is a fundraiser that helps out with scholarships for local Rodeo and Portal area high school seniors. Bratwurst and the Portal cafe, a bake sale of homemade goods made by local people, and a silent auction both bring people together and raise money for a worthy cause. I was privileged to be involved in the setup --

It will be fun -- and I'll be contributing Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownies to the bake sale...

The day ended with a dinner at the Rodeo Tavern with friends -- Bruce, Tim, Susan and Burt. After dinner and conversation (ok, and some beer) we left in our cars and trucks, heading out to a land of no sidewalks, streetlights, street signals, or, well most of the things that a city, even a town, has. And, frankly, I don't miss them at all.