12/26/06
We spent a very nice Christmas Day. In the morning we puttered around the house and then as the day warmed up, we went Jeeping with Larry and Jean. We decided to make it a short jaunt since we were fairly tired from the day before and our hike to the Salado cliff dwellings. We had previously found a neat road that traveled through the desert on a pretty good, although seldom used Jeep Trail. We first stopped at a small stone structure, speculating on what it might have been used for. Reaching no conclusion, we drove on to a lovely grove of pecan and walnut trees located near a spring burbling out of the ground. There was an abundance of blackberry bushes in the area (making a mental note to return there and gather berries before the bears could get them in late spring.) The next stop was at the site of Sunrise Mine, an old Fluorite mine, nothing much left to see there because the mine had been intentionally covered over.
Further on down the road we explored an old homestead and scavenged for horseshoes to take home with us. Spending Christmas Day in the back country, leaning against our Jeep, gazing at the majestic scenery and having good conversation with friends was a wonderful experience. A very good day indeed.
