All of the long weekend we'd been planning to visit Apple Annie's out in Wilcox, pick peaches and pick up on some sweet corn and roasted chiles. Alas, Brendan doesn't like any of those things and wasn't hot on the idea...and chemo kept me bagged out until Monday. That morning everyone was waffling on the trip and in the end I set out on my own...with Apple Annie's now relegated to a pit-stop on my way to New Mexico to stock up on some more fireworks. (The neighbors have kindly put up with our moderate backyard pyrotechnics; colored smoke balls during the day and sparkling fountains by night....but we're going to have to find a remote and denuded location to set off the good stuff.) After the fireworks shopping, my plan is to explore some backroads around the Peloncillo Mountains, a low but rugged mountain range running along the southern Arizona-New Mexico borderlands.
U-pickers go for tomatoes while a thunderstorm cell hits the Winchester Mountains.
It was a bit stormy on my way into the Peloncillo Mountains, heading north of Interstate 10 from San Simon. Such days can provide surprise photo opportunities; alas, much of this day was looking to be bleak and shadowless.
This fork off the backroad ends at a ranch, as many of them turn out to.
The owners of this ranch don't seem too friendly, but I'm always respectful of private property.
Cows on a hillside...okay, that's creative, Eric.
Then how about a little mule deer spied through the creosote bush?
I followed this road for several miles...
...on my way to the last outpost of photo opportunity for the day: Orange Butte.
I'm not kidding, and the photo-buzz tingle had begun.
I come around to the northside of Orange Butte and...oh...my...god!
The sun's last light upon the blazing volcanic cliff face of Orange Butte.
Now, back to that rainbow.
It appeared as if sheets of rain were emerging from the bow itself.
Pure magic!
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