Walt Connects with His Heritage

Walt gave me a trip for Christmas. He did not know where, but said it was forthcoming. Finally, he told me we were going on a road trip to Safford Arizona, the place where he was born. It is not far from New Mexico and we traveled a total of 1200 mile.. We left the third week of February for four days. On the way there, we toured the Petrified Forrest, and it was mind boggling that the trees were once like mighty red woods.  They are now as rocks among the cactus and sand, standing or laying as reminders of a world long ago. 

Then on to Walt's great grandfather Moses Cluff 's ranch of over 788 acres near Pima at the foot of the Graham Mountains. The Fish and Game bought it after WWII, so it is intact. It is still called Cluff Ranch and is an amazing place. I was surprised by the farm country near Safford and Pima. I was expecting nothing but snakes, cactus, and lizards. Instead, it is a rich farm land with a river and a network of canals. It was humbing to walk the paths his fore fathers and mothers walked. They were amazing people. We took pictures of pictures behind glass at the tiny visitor room. One picture of his great grandmother looked strikingly like his neice, Sherre Finicum Henderson, daughter of his sister Nelda. Walt and I enjoyed the trip, but we have always enjoyed traveling together. We listened to audio books Old Yeller and Louie Lamour's High Lonesome, listened to talk radio, and communicated with each other. Even though it was dedicated to Walt's roots, it was still joy to me seeing  him connect with his heritage.