Monday, April 13, 2020

School In The Back Country

One thing you can't get away from is school.  Even as a kid in the mining town of Ruby, there was no respite.  It probably kept kids out from under foot for most of the day.  This corner was the original school, built some time around 1916.
Behold ..... the donkey bus.  Many kids were "driven" to school on these donkeys.  I would have loved THAT bus!!  By 1935 with the growth of the mine, came more and more kids, so an addition was attached to this original building.  It's the wooden structure on the right above.
With still more kids coming in to town, one last structure was attached to the original building at the back, providing more space for grades one through eight.
While this room was being built, a huge tent with wooden floor and galvanized roof was put up to accommodate the 150 kids now attending.  
This is inside the original schoolhouse.  Can't you just imagine sitting here wishing you were outside playing in the cistern?
Weirdly, there were still some lockers left next to what looked like three shower rooms.  Do you think they had P.E. way back then?
Here's the best part of the whole affair.  They had the nicest outhouse at the school.  Interestingly enough, I didn't see any evidence of doors.  Yes I looked for a leftover roll of toilet paper just in case I ran short, but none was to be found.
Around the side was this very long slide.  It certainly would not have accommodated an adult, and I think it was fifteen feet tall!!  Now THAT would have been fun!!
There were a couple of weird looking cactus by the school.  I've no idea what this is as I've never seen it before.  Does it not look like a crown of thorns?
And so we were off again, heading up and out of the little valley as the road got narrower and narrower, steeper and steeper.  It's a good thing we didn't run in to traffic because there was no room to pass.
By this time we began to run in to Border Patrol right and left.  I think there were six or seven trucks that went speeding by.  We passed another mobile tower, so I suspect someone was spotted crossing the mountains.  
I think when we started out from Ruby, the sign said 20 miles to the lake.  It felt like 50.
Eventually we spotted several campers way down in the valley.  Social distancing, I'm sure.  We were in the Coronado National Forest and saw evidence of fire rings and places to park.
Just at that second, two young deer scampered across the road.  I almost missed them.  Deer butts!!
At long last, Pena Blanca Lake!!  Yahoo!!!  We survived the gravel road and didn't get robbed or hijacked.  We stopped in for a little lunch, as did several other folks, but all coming from the other direction where the road was paved.
I'll fill you in on that later.  If you're ever in the area, it's a beautiful place to spend some time.  In the meantime, tomorrow I'll show images of the inside of San Xavier Del Bac Mission so Doug can see what he missed when we found the doors were locked.  I hope when he returns next year, he will check it out.  







14 comments:

  1. Your cactus picture is a barrel cactus or fishhook cactus look closely at the quills they look like a fishhook
    If you could find one about the size of a softball dig it up bring it home planet in the ground they're real hearty and they bloom once a year the bloom will run in layers it'll bloom about three times each layer coming into bloom while the other layer dies off and the other layer blooms
    Taco Nayarit are you Slipping in a subliminal cut

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    1. If I had seen one of those cactus in my neighborhood, it would probably be in my back yard. Sadly, no sightings yet!!

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  2. I love where all those people are camped..good for them! That road looks scary to me! I love the name you gave the cactus. Crown of Thorns very appropriate for Easter :) I used to love tall slides, but that one looks like a killer slide! What a great trip you took!

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    1. The road would have been much less scary in my Jeep, half the size of the big truck ... but Dan's an expert driver!!

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  3. Another interesting post but like Shirley said that slide could have been dangerous for anyone that fell off. Great pictures as always.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. That slide was crazy. I can't believe they let kids slide down!!

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  4. What a beautiful area for camping. I love your name for the cactus and that slide....yikes!

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  5. Looks like a beautiful area. Like your name for the cactus.

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    1. That's exactly what that cactus looked like. It was a nice day, to say the least.

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  6. Great looking school and that slide is something. A kid could break their neck going down that. And you found a lake too. Ill have to see Pena Blanca Lake. And of course the inside of the mission too.

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    1. There's an easier drive to the lake Doug. A perfect spot for a picnic.

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  7. Love the one room schoolhouses, I attended a couple and two 2-room ones. They weren't so unique to me as a child but now upon reflection, I think they were great.
    I do believe that is a healthy barrel cactus that just hasn't grown up too tall.

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    1. It's a wonder how they taught all eight grades in one room. I agree about the cactus. There were actually two and both were stunted.

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