Wednesday Walk Cairin Edition
About once a week Sam and I go for a drive and walk. He’s really good in the car, loves to go, and loves to find new places to mark and smell. This is a spot that's relatively near, but Sam loves to get in and out of the car so it's 'special'
This is in response to a Challenge by @tattoodjay to take photographs of things on a walk. Things you don’t normally see. I really like the challenge and the challenger so here I am again.
Believe it or not this is the end of one of the busiest streets in the Foothills area where I live. Sam and I went looking for some fresh dirt to smell and found it fairly close to home. This is less than 2 miles from where we normally walk, but feels far more remote. Way less traffic of vehicles and humans. If you look really carefully you can see Sam just right of center in this photo.
We were just blundering around the area sort of aimlessly when we came on this. At first I thought it was just another trash dump spot (which really irritates me) but I couldn't have been more wrong.
It's a memorial site. The pile of stones is known as a Cairin. They have meaning to whoever started it, and it's considered good form to add a stone to a Cairin when you pass by. I have a Carin that I tend in SE Utah, and every stone I have placed has a name.
It is obviously an active 'memory site' for somebody. This partial bottle of wine's label and price code are still fresh. In this part of the world that stuff fades out really fast. In spite of the photos we normally have sun that would cook that in a hurry.
There is an automotive grade compass attached to the cross that is the center of this Cairin. I don't know the significance but it felt like a kindred spirit to me.
Then there is this. A bench (or love seat) where somebody obviously sat in some contemplation (I'd guess the bottle of wine was involved) near a small fire. This was recent, but not in the last week. I sat on the bench (but not on the pad) to be sure it was strong enough. It was.
This place moved me. I can't exactly explain the feelings I had (or have) but I treated the site like what it obviously is. A memorial.
We didn't just stop here. For one thing we were better than a mile from the car, and it takes something seriously major to stop us on our appointed walk. Not to far from the Cairin we found this. That is the remains of a Saguro Cactus. They are protected by law and whoever dumped this here would go to jail if known. This one has obviously been here for several years. This is NOT naturally occuring, the nearest Saguaro is at least 10 miles away.
As we were on our way back to the car Sam found an old friend to 'drop in' on. He probably digs for 8 or 10 squirrels per week, and so far he has caught precisely one. He had no clue what to do with it, he ended up getting bit on the cheek and ear and the squirrel escaped to another hole.
But this is really about our walk, the #wednesdaywalk. I really do enjoy this challenge and am grateful to @tattoodjay for sponsoring it.
All words and photos in this post are mine. For better or worse.
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FOR TSE ---> Took me a minute to find Sam. (He's more "in the upper half of the picture" instead of the center to my way of thinking.) Anyway, I did find him, so that's a relief. I wouldn't want to miss out on Sam. (That road looks like it goes on for miles. Exactly the kind of place I used to look for when I go out on my horse. And all the little cross-streets make it look even more interesting.)
As for the memorial. I'd never seen such a thing until we moved to New Mexico. Maybe they have them in other states now. But they are mostly placed at the site of a death from an accident. So you see them a lot along the highways and roads ... but rarely out in the middle of nowhere. Families build them ... and maintain them ... and often there will be a name and dates on the cross. As you said ... a memorial to the moment when someone's heart broke.
It reminds me of a small cemetery not far from where we live now. It's fenced in and grown over -- with maybe fewer than 30 graves in all. It's kind of unexpected when you come up on it -- but it's near where the dogs and I used to like to walk, back in the years I was single.
There are stones scratched in Spanish dating back to the late 1800s. And one family name predominates. Gonzalez. I know some of the stories. But some of them tell their own story.
One is of a man in his early 30s who was killed snowplowing the road back before the county agreed to maintain it. The extended family that lives here bought the equipment, and took turns using it to keep the road clear in the winter. Somehow the machinery tipped over on him. No one can quite figure out how. Nor do they know if he was trapped there or died instantly. He left three preschool children the grandparents helped raise. One thing I've learned about Hispanic families -- you can count on them.
One of those grandparents is buried in that cemetery now. And the largest headstone in the place belongs to what must have been a stillborn infant. From time to time there will be a new teddy bear on the grave. And once on the headstone was a toy telephone. It hurts to think the baby's mother may be waiting for a phone call. If so, I hope it comes through. I've had similar things happen.
Sam digging for squirrels reminds me of an incident with Winston. Winston is the world's least aggressive dog, bar none. But one night when I let him outside -- out front for a minute -- he lunged for something on the porch -- and caught it.
Turns out it was a baby skunk ... a fairly small one. Makes me wonder if it got separated from home and dropped by a predator. (Not the sort of thing we see often, srsly. I've never seen a mom with kits stealing cat food.)
Anyway, we made him drop it -- which didn't take much persuasion. And his breath smelled terrible for the next ... about 6 hours. But nobody got hurt ... and nobody even really got mad. I'd say the encounter surprised everyone ... even the principals. We made Winston drop the baby ... who waddled off more offended than frightened. I'm glad Sam didn't wind up any worse off.
I don't know where the Cairin tradition comes from exactly, but it's a deep southwest thing. Arizona also has the 'family provided' markers for highway fatalities, some of them incredibly elaborate. The one that I notice the most is a very expensive motorcycle helmet mounted on the inside of a corner heading toward Prescott. I'll promise you that helmet WAS NOT in that crash.
I know of several memorials to individuals around. There is a place we call 'little cross mountain' that has three markers on it proclaiming it 'Twila Mountain'. There are also two other 'memorials' there. It's really an amazing thing.
Barney, the Rottweiler that preceded Sam was raised from little with a mamma skunk that had set up house under the corner of the garage. She minded her stuff very well and would bring the new kits out on the lawn every year to romp and play. Barney knew to stay away but they seemed to trust each other pretty well and he got pretty close at times. Even our cats knew the limits with mamma.
Anyway, I was working on a contract and staying with a good friend out in remote E Wash. Barney always went with me so one day before sun up I was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee when a big Male skunk wandered across the lawn. Barney went dancing up to play and the rest is history. It took 4 #10 cans of tomato juice and 2 days until I could stand to be near him. It was that weekend until I let him in the house. He learned.
That scenery is so different from here I find it so calming
That Cairn is so touching clearly very special to someone
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk !tip
It is calming to me too. The changes in the desert are subtle and slow but I enjoy finding them. I've never seen the desert this green in December, it's really different but the same.
The Cairin is special to someone. Some are just put up as trail markers, but some, like this, are dedicated. The biggest one I know of is west of here near a place called 'Gold Rock'. It's so massive that a newspaper tracked down the guy that started it as a memorial to his dog. Literally thousands of people have added a stone...
WOW I hope you can get tot hat one and share with us i would love to see it
I have to admit I love your area if it wasnt for the grandkids being in MA i would be seriously considering somewhere in your part of the country for when I retire
Ok. I followed everyone in your "recommendation list." That's not a bad idea at all. Thank you. After some dithering and moments of back-and-forth consideration I even followed morkrock. He and I occupy different ends of the see-saw politically, but if he's willing to be civil, so am I.
It's definitely an "out of the comfort zone" moment. We'll see how it goes. Learning can be a two-way street -- under the right conditions. In fact, that's one of the best conditions.
This may be the last you hear from me. Today at least. And given that this is my third comment on your post in a row, maybe it's high time. I have work to do. Elsewhere.
Sayonara.
I love seeing Mork's perspective. He's a South African and has a fairly unique view of our politics, and it lets me see pretty clearly what someone outside our system thinks.
I'm guessing I am somewhere between you two. Leaning more toward your views, in fact. Doesn't mean I don't like to know what's going on elsewhere...
We used to have a pretty big problem with our dog digging when she was a puppy. She doesn't do it as much anymore. It was never really a big deal, but it made our yard look funny and then she usually tracked dirt and mud into the house. I am glad she got out of that phase. I am sure if she were chasing a squirrel she would probably go right to town though...
Sam dug in the yard some when I first got him. I think his squirrel chasing has kept him from continuing that habit. I don't worry in the least about him digging in the desert except for the obvious chance of digging up a snake den. I just have to trust his nose.
Oh wow, yeah, that would not be good. I hate snakes. It seems like he would be smart enough to know the difference :)
Wow, that would be very touching to come upon something like this. Especially realizing it had been recently visited. I can imagine how it felt, kind of like you were invading something private, but yet out in the middle of no-where. But good old Sam, he looks like he got some great digging in ;) Love the pictures. We do miss Arizona! Perhaps we'll make it there next summer.
It was so unexpected. I was really surprised by that place. I know of some other Cairins and memorials, but really not just out in the desert like that. I did feel like I was invading something private and I walked carefully and quietly around it.
Sam is way better at digging than he is at catching. He goes in at way too sharp an angle and is under their tunnels in seconds. It IS fun to watch...
Learned something new today about Cairins, I think I have only come across one in my entire life and didn't know that it was proper to add a stone to the site, now I know for next time, if there ever is a next time.
No question that the one you came across is special to someone that they even brought a bench to sit on out there and spend time there.
Any thoughts on why someone would do that cactus that way? Is there any medical use or drug effect from that type cactus?
Cairins are definitely a 'deep southwest' thing. I'm pretty sure the genesis is native, there are some seriously old ones around.
In my case, I used to light a candle for departed friends and loved ones, even though I'm not of that faith. I find that my Cairin in a wildly remote spot is much more satisfying. I'll try to get there in the spring, I owe it four stones.
The saguaro is very iconic and tied to Arizona. In the years after WWII when people started really flocking here people were planting them in their yards at a stupid rate.
Turns out they don't transplant well and the net result was that they were depleting the supply by a huge rate. You see, any Saguaro with arms on it is at least 100 years old. They just don't reproduce like roadside weeds. Anyway, it was easy to project that it would soon only be possible to see them in peoples yards and preserves. So the state stepped in. They have no medicinal value, but every one in a yard or nursery has a permit today.
I know a guy that is carefully growing them and has been since about the time I moved here. He owns a cactus nursery and his hope is that his grandchildren will have an asset to sell... In another 40 years or so...
Anyway, taking a deceased Saguaro to a normal dump is out of the question. Most are killed by over watering. So they dump them in the desert. I know of one place that has a transplanted Saguaro that died and they have braced it and left it standing. It is a striking yard ornament...
Hey my man, I see you crossed over line and have made it to 60 now. Congratulations my friend.
My mother was big on lighting candles in remembrance of people.
It sounds like that cacti is a investment crop for your buddy and not a cash crop for sure. I wonder how much each plant will sell for and how big they will be when ready for sale.
Here's something interesting. I just upvoted your post 100% -- and both GinaBot and Steemworld say I upvoted minnowbooster's post for 95%. No mention of you. But I show up with the whole 100% amount (not that it amounts to much ... so to speak) in your Steemplus voter listing.
Weird. I'm sure @slobberchops and his excursion into an alternate reality this morning has something to do with it.
Do you have minnowbooster as a beneficiary or something on this post? Just wondering. (Plus, I'm getting way, way, way too old for this nonsense.)
You have upvoted @minnowbooster's post! (0.011 STU)
minnowbooster-the-holiday-magic-is-back-for-2019
Vote weight: 95 %
I swear I never touched that post. Nor is it set up on any trail. Nor do I have a slider ATM -- so there's no way to vote anything except at 100%.
(Sigh)
Blame SteemPlus. I'm now in my third day of testing. I haven't done anything with beneficiaries (at least not intentionally) or anything just trying out the feel.
Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!
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That's a spectacular post @bigtom13! A very special landscape, a very surrealistic scene, an almost movie like decor with the bench and the memorial... There are many possible stories to be written with this post, it certainly triggers the imagination.
Thank you for sharing this, and a big hug for Sam today <3
Thank you. That memorial Cairin was not what I was expecting, and it really did move me. It was a place neither one of us had ever been to, and the surprise was pretty complete.
I have given Sam the hug. I explained to him that it was from you. :)
What an interesting walk! And you and Sam found so much out there to take photos.of. That memorial is quite touching.
Up until we came to the memorial it was just another walk on another day. Turned out to be memorable.
The compass really fires the imagination, maybe it is a memorial to a man who was always getting lost, and the compass was a way they could be assured that he would stay on the right path on his next Journey!
Yeah, that's a possibility. When I was standing there I thought of Gandalf and "Not all who wander are lost." I tend to fit into that category, so that's where my mind went.
Very interesting thought. Thanks for bringing it here.