Donkey Rescue and Cascabel

On the way to the Cascabel Fair we wanted to stop by Forever Home Donkey Rescue in Benson, Arizona. What we found was a beautiful 30 acre ranch dedicated to helping unwanted donkeys enjoy some quality of life during their remaining years. We got a one-on-one personal tour and were introduced to each and every one of about twenty donkeys. Every donkey has their own story, and many require a special diet or health care. While a few donkeys were once feral, most came from homes where the owners could no longer care for them.

Martha and Donkey Rescue rancher, John, check out some miniature donkeys.

On to Cascabel where we visited "The Christmas Shop" which encompasses the interior of this bus and the shed as well.

Cascabel is a lush oasis that seems to show itself suddenly. After driving through more than twenty miles of Creosote Bushes, dry Yuccas and nary a house or ranch, Cascabels' lush green Mesquite forest pops out of nowhere on the banks of The San Pedro River. The fair itself was surprisingly large, drawing about twenty local artists as well as food and live music.

This unique home and pottery shop were "open house" for the day of the fair.

I love bottle walls; we've seen a few of these lately, and no broken bottles.

This evening we welcome new follower, Carole DeAngeli, from Tucson. Carole has her own blog, In the Sonoran Sun, which is filled with many wonderful photographs. Thanks for coming aboard!