One event that Jeff was looking forward to doing once we returned to Payson was fishing with his dad. Here in Payson, we sit at 5,000 foot elevation which makes the weather cooler and we are amongst pine trees, oak trees and Manzanita bushes. At Jeff’s parents house they put out feeders for the birds so they are frequented by all the feathered friends like hummingbirds buzzing around the flowers, red Cardinals looking so dramatic, Wood peckers knocking on the tree trunks, quail running across the driveway with little ones in tow, doves cooing, hawks preying, eagles on the hunt, crows crowing and so many small finches and wren flinting around the feeders in flocks of yellow breasted flurry.
Of course the bird feeders also attract the furry friends like gray squirrels with their fluffy curled up tails ready to store nuts up for the winter. We even made special friends with one special gray squirrel named Peanut! He decided it was worth human contact to get those pecans he was hand fed.
There are also cute furry bunnies hopping with their cotton tails. Jeff’s parents have seen a family of Javelina on their property, those furry animals that look like wild boar with their split hooves and pig snout noses. Their young are striped and so adorable when they follow their mom in an obedient trail. They have also had elk but they prefer these stately creatures stay out of their flower beds. Off in the distance on a starry night they can hear the coyotes howling and the elk bugling their high pitch call.
Payson boasts having a section of the Mongollon Rim (pronounced Muggy-own)in its territory, this is a dominate geographic feature of Arizona and its 7000 ft elevation divides the “hot country” from the “cool country” of Arizona. It formed during a prehistoric mountain “event” that also formed the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau. It runs for 200 miles to New Mexico, in fact it’s name comes from the time of Spanish rule under the Governor of New Mexico in 1712, long before it was part of the United States.
One of my favorite things to do when I’m at Doug and Lynn’s House in Payson is to run to the top of the Rim and watch the sun rise as it casts its golden glow across the Rim illuminating the valley below. I also love to run down the hill from their house to the trails, what a welcome change to run on the red course sand on the winding trail under a canapy of pine trees.
The lake we went to was about 30 minutes from Jeff’s parents house called Woods Canyon Lake and it sits on top of the Mongollon Rim, the scenic part that can be driven on for 41 miles. But what all of that means for us here on the Mongollon Rim is that we have good fish’n! Rainbow trout to be exact.
Well this “fish’n day” with dad turned out to be pretty epic! Doug says he caught the biggest fish of his life! They started out doing “catch and release” but soon when they saw these 18 inchers they decided to keep ‘em!
Doug cleaned them and cooked them on the grill with lemon, butter and pepper. To our surprise the meat was pink like Salmon! We were so wrapped up in the moment that I forgot to take a picture of our dinner that night. However, we made Trout Patties for dinner with the left-overs the next night and I managed to photograph that!
Lynn and I enjoyed kayaking around the lake while the guys fished. We saw bald eagles perched high on the tree tops with their keen eyes on the lake because the fish were jumping! What a site to see as the fish jumped feet out of the water to catch an insect, creating a splash of water droplets caught for a glistening moment in the blue sky while the ospreys swooped down to catch the fish.
Lynn & I kayaking in Wood Lake on Mongollon Rim
The edge of the lake has the same red rock as on the walls of the Grand Canyon and is dotted in pine trees. It was so beautiful in the morning light as the green horizon was reflected on the still lake water creating a mirror image of the trees. I also spotted a few aspens on the water edge that will be beautiful as they shed their summer wardrobe of green for a coat of yellow, the perfect change for fall.
If you are interested in having your own Payson experience you can find Doug & Lynn’s Guest House on Airbnb, “The perfectly located Guest House in Payson, Arizona”
