Page 21 - Vol 2 Walks In The Black Range Eastern Foothills South

jars. There is a hand dug well near by, lined with rock. It has a bottom at about thirty feet - dry, well above the stream bed of Percha Creek, which was dry at this point in the Canyon, in January. It was probably deeper when regularly used. Like many homes of the time, it was small by today’s standards, not more than one hundred square feet. It had a wood burning stove, I am sure, for heat and to cook on, a bed, most likely a chair or two, and some hooks in the wall. The person(s) who lived here lived a hard and humble existence. In the morning the sun would shine on the hut relatively early and and in the afternoon it would leave the site late. That would have been nice in the winter.
In the summer the thick walls and high roof would have helped mitigate the heat. The view, at any time of year, would have been stunning, but the door faced the side of the canyon where a track comes down from above, not the other way which had stunning views. There is no indication of an outhouse. The occupant may have simply used the wash, waiting for the monsoons to flush for him.
Looking at that small cottage I could imagine the aching muscles, hands dry and cracked, feet that were sore, and boredom that was consuming in its oppression.