Bonita Creek, Arizona

December 2022

(note: Make sure you check out the menu for a walk along the creek and see the history of the Dude Fire. And at the bottom of this page, you can sign up for a live camera view of Bonita Creek!!)

Welcome to a quiet place in the beautiful high country overlooking dozens of square miles to the south and west of the base of the Mogollon Rim. Our sunsets are the standard set for Arizona. And after the colors fade, the cool sets in over our community. And the quiet that is broken from time to time by coyotes, the lone baby elk who has lost its mother for a moment, or the lone owl searching for that scurrying meal.

Originally our 160 acres was the Pyle Ranch many decades ago. In the late 1950s, it was subdivided into three divisions, and the lots were sold to people looking for quiet and independence.

Linda and I fell in love with our lot in a heartbeat. We’d looked at 20 locations throughout Payson and the forest’s surrounding areas. We don’t know exactly why we fell in love with it, but it’s probably the amazing view from our decks. Having the creek within a five-minute walk from our door will always cause us to pinch each other to see if it is real. When we hike up the creek trail to the little waterfall, we marvel at our good fortune to live in a place like this.

Some may wonder what that tower is in our backyard. I’ve been an Amateur Radio Operator since I was 14 (I’m 68 now). That service/hobby involves experimenting with radios, antennas, and many other aspects of radio communication. If a disaster takes the cell system down, we’ll still have the old-fashioned radios to get or offer help. Linda is a ham also. My call sign is AI7R and hers is NI7Y.

During the pandemic, Linda and I spent untold hours clearing our lot and rebuilding the steps leading to our home. We enjoyed the entire change of life, even if it was forced. We’ll always remember that year and how productive we were around the Bonita home. Of course, we are glad the pandemic is fading away. We hope you all stay safe, happy, and vaccinated.

LIVE CAMERA! If you own property or live in Bonita Creek, we can give you access to a live 360 Wyze camera. Simply load the Wyze app on your phone or tablet, create a free account, and then email me your name and Bonita Creek address, and I’ll share that camera with your account. Then, any time you’d like to see what it’s like up here, you can…live!! My email address is dave@ai7r.net

Detailed weather information from the station in Bonita Creek.