The muses call on me when I least expect them. And so it happened last weekend in a fallen down Spanish Mission called Tumacacori. The mission was built by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. It is one of a string of about 20 that span the border region between southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico. Some are still in use and others are now just a few crumbling walls. Tumacacori is only partially restored. There was a regional Fiesta there last weekend with traditional music, crafts and foods. The church was open for visitors to walk through.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacblYpO0CbmkvUTe-jJ_aVUGFoh04MYV6lEEcZm7LRbBdWZ8XcKPqrYIyIqdKBzJO35w848P0WF-isWj25aCMY83nJoPMYLTITcnMrZOvbkCJI7X75h09gQ5lDCGGRT331ifhov6rNpTF/s400/tumacacori+exterior.jpg)
The exterior walls of the church are scratched with years of graffiti.
The interior walls are a combination of exposed adobe, remnants of plaster and hand painted designs.
The afternoon in Tumacacori was magical. Thank you muses for whispering in my ear.