But the call's gone out that menudo is being served at the outdoor dining palapa and we really must go downstairs. An enormous pot is brought over from the separate kitchen building.  John, who ordered up this snack for those of us who had missed lunch, was right to take no one who said they weren't hungry at their word.  Pretty soon the tables are filled, beers are handed out, steaming bowls are served, and along with the usual plates of chopped green onion, cilantro and oregano, small bowls of whole chiles tepins are passed. From them, diners select the number of chiles they want, place them between fingers covered by a napkin and crush them into their soup, getting the freshest taste while avoiding the transfer of the chiles' volatile oils to their fingers. Nice trick to know.

Larry Liese, a board member of the Tucson Audubon Society, and Pinau Merlin, author of "Guide to Southern Arizona Bird Nests and Eggs" and other natural history books, scout out birds at the ranch.  Visitors have seen gray hawks, indigo buntings, elegant trogans and eared trogans, among others.

Next come the toasted, buttered bolillos (oblong rolls), preferred by this family over the tortillas usually served in restaurants with menudo.  It's the only way, explains Hector, they soak up the delicious broth so much better. Here, the fresh-off-the-grill tortillas are served after the soup, wrapped around fresh Mexican white cheese, first sprinkled lightly with salt. These burritos are eaten with no other adornment at all. This was obviously the right way to eat menudo.    But my afternoon at the ranch can't last forever. For some reason that no longer makes much sense to me, I've told people I'll he back in Tucson by tonight. But there is time to take the trip up the canyon, which proves to be great fun. The falls are beautiful and not the only ones on the property. We take a different route back that deposits us on the top of the hill above the hotel for a truly grand view of mountains behind mountains off to the west.  As hawks ride the breezes overhead, a vehicle pulls into the main auto court of Rancho Esmeralda. Shouts and whistles break out all around me. The Dallas contingent - the final stragglers - have finally arrived.  The party is about to get serious.