Walking Prescott

Walking no more

2010-05-25T15:22:00.004-07:00

How to say this?

Julie--GrannyJ--died Monday evening in the hospital.

I have been meaning to post an update for everyone about her hospital stay; she wanted me to let y'all know that she had a "shiny new toy"--aka pacemaker--and was healing up and ready to start blogging again. But, alas, I kept putting it off.

She entered the hospital two weeks ago for shortness of breath, which was diagnosed as bronchitis. While she was there, her cardiologist and her care doctor decided she needed the pacemaker, stat. While they were implanting the pacemaker, she suffered a collapsed lung. Things seemed to be getting better; she was healing, she had good color, she was just waiting to get out and was looking forward to having me take her on a few drives.

But then she suffered an additional post-surgery complication, something called an "ileus", which means your digestive tract has shut down. Normally, an ileus resolves itself, but hers persisted, and the docs were trying everything they could.

Nothing worked.

Her body--tired of all the medical procedures--simply gave out, she had a breathing crisis, and then her heartbeat plummeted (even with her fancy "shiny new toy"). I was there, holding her hand, while she passed. Far better this way than spending a few more years declining more and more.

She loved this blog, and all her interactions with every one of her commenters. I know you all will miss her--but not as much as I will, and the rest of her family and IRL friends.

The picture at the top is of her and my father, when they were newly a couple. The picture below is from just two years ago, showing her with her trusty walking stick and one of her favorite R.E.D. sweatshirts with a splendid northwest coastal Indian graphic. She loved exploring Arizona, and even as her health deteriorated, she did her best to keep exploring.

If you feel like doing something in her name, I was thinking that you should try to locate a local wildflower organization and donate to it in her name. Mom loved wildflowers, and she did her best to cultivate them in her gardens over the years. Sometimes it succeeded, sometimes it didn't. One of her joys was venturing out into the woods, whether the various forest preserves around the Chicago area, or the national forests here in Arizona, and discovering which flowers were out and about.

I will probably be posting various memories for a while at my own blog; you are welcome to come read and share.

Peace and blessings to you all--OmegaMom/Kate

Pretty little plaques

2010-05-08T22:52:00.003-07:00

When my daughter was stuck with the agony of moving me & my stuff into my small ALF apartment, she made a selection of art and artifacts from the overload at the house. Among the items that made the cut were these three Mexican plaques in the classic talavera style; they now greet me in my bathroom. And they add three words to my Spanish vocabulary. First is, of course, butterfly.

Now you know what to call a quail when south of the border.

It took a bit more work with the various search engines to verify that venada is indeed a word for deer and not just a particular member of the lepidoptra (i.e., una mariposa). In fact, I would venture to guess that it is the preferred word in Mexico, but not in Spain.

Water for a thirsty region

2010-05-06T21:33:00.007-07:00

Water is a precious commodity out here in the arid West -- one reason that these old rusty tanks in the outback are so poignant. The pair are located along the unpaved county road that parallels the Santa Maria River between US93 and the Bagdad Road and I would guess that they are still in use.

Also in the outback: above, in the desert near Bumblebee ... and, below, in the forest near Crown King.

Since dust is a no-no per the EPA (even in the Arizona desert -- huh?), portable water tanks are the first sign of a new construction project. The idea is to spray precious water when those bright yellow machines start moving earth.

This tank is near the railroad in Hillside; maybe it isn't for water -- but I recall the era of steam locomotives when special water dispensers were strategically located along the track.

Ash Fork's city water tank; the town's water comes from two reservoirs that had been created many years ago to serve the Santa Fe.

One of several water tanks maintained by the city of Prescott, visible from SR69.

These are also city tanks on a hillside just east of Willow Creek Road. The long zoom shot is from my balcony, where all I can actually see are the tall antennas; when I first viewed the image, I was quite surprised by the water tanks.

Route of the painted rocks

2010-05-03T20:29:00.004-07:00

My email brought me a new addition to the collection of big painted rocks you'll find around Yavapai County. This fellow is located somewhere in the Dells -- and I don't know if he is a casual, one-time fancy or an icon who will be renewed for decades. The other important rocks can all be viewed in one big circle route, starting down at Congress.

I'm all of 83 -- and I recall Frog Rock, along SR 89 down by Congress, from my childhood. One tale has it that a homestead wife, Sara Perkins, first painted it in 1926; according to a 1977 story in the AZ Republic, the rock was painted by a part time prospector, ex-sailor, and practical joker deluxe. As befits a folk art, the frog is periodically touched up and/or repainted by unnamed locals.

Once you have started your rock art tour at Frog Rock, turn left a couple of miles down the pike onto the Date Creek Road; it's a well graded dirt road, maintained by the county. A handful of miles in, a huge skull right next to the railroad track will grin at you. As I hear it, the skull is kept in shape by railroad workers. (BTW, the Date Creek at-grade crossing much further along can be dicey after a major snow melt or big downpour.)

Continue driving on the Date Creek Road which will eventually take you through the hamlet of Hillside and thence toward Yava. The duck is out in the middle of the prickly pear among the volcanic rocks off to your right. Past Yava at Kirkland Creek, a right turn in the highway puts you on the Thompson Valley Road to Kirkland, with a left turn onto Iron Springs Road, heading into Prescott via Skull Valley.

This stela is a feature at the high point on Iron Springs Road, just before the turnoff to Highland Pines. I've no idea of its history; I presume it is a clown. Like the other painted rocks, it is mysteriously maintained.

I know, I know -- it's a long, long haul from the top of Iron Springs Road down to the elephant bend on the Yarnell Hill segment of SR89 -- but then, I did declare this to be a great circle route and you're almost back to Frog Rock. Just incidentally, I was told that somebody/bodies recently mucked up the elephant, but that it was put to rights very soon thereafter. My only questions: why the elephant in the first place?

Here is another set of painted rocks, seen on one of my neighborhood walks. Nothing as elegant as the monumental folk art in the previous pictures, but a nice suprise at that.

Prescott's IOOF Cemetery

2010-04-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

Elks. Moose. Eagles. Masons. Modern Woodmen. Knights of Pythias. Odd Fellows. Today one seldom hears mention of these fraternal orders, remnants of a different past, when many people in American towns small and large joined together voluntarily to solve problems -- and enjoy one another's society. deToqueville wrote about it in the 19th century; most recently, a pop sociologist produced another book on the great change away from social bonding, Bowling Alone.

A quick check of the local yellow pages showed that the Elks, Eagles, Moose and Odd Fellows are still in business as well as the Masons, though one seldom hears mention. Certainly the heritage remains: the great silvery elk atop the old opera house ... the recently refurbished Knights of Pythias building, one of the oldest in town ... the IOOF cemetery, as well.

Larger than I had expected, it's located in the hills at the foot of Virginia Street and still accepts burials. None of the famous Prescottonians are interred here, though there is one "friend" of Billy the Kid, John William Young Kinney, a cattle rustler.

Monuments range from the oversized memorial dedicated to the Rebekah women's lodge above to a simple wooden cross erected in 2003.

A profusion of color is evidence that this continues as an active burial ground.

Above -- a child's grave; below, the tragic story of one family's loss. Visit an old cemetery to be reminded the high death rate of youngsters a century ago.

Guy was Honest. Brave. True. What about Hannie, his wife?

Another simple, homemade cross.

Is this, perhaps, a shovel -- symbolizing a life spent in the mines? Below, a flagstone memorial.

More information about this grave marker will be found among this group of photos.

Here, a freshly dug grave.

And the raven who presides over it all.

The old flume -- then & now

2010-04-24T11:50:00.004-07:00

Friend Andy C. sent this image of an old postcard entitled simply "an irrigation system near Prescott Arizona". He believes it is the original flume carrying water from Willow Creek in the Dells to the Bianconi Ranch. A brief history he passed along:

This property may have been owned by Joseph Curtis who grew peaches and melons prior to sale to Alfred Clough in 1877. Sharlot Hall Museum has photos of vineyards, apple trees, and a fishing lake on the Clough property. He died in 1908 and the ranch was bought by John Bianconi. Bianconi had the largest peach orchard in the state here (34 a) and produced many other crops. The Bianconi Brothers won many ribbons at the Arizona State Fair and the Northern Arizona Fair (later YC Fair). The flume was present by 1911. In 1936 when the Willow Lake Dam was built, Bianconi sued and received an award of water from the Chino Valley Irrigation District. This was all for naught, as his peach trees caught peach mosaic and were destroyed to prevent spread of the disease. The ranch was sold to a cattle rancher in 1941 and was bought by Robert H. Kieckhefer about 1950.

The remains I photographed last fall are the final bones of the flume system.

Elderly housing notes

2010-04-22T14:15:00.011-07:00

One of the views from my window: The Bradshaw, a subsidized apartment complex for the elderly. It's about to grow to fill an empty acre or two to the rear...

...where a small version of those ubiquitous yellow earth moving machines was out and about recently, digging up the bush. Next day, I spotted a former tree...

...and a heap of the usual detritus that spontaneously erupts on vacant land.

The following morning, the smallish machine was hunkered down behind a wall of diggings, which it began to attack as soon as it awakened.

More machines later, more earth was being moved from a heap here to a pile there.

The white truck? An amenity -- once in a while it squirts water (below) to keep the dust in line. Wonder how much that adds to the cost of the project...

Gotcha -- took several tries to catch the shovel dumping!

While on the topic of senior housing: in February my zoom lens nearly gave me a decent hint of what's happening near Las Fuentes at Canterbury Lane, where a project called The Boulders might be underway. That would be my interpretation of the tall mounds of earth plus two hints of earth-moving yellow equipment to the right. Sorry for all the guesswork, but our local paper doesn't follow through on projects once details are nailed down to the satisfaction of building & zoning officials.

All of which led me to further checking. Weren't there other senior housing plans afoot? The answer, yes. Highgate Senior Living Community in Prescott Lakes. A big expansion of Granite Gate in the Dells. Plus a major complex on the JC Ranch property in Chino Valley. Sound like a lot of competition for the senior $$$; perhaps the investors anticipate an influx of Californians seeking lower cost quarters in Arizona. Or just maybe one or more of these projects will evaporate as did those Montezuma/Goodwin corner condos.

Wicker critters

2010-04-18T14:46:00.008-07:00

As a young girl, I wrapped myself up in the Oz books. Read and reread them. Even so, I did not really understand about the amoral sorcerer who lived in a wickerwork castle, surrounded with everything wickerwork. I guess I was too shy to ask what was this stuff, wickerwork. Certainly mysterious. No Google for a quick look-up, either.

However, I'm happy to note that I'm older, wiser -- and fond of wickerwork! On my first visit to The Periodot, I was quite taken with this dog. Since that day, I've met an excellent wicker collection of critters.

Not only are there similar dogs lurking about the public spaces, but also several rabbits.

At one staircase landing, a wicker monkey rides the back of a wicker dog.

This bird sits in the midst of a geranium plant at the entry way...

...in the company of this monkey.

And, why not! That geranium is in full bloom. It's spring, after all!

Linkage: Derek, who charts all the local trails, is now posting pictures as he checks out the routes; he reports that a new beaver dam has appeared up at the Verde headwaters. And, if you're into cats, take a look at all the videos at Simon's Cat. Another video, a spectacular animation of the ashes spreading from that Icelandic volcano.

The view from Bradshaw Drive

2010-04-16T20:27:00.005-07:00

You would think that with all the wandering and exploring my husband and I did over our years in this area, we might have taken a look at the southeast quadrant of Prescott -- that turf south of Gurley, east of the Senator Highway. The reality is that we were not particularly interested in housing developments -- in fact, tended to sniff at them. So, it was a new experience when one of my friends and I followed up the IOOF cemetery/Acker Park visit by checking out the hilly neighborhoods. Bradshaw Drive is the major route, but be sure to enjoy it driving downhill to see the sites:

For instance, a great view of The Peaks 90 miles north.

Or the cropped hilltop next the Senator Highway. Is that a sled run going straight downhill there?

Prescott opens up to the north.
One of two facilities for the aged located on Bradshaw -- the crenelations of The Peridot. A recently built subsidized rental complex is just around the corner; it will soon have additional buildings.

Houses clinging to the hillsides are a feature -- neither lawn nor garden friendly real estate.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of this upscale modernity, we turned a curve to see this remnant of earlier days. The old Tenney homestead, I am told. A nostalgic reminder of a nearly buried past.

Art out at Acker

2010-04-09T20:29:00.009-07:00

The Mural Mice are at it again. This time the object of their attention is the lonely loo building out at Acker Park over at the foot of Virginia Street. The little structure is getting painted on all four sides, as a matter of fact.

Subject matter: local flora and fauna found in the 80-acre park. Including, of course, a mouse.

Here is one of the two key Mural Mice; the other was busy at the corner of the building (below).

Even though we were there on a week day, folks were gathering to see what was going on. We stopped for pictures after friend and I had recorded the nearby IOOF Cemetery.

As I noted earlier, all four sides of the building will be decorated.

As for the little bannerettes you may have noticed, here's what they look like close up.

Linkage: An interesting demo of text to speech here. And, millions of miles away, an avalanche -- on Mars, to be specific. Desert Cat takes a short hike near his Tucson area hideaway and discovers lots of desert wildflowers, Tombo hikes the Grand Canyon and Book Journey, a new Prescott area blog, discovers the alligator juniper.

The last of that lion!

2010-04-06T20:46:00.004-07:00

Remember those fine lion pictures, claiming to be from Prescott? Guess what! The dotter came across this LOL Cats item, which suggests that those pictures could be from any place in North America with aspen and pine trees. Too bad -- I did so want the pix to be local! And we definitely have cougars in our area, unlike many places where such emails have circulated.

However, here's an image guaranteed to be local because I know the photographer. Let it serve as a warning about how high to locate your bird feeders!

Cemetery project: Del Rio

2010-04-03T16:31:00.005-07:00

Actually, this is by way of introduction to a project that I and a buddy are considering. The picture was lent to me by another friend who's part of a project to locate the bounds of the small graveyard on private land just north of Chino Valley. According to Bobbi, the CV Historical Society is going to Del Rio Ranch, site of the first provisional capitol of the AZ Territory. We are going to try to find the perimeter of the graveyard and mark it so we can eventually fence it and keep the cows off it. There are only 3 graves marked and there are 67 names on record. (Perhaps cows will be the least of their worries, as I understand that the town of CV has reached an agreement that will allow development of at least some of the Del Rio property.) But back to the subject matter: friend Andy and I are going to locate and photograph a few of the Prescott area cemeteries, starting with the IOOF grounds.

Sunshine yellow

2010-03-31T12:09:00.006-07:00

Tomorrow, so I am told, will be dreary with a chance for yet another snow. Reason enough for a yellow post. Already fellow bloggers are posting their own yellows -- predominantly daffodils, but also wild poppies and desert primrose, not to mention early-blooming forsythia.

When I moved, the yellow upholstered furniture was a pleasant surprise, located in a day room in the middle of a long hallway at my new apartment building. Usually, such furniture is covered in rust colors or perhaps plum -- dark and gloomy, but certainly easier to maintain. But I much prefer the yellow; gives my spirits a lift every time I see it.

End of an era

2010-03-29T14:28:00.008-07:00

This bleak sight is from my Christmas trip down Tucson way. Not really much to say about the graffiti-covered portable sales office out in the midst of a one-time cotton field whose owners thought to cash in on the big real estate boom. That's why they turned off the irrigation -- hence the acreage of dust.

Otherwise, there'd be a covering of desert scrub. Sad.

Linking for Your Pleasure: Geology has produced all kinds of remarkable eye candy, but Rich has a favorite location up near Page that has to be seen to be believed. Also difficult to believe is what can be done, sculpture-wise with the plain old paper plate. Now I know that we have all kinds of folks here in Prescott, but this one really grabbed me: a new local Meet-Up group has been formed to practice the tango, that smouldering Argentinian dance form.

Local lion; unknown provenance

2010-03-23T10:56:00.006-07:00

If the subject were Barry's birthplace or did that UFO really, really land atop the Washington Monument, I could check in with Snopes. Not so when the email subject is so very local; I can't imagine how the intertubes' resident truth seekers would ever get involved in such a parochial email subject as a mountain lion appearing on someone's doorstoop in Prescott.

In any event, I was among many receiving an email with these excellent pictures. It explained, this big cat's picture was taken a few weeks back right outside of a home in Prescott, Arizona. Our two labs had been barking and doing all sorts of unusual things so we had just opened the door and let them inside. Now we know why they were going crazy. We were about to call someone when the animal disappeared. It took about 24 hrs. for our dogs to get relaxed.

Hoping to get 1) permission to use the photos and 2) possible info about the neighborhood where the cat visited, I did a follow-up email to my source. Turns out I am at the end of a long line of forwards, with no way of knowing the truth.

All I can say is that sightings of pumas happen regularly hereabouts and that the house and surround look as though they might well be in Prescott. And, hey, it's a cool set of pictures!

Where there's smoke...

2010-03-20T19:10:00.005-07:00

The other morning, I looked out my window on the side of the hill to this sight, part way up the hills to the north of the bowl that holds Prescott. Living in the dry Southwest, smoke is scary. Living where the skies are clear, smoke is very evident, from miles away.

The smoke had already drifted well to the east of its origin. Fortunately, within maybe 20 minutes, the fire was completely out and the air was clearing. A closer shot suggests that whatever was burning was just up the hill from the old officers' houses at Whipple (below).

The Arizona Snow Pack: What an El Nino we've had! Take a look at them purple mountain majesties on this map, representing as they do a big winter for snow in our fair state. I'm told that Flag has had about 10 feet this year, not quite an all time high but almost. See what you've missed by moving to Alaska, dotter?

Design on 89

2010-03-16T16:56:00.004-07:00

These days, a highway project is not a completed project without the art work. Our new SR69/89 overpass is a good example. According to the Courier, members of the local Yavapai Indian tribe were among those consulted about the designs. "The tribe wanted to show its cultural heritage and the city wanted pine trees," an ADOT spokesman told the paper.

The big circular designs are based upon Yavapai basketwork; I would guess that the frieze along the top represents the pine trees favored by the city fathers.

The deer is the one member of a chase scene on the side of the overpass that I've been able to photograph. The entire lot, best seen driving in from the north, consists of a mountain lion trailing behind the deer, who is following a coyote with a roadrunner out front. Unfortunately, all the designs are on the outside of the structure; if one is motoring into the city from Phoenix on SR 69, none of the artwork is visible!

Siesta

2010-03-12T15:16:00.003-07:00

There I was, thinking it might be time for a critter blog ... when what should come my way but an email titled Nap Time, complete with pictures (above, below). Pix from friend Bob. Where were they, I ask. Oh, in our front yard, friend Bob answers. Regular readers already recognize the four as young adult javelina, western hemisphere first (or second) cousin to Eurasia's wild boar. If your property happens to be on a regular route used by a small pack, you might discover a cozy napping spot hollowed out in the ground and, with real luck, occupants.

Back in the outback2: Kirkland

2010-03-09T19:26:00.008-07:00

The trouble with photojournalism is that sometimes the pictures force the direction of the story. In this case, literally. Simply put, I can't think of a better entrance to the village of Kirkland than this curve in the road heading back to Prescott from Bagdad and the west country of Yavapai County. So be it. If you decide to visit one of the last cowboy bars in these parts, no doubt you'd be coming from the other direction, down from Skull Valley via Iron Springs Road.

Kirkland is important enough as the site of an elementary school serving territory as far away as Walnut Grove and Wilhoit; student population, 59 kids. In fact, as a sometime property owner in that turf, I can tell you that the school district property taxes are higher than in Prescott! An aside: that distinctive mountain in the background of the picture below is, you guessed it, Kirkland Peak.

The Phoenix-Ash Fork railroad line runs through Kirkland, where some maintenance materials are stored alongside the spur tracks.

A pair of small tufa buildings at the intersection of Iron Springs Road and the highway from SR89 is a distinctive sight in Kirkland. The building to the right served as the post office for many years; I've no idea what might be the story of the building to the left. (To any geologists reading this post, I want you to know that I am aware that tufa properly refers to a particular type of limestone deposit, whereas the Kirkland area tufa is actually volcanic tuff. However, locally it is called tufa. There's even a one-time tufa mine up the road a piece.)

My guess would be that most of Kirkland's actual resident population lives in the trailer court; there is only a handful of small houses in town (one of which we almost bought before moving to Arizona).

Focal point of the town -- and an important institution for the entire surrounding area -- the Kirkland bar, cafe, and hotel. It's been some years since I was last in the saloon, but at that time, it was definitely a boondocks cowboy bar, with a dance every Saturday night. The for-sale sign is, I am told, a permanent fixture.

When we moved into Wilhoit back in aught81, there was an arena back of the Kirkland Bar. Periodically, it was used by local cowboys who would get together for an afternoon of roping followed by beer. And, about once a month, parents from nearby ranches held a gymkhana for local kids to show off their horsemanship.

No more. The former arena now serves as one more enclosure for livestock and horseflesh (above, below.)

I'm sure it had to have been during the reign of Ronald Reagan that we landed two new post offices out west of Prescott -- in Skull Valley and in Kirkland (above). After all, our congressional district had faithfully elected and re-elected Republican Bob Stump to the House of Representatives forever and a day.

And here's the road heading back into the hills alongside the Skull Valley Wash and the railroad tracks. First stop, Skull Valley and then Prescott. As I said at the beginning, my pictures dictated the beginning and the end points.

Railroad relics

2010-03-07T11:57:00.007-07:00

To answer Anil's question, yes, we have some rather cool relics saved from the earlier days of railroading in the Prescott area. Number one, of course, is the actual depot down on Sheldon. Unfortunately, it has never caught on as a proper commercial venue, winding up instead as the office for a big brokerage. However, I'd be willing to bet that one of these days Real Soon Now, a coffee house could make a go of it.

There are the two old small town railroad stations that sit side by side out on Iron Springs Road. The building from Hillside has housed restaurants for some years now, while Drake Station (below) is home to western antiques and memorabilia.

The third station still in service didn't move nearly as far from its original location -- just a few hundred yards from the tracks. It is now part of the Skull Valley museum complex. And well worth a visit (as are the other two station houses.)

We can't overlook the remaining iron work that crosses Granite Creek at the foot of Granite Street and is even visible through the trees from Starbucks at the Depot Marketplace (below). BTW, there's a strange and sad story explaining why the bridge still stands and is now a city landmark.

One More: I had totally forgotten that there is one old rural railroad depot still located at its original site, down in Perkinsville at the end of the Verde River excursion run. Jarart has posted pictures of the old station at Prescott Area Daily Photo.

The Peavine, continued

2010-03-05T19:56:00.005-07:00

I'm not the only one fascinated with our railroad history. After discussing plans for my previous post, a friend and neighbor sent me the tables that accompany this post -- thanks, Andy! They deal with various facets of the route, from the big city all the way up to the main line at Ash Fork.

Let's start with the question of elevations. I've turned the table above on its side so that you can read the names of maj0r whistle stops on the line from Phoenix to Ash Fork. It's designed to emphasize the elevation changes that our peavine railroad had to negotiate, starting with Phoenix at 1121 ft. and peaking at Prieta, on the Prescott side of the Iron Springs settlement, at 6148 ft. A bit of a climb!

Here is the stretch from Skull Valley (elev. 4297) on into Prescott (elev. 5370). The old time table showed that it took 1 hr. and 16 minutes to go from Prescott to Skull Valley vs. 1 hr. and 35 min. to climb from Skull Valley to Prescott. Phoenix to Prescott was 6 hr. 5 min but downhill Prescott to Phoenix took only 5 hr. 33 min. Incidentally, the stretch of the right-of-way from Doce to Ramsgate is currently a forest road -- a short outing I recommend; catch it south off Iron Springs Road a mile or so beyond the turn-off to the Iron Springs summer home settlement.

Here's the last of the material given me by the good neighbor -- a picture of all the buildings that made up the Prescott railroad station facilities in 1916. Note that the depot building was actually smack dab in the middle of what would have been Sheldon Street.

My Trip on the Peavine: I'm one of the lucky ones -- I actually traveled from Phoenix to Ash Fork in 1946 on the Santa Fe, leaving the big city about 4:30 PM. Twas a short train, consisting of one box car plus a combo railway express/mail/observation car -- the sort with an open platform at the end of the train, just like you see in pictures of Harry Truman as he made whistle stops when running for reelection. My big disappointment was that it was already dark by the time we headed into the mountains.

Mapping the Santa Fe through Prescott

2010-03-03T19:04:00.004-07:00

So just where did the railroad go, back in the day when Prescott was served by the Santa Fe? Before I moved, I managed to snag the 1947 15-minute USGS Prescott quad topo, which shows a much smaller town, including the railroad tracks. Scanned and magnified, the topo does a nice job of showing the route. BTW, the tracks are designated by a solid line with periodic cross hatching.

East of the depot down on Sheldon at the foot of Cortez, the tracks headed northeast up through the Whipple Military Reservation -- now the Ft. Whipple VA, then along Granite Creek toward the Dells where the old right of way is now a popular hiking trail.

Here's a snippet of a map I found at the Sharlot Hall web site, a close-up of the area surrounding the station. A couple of fascinating details: two round houses, one for oil tankers ... and the little dam on Butte Creek (right center) which held one of the early city water impoundments. (It's still there, though hard to find as it is completely silted up.)

Less well known is the course of the tracks through the city west of the depot. Basically, it followed Miller Creek briefly, crossed Miller Valley Road at Rodeo Drive to serve the fairgrounds, then headed northwest to Iron Springs Road, which it followed out of town. More or less the same route as Gail Gardner Way, incidentally.

Look behind the espresso shack on Miller Valley Road; you will see that there's a fence on an extreme diagonal which heads southeast behind the Mexican restaurant and the old stone building.

A short distance further south, you will note a little stub of a street on the east, opposite to the road heading to J&G Sales on the west side of Miller Valley. The stub leads to an unnamed bit of street that follows the old railroad course; there was at one time a spur track all the way to J&G's present building (it shows on the map if you look carefully.) As a matter of fact, the iron rails of the spur were still there, embedded in the road surface when we first came to Prescott at the beginning of the '80s.

And the Santa Fe was still stopping in Prescott three days a week at that time. However, the western half of the route had been dropped in the 60s; the trains came and left via the Dells. Reason: railroads had switched to long piggy-back flat-bed rolling stock which could never have negotiated the old winding tracks between Skull Valley and Iron Springs. Drive all the way out to Ramsgate on the Dosie Pit Road and you'll understand!

The left-handed gun

2010-03-01T11:32:00.004-07:00

Before he left for bayou country, Sson hung several paintings, prints and other pictures to make new home feel more like my home. Here's one of my favorites -- and its story, at least as much as I know. When we moved into Prescott from Wilhoit in the mid 80s, we had plenty of room, and large white expanses of wall. Time to think about art. At that time, there was a gallery in the St. Michael Alley two doors down from Ernie's Hotel California. A young artist guy showed up who needed fast money to finance his more serious work. He had whipped out several hand-colored wood block prints with a western theme (always a best seller in Arizona.) The catch was that the prints were based upon Hollywood studio b&w publicity photos. This particular picture was a promotion for The Left-Handed Gun, a major production about Billy the Kid, with Paul Newman playing The Kid. And, yes, though I generally don't buy into the self-conscious Western Art meme, I had to have this print. I leave it to you to figure out which of the guys is Newman.

An unexpected visitor

2010-02-27T20:01:00.006-07:00

And, so just why does the Sson show up at my new abode with a watering container from my former potted garden? Turns out that when I looked into the jug, there at the bottom was probably the first skink -- and likely the first lizard of any sort -- to show up in this particular assisted living apartment.

No, he didn't move in with me. Sson courteously removed said lizard back to the plot of dirt where he -- and several fellows -- were uncovered. Do note that there are two other reptilian critters in addition to the highly polished, photogenic skinks in the picture below.

Don't know if these (above, below) pix are of my visitor or one of his/her brothers. However, being as I now live on the second floor, I doubt if I'll be visited by such lizards as these in the foreseeable future. Until the Sson's next visit, that is.

Error message just in from the Sson!!!

I doofed on my semi-hazy ID of that lizard I had done brought over to you
the other day!

Actually, NO SKINK was he at all, but rather an ALLIGATOR LIZARD!

Looked it up today whence you posted it on your blog...

Most likely, it be the so-called "Arizona alligator lizard" or "Madrean
Alligator Lizard".

It's formal "scientific" name is Elgaria kingii.

According to at least one semi-official site (Anapsid.org), Elgaria was
formerly called Gerrhontus- oh, how we do love our names and occasional
changing thereof in biology...

Please jump on to your blog and tell all that the ol' Sson biologist has
corrected himself!

The "Skink" has wonderfully transformed into an alligator!

B&W -- almost

2010-02-23T20:23:00.004-07:00

It's only natural and to be expected that after my paean to color, my next major photo op would turn out to be nearly black and white. Oh, all right, grey-green and white, mostly. You see, we are enjoying the fruits of a proper El Nino winter, which means periodic snow storms. Which should result in wonderful early spring wild flowers down in the desert elevations. If you peer closely, you'll see a touch of brown (the scrub branches) in the picture above -- and, of course, the yellow shout of heavy earth moving equipment below.

The decorative schist along the driveway came closest to the real black and white that I claimed in the title. The wormy looking snow below was the result of a tree that was busy shrugging off its snow load.

Above: a tree shadowed the stones here; below, one day later, much of the white stuff has melted away.

The clearing sky lends a slight blue tinge to the upper corner of this screen scene.

Color!

2010-02-21T22:06:00.008-07:00

In dreams, I occasionally dip my hands into a bucket filled with color to experience the sensation of pure color -- all manner of colors. Which is to say that I love red and I love purple and blue and yellow and green and pink and, Miss Kate of the Uintas, certainly orange. The more colors, the happier I am.

The dotter kept this in mind when she organized my new apartment. And then, as frosting on this particular cake, she -- never a tulip person -- persuaded a supermarket florist to sell her a mixed lot, not because of their form but because of the bright colors. This stunning bouquet was sitting on my new little dining table when I arrived at my new home. Isn't that orange rimmed with yellow a beauty?

After I finished with the flower photography, the Sson, who'd just arrived, couldn't resist further exploration of the tulips, above and below.

Those strips of color at the back of the futon are just some of the pillow cases in my collection. You should see them in combination with my red or the black bed sheets.

More from Her Maj: Now that I'm home with my very own, comfy computer to play with, I thought I should check back with S. Weasel, author of the wonderful "Her Maj is Watching" artwork. Lo and behold, I found this! No wonder I'm feeling better.

The views from my new aerie

2010-02-18T21:44:00.005-07:00

I'm moved & must say that the dotter did a great job on making my new digs as cheerful and colorful as possible. More on that later. Right now, I'm just being impressed with a totally new set of views, as I face the north, in contrast with my house with its east exposure. Admittedly there's nothing new about a view of the hotel/casino on the mesa. But I also look directly at what used to be called Prescott Heights, the low hills directly to the north (below) that prove our little city is, indeed, located in a small valley!

Most impressive: a splendid view of Granite Mountain overlooking the city. Not to mention the nearby Two Rock Mountain and Little Granite, below.

The zoom lens does a good job of bringing Bill Williams Mountain into view and I even get the tiptop of the San Francisco Peaks as a reward for looking carefully! Both are about 70-90 miles distant.

As for what's down below? The remnants of our recent big snow. I am on a neat hillside now!

And many, many thanks to everyone out there in the wide world who's visited Walking Prescott recently to see how I was doing. I think that I'm a lot better now and promise to blog on a more or less regular basis -- after all, looking forward to the photography, the posting -- and the friendship -- was one of my personal rehab goals, if not necessarily that of the physical therapists who worked me over...

Sprung, computer on its way, etc.

2010-02-18T07:49:00.002-07:00

OmegaMom here with the latest.

GrannyJ is now safely ensconced in her new assisted living apartment as of yesterday afternoon. Her phone (and associated DSL line) is due to be moved today, and her Mac Guru is supposed to pick up the computer, back it up, and set it up at her new place today or tomorrow. At which point, she will need to go through her innumerable mail messages--some important, some not--read the new comments which I haven't had time to print out and take over to her, and post her Very Big Thanks and Very Big Love for all her commenters who have followed this saga.

"Walking" Prescott is still a bit much for her, but WalkingPrescott isn't. She says she has enough sorted and grouped photos for two years of good blog posts, and I know that her new home has lots of photo opportunities, too. At the beginning of her illness, she was exhausted and down and feeling like she couldn't do the blog any more, but as she has gotten better and better, the urge to sit at the computer has been growing.

My brother is arriving today, and I am leaving on Sunday, heading back to less sunny climes. I hope that in the next few days, mom will start writing her own blog posts again!

Her Maj is watching

2010-02-07T12:45:00.002-07:00

S. Weasel is a commercial artist with a bizarre sense of humor. When she recently moved to the south of England, she took her own brand of expletive-laced libertarianism with her. But more to my point, her poster art:

You see, when you feel starved for O2, the inclination is to hunch up and lean forward. Instead, one should always remember:

Her Maj is watching!

Sit up straight and breathe deeply. It works! I just have to remember Her Maj!

Woohoo! My Camera's Well!

2010-02-04T21:08:00.009-07:00

Hi! GrannyJ here (channeled by OmegaMom). Briefly. Breathlessly. With a few pix of the workout chamber.

Big emphasis: Getting folks walking again. Ms. Lower Body in charge.

Ms. Upper Body offers a collection of grown-up toys that really work you out.

Other miscellaneous equippage:

A place to practice living-at-home skills. All presided over by this beautiful quilt.

(Tag-on by OmegaMom: The nursing home is talking about springing GrannyJ next Wednesday--she's just doing too well, too quickly! So the sudden push is on to find an assisted living place for GrannyJ. Having her ask for her camera, and say she had an idea for a blog post, was music to my ears, believe me.)

Better! And birthday!

2010-01-30T21:35:00.002-07:00

GrannyJ is safely ensconced at the Good Samaritan nursing home. They are making her do physical therapy for two hours every morning, and the end result is that she is doing better. She had a Burst O' Energy this evening while I was visiting, and actually walked around her room on her own without me flailing the imaginary whip and chivvying her along. The best part? When she was done, she checked her blood oxygen level, and it was still over 90%.

The lesson here, we think, is that old cliche: Use it or lose it. They're making her use it, and thus she is finding it again.

Of course, this is an up-again, down-again process, and will probably take weeks. But it made me happy (oh, yes!), made her happy (oh, yes!), and I thought all her readers would like to know.

Additionally, GrannyJ's birthday is on Monday! So if you would like to leave her birthday greetings in the comments, I will be sure to print them all out and take them with me to read to her when I visit on Monday.

Quick update

2010-01-25T23:35:00.002-07:00

This is OmegaMom; I've posted an update on GrannyJ on my blog for those who are concerned.

Update

2010-01-23T11:32:00.004-07:00

Hi, all--this is OmegaMom, GrannyJ's daughter. She wanted me to write a post to let you all know what's going on.

She's not doing very well, and I am here at her house to help her out. Looks like she'll need to go into the hospital/nursing home for a while to get her back up to par, see if evaluations show that there's anything that can be done. But right now she's in a fairly bad way.

She wants you all to know that the blog is the most fun she's had in years, and that she loved doing it. She doubts that she'll be able to keep it up--she certainly can't go out and take new pictures, and she has too little energy to put together posts from her stash of existing pictures. But the blog has been a source of joy for her for the past few years, something that she has truly enjoyed putting together and sharing with her readers, and she has loved the interaction with every one of you.

Take care.

Who's afraid of the big bad mask?

2010-01-14T21:55:00.006-07:00

One of my favorite stops among the Whiskey Row shops is the Sun West Gallery. Not for Cap-A Art, but for interesting folk arts, primarily from countries south of our border. In addition to colorful Zapotec rugs and assorted carved critters, the gallery also features many masks.

I don't know that I'd like to wake up in the middle of the night to see most of the creatures that are depicted. On the other hand, if the scary faces are confined to the computer screen (which I don't see in the middle of the night), all is A-OK.

You can enjoy these guys from Guatemala for their colors and designs, even if you don't want to meet one on a dark road or in the jungle.

Nor are the "people" particularly the sort that one would care to sit with in a local coffee shop.

Yes, I'd allow this Mexican sun-as-mask in my bedroom. Colorful as well as cheery in countenance. From Angelina's, BTW.

This particular mask has a family history and thus earns a spot on my kitchen wall. One year my Mom dressed up for Halloween as the Cat's Meow; I made the mask, though it really, really needs the ears Mom wore to complete the illusion.

Chapeaux

2010-01-13T20:41:00.004-07:00

I have just proved to myself that I can put together a perfectly good hat post without incurring the wrath of he-who-owns Putting-On-The-Hats. Besides, I've already sneaked photos of that guy's precious stock despite his warning signs.

Basically, these were seen in various shops the day I did Whiskey Row with the DIL. Above, a perfect fit for the 4th and Rodeo days, wouldn't you say? As for the lacy pink confection below, let's hope that the Gdotter is long past her pastel days when her head is big enough to wear it. On the other hand, that orange lurking there below is a nice possibility for the Dotter, who's into warm, sunny colors.

My sister-in-law down in OZ might like one of these red chapeaux -- she wears the red and purple on special occasions.

As for the DIL, she wasn't very enthusiastic when I asked her to try on the flame model. But she did comply. BTW, that's my favorite of the lot, but then I'm into flames Big Time.

What do you mean, primitive?

2010-01-12T20:32:00.003-07:00

The LH and I used to laugh when we came across one of these big bold signs on a county road. Our basic response was, "you don't know from primitive". As best we could tell, there was some legalism involved in the label, "primitive road". Might even have to do with the feds.

We considered these graded and drained roadways the next best thing to a black top. For real primitive, you go to the Forest Service map or the topos and try out one of those single dotted lines. Now that's a primitive road; double dotted lines tended to be somewhere in between the broad expanse below and a two track - but we could almost always make it on a double dotted line in our Sube station wagon.

Punch Buggy!

2010-01-11T20:16:00.005-07:00

There are strange threads that apparently connect the generations. For example, the car model that is "it". Having experienced teenagers and an 8-year-old for a couple of weeks, I quickly learned that the sighting of a new model Beetle brings the shout of "punch buggy -- no punch back". From both crews, one from Louisiana and the other from Alaska. Now this is a true meme! A meaningless meme, but certainly widespread. Things got a bit more complicated with the Alaska Gdotter, who also shouts out when she's seen 1) a yellow car ("score"), 2) an orange car (I forget the shout) and 3) a pale blue car ("boo-boo").

What does this have to do with my childhood? Simple: when my brother and I were kids, we were ever on the lookout for a Willys with its weird beak and big moustache. I don't recall what the shout was (if there was one), but I will never forget the look of the cars! I've no idea what the "it" cars were in the intervening years...perhap someone can fill me in.

The Christmas T's

2010-01-09T21:30:00.005-07:00

Prior to the Big Day, the DIL and I went gift shopping (and window shopping) on Whiskey Row. Fortunately, ours is a Tshirt family so it is comparatively easy to arrive at a lightweight present without too much agonizing.

In this case, the giftee in question was my dotter. The top two T's over at the Galloping Goose were not it; the next, fancier Kokopelli was chosen by the DIL.

Sson the ecologist is famous for his biological collection -- themes that range from Serengetti giraffes to tree frogs. But his wardrobe is beginning to fray. And so we pitched in. Above, orcas and below, a very special gift from his sister.

We even made a special trip out to the Nature Center to buy him his very own mosquito. Same place I found the delightful ladybugs for the smallest Gchild; this tee came complete with a separate set of bugs to snap into place.

A gift that dates back to last summer; I had forgotten about this particular Tshirt when I posted about Betty Boop.

Valley of Lights: It took an out-of-towner to catch this year's Valley of Lights display over in PV. While I went down to Tucson for a visit, Warren came up to Prescott from Tucson. Thanks, Warren.

Road trip: sky island

2010-01-08T20:41:00.006-07:00

One-half of my splendid gift from the Sson and family: an overnight road trip to Tucson. I hadn't been in that area (except passing through on the train) since I was a little girl, when I rode down on my Uncle Max' Indian motorcycle.

On the spur of a moment, we decided to take a drive to the top of Mt. Lemmon, which looms 7000 ft. over the desert city; no, I had never been to the top, even though the unc worked for the US Forest Service most of his life.

The desert plants grow lush around Tucson: above, young saguaro and prickly pear; below, a teddy bear cholla and mesquite tree.

A saguaro forest covers the lower elevations of the mountain. The cacti are thinner and possibly younger than those around the Phoenix; not as many arms, either.

The roadside cuts display colorful, banded rocks compressed through the eons. Mt. Lemmon is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Catalina range, part of the great Basin and Range geological province that writer John McPhee describes so eloquently. I was first introduced to the sky island mountain ranges during the years when I flew over the Nevada desert ferrying Mom to and from Victoria every summer.

The road climbs through the desert up into a region of hoodoos and tors.

A stop to admire the scenery. Below, two views of Tucson. The Chinese-style perspective is thanks to ever-present smog and dust.

As we climb up the canyons, frost and snow make an appearance on the north sides of the slopes. The stoplight below was necessary because a slide reduced the highway down to one lane.

All this grandeur just for me thanks to the Sson and DIL. Below, the gorgeous teen Gdotter retrieved her camera from me to take her own pictures.

You wouldn't know it to look at it, but the highway was actually quite busy the day we drove it. Among other things, Mexicans who live near the border often drive up to Tucson for a day in the snow because, though they have the mountains, they don't have any highways to the tops! There were bicyclists aplenty, as well as parades of cars caught behind gawking drivers.

This signs points out one of the problems created by a cool or cold play area within an hour's driving distance from a desert. Apparently in some seasons, it's easiest to get to the top via bus.

The bear warning was a new one for me.

And here we are, near the top, at Summerhaven, which was devastated by a forest fire in the summer of 2003; the houses above are all new. No, we didn't continue on to the ski area, as we had to return to Prescott that day.

Seasonal saurians

2010-01-07T20:23:00.002-07:00

I'm happy to report that the Iron Springs menagerie were still sporting their Christmas attire when we drove west earlier this week. And I believe I saw a pair of new flying horses adorning the driveway to the manor house as we sped back into town. I wonder where the lady goes for her giant iron critters now that the Iron Corral has packed up and gone back to Baja.

We did get our own saurians once the Gdotter got to work. My favorite is the blue-striped pterodactyl.

Christmas 2009 -- big birds

2010-01-06T20:59:00.010-07:00

Oh, is it hard to climb back into the everyday world. I find that holidays or other special times put one into an alternate universe with a different cast of characters and events. Difficult to come down. So I'll edge into my reports with a look at some of the local big birds photographed by my dotter, the Gdotter and a handful by meself. (Did I mention that my camera is broken and I spent the holidays naked, begging cameras (and downloads) left and right? Said machine is currently in the presumably expert hands of Best Buy's Geek Squad for an overhaul.)

Watson Lake is home to Canada geese overwintering in a warmer climate...

...while this golden eye is one of many ducks hanging out at Lynx Lake. Below: here are some of the others flocking there where the handouts are plentiful. Show up at the edge of the lake and a swarm of birds heads your way, quacking and honking their willingness to share any goodies you might offer.

The three geese at Lynx are particularly aggressive. I would guess that the pair above are escapees from someone's farmyard. They are ready to peck any little kid who doesn't come equipped with food. We made sure the Gdotter was prepared.

Meanwhile, while on a hike on the Peavine Trail, the dotter managed to catch an elusive road runner (above) and some variety of hawk in a tree (below).

My one decent hawk shot was taken out the Ferguson Valley Road. A harrier, the bird quickly left the tree and flew low over the fields to land on a power pole where the 8-year old Gdotter got the best take. (Tip: for a proper afternoon of hawk birding, there's nothing like a trip north on SR89 north of Chino Valley where every other pole is the roost for a raptor of some sort.)

And, wrapping up this first post of the New Year, good news about the old cottonwood tree down by the Skull Valley Wash near Kirkland. There's a new hawk's nest, replacing the old one that disappeared a year or so ago. I even caught a glimpse of a hawk up on the hillside who might be this year's occupant. The new quarters aren't as big as the previous nest, but will probably grow in time. The old nest was many years old.

...and a Very Merry Christmas to All!!!

2009-12-23T22:27:00.002-07:00

We had our Christmas snowfall a day or two early; by December 25, all the white stuff in the neighborhood will be gone, though it remains on the mountains.

However, I'm simply too old (and don't bend easily enough) to be building my own snowman. Which is why I couldn't resist this sign when I wandered Whiskey Row with the DIL this afternoon.

This is Frosty, the popcorn man! Do read his vital statistics below -- impressive. You wouldn't want that 200 pound popcorn ball to fall over on you!

This being my last post before Christmas Day, I just want to wish everyone of you to enjoy a wonderful holiday. Eat, drink, be merry!

Ride 'em, cowgirl!

2009-12-20T22:27:00.004-07:00

A small sculpt on display in the main entrance to the Sharlot Hall Museum. One has to wonder about that cactus problem that the horse is suffering.

Note: posting will be sporadic for the next few days. The Sson and his family -- all four of them -- arrive sometime tomorrow. They'll leave shortly before the New Year weekend. And, the day after Christmas, the dotter and her dotter arrive from Alaska. I expect to be busy, but pictures will definitely be taken...

The big Christmas bazaar

2009-12-19T21:03:00.007-07:00

I don't know how many different non-profits were there today with their wares, but the Sparkes Activity Center was full of tables that were full of goodies, seasonal or suitable for gifting. To give an idea of the range of groups present: the snowmen above were made by members of the Gourd Patch, a club of gourd fanciers, while the gingerbread tree ornament below was on sale at the Heritage Park zoo's booth.

Other holiday wares that caught my eye: the Christmas clock (above) and the flurry of white handkerchiefs (below).
But there were also a handful of "paintings" made by elephants! Huh? Apparently kids from one of the local charters are raising money for a trip to Thailand (see below) and loaded up on exotic items from that SE Asian nation.

Above, just one of the tee shirts from the Highland Center collection -- very unfortunately, I had already bought a nature tee for the Sson (who collects), though I did find suitable tops for the SDIL and the grandson.

Miss Kitty has a new tee and a sweat shirt -- perhaps to celebrate the move of their cat house to a new location on South Alarcon. Also on display (and/or sale), two cat quilts. The fine example below was a prize in a drawing.

Other handmades for sale: quilted items above, and old-fashioned rag dolls, below.

Chris Hoy was there to promote his book, proceeds of which all go to the Elks Opera House renovation. The dressy ladies below were also promoting the Opera House -- seems to me we always have somebody in historic costume at civic events in Prescott, though I didn't see any cowboys today.

Other giftables -- a wooden panda and Indian jewelry, the latter on sale by the Smoki Museum.

Perhaps my favorite of all the items on the floor -- earrings made from feathers of the Heritage Park peacocks. Already I'm kicking myself for not buying the set! I'll be sure to make the big bazaar scene next year -- this was great fun!

Small lobby, neat pieces

2009-12-18T21:42:00.004-07:00

The St. Michael Hotel lobby is not a place for gathering nor, really, for just sitting to watch the passing parade, unlike, say, the Hassayampa Inn. For that, you have to move next door into the hotel's bistro. However, the few pieces of period furniture populating the small area were certainly worth a picture or two.

Neat chairs, though they wouldn't stand up under regular use by the Sson or any of the other young men that used to visit us back in Chicago. Definitely not designed for hotel usage. (I don't remember just how many chairs we lost over the years to everyday wear and tear from young guys who just have to wiggle, lean back and do all those other things that loosen joints and otherwise destroy perfectly good furniture).

On the other hand, stop to admire this ornate credenza. I think that it would hold up well to a legion of youths climbing on it, kicking it and otherwise abusing it. All except for the drawers -- those handles would go in no time at all.

Undersea Volcano: New video from undersea exploration shows how a volcano burbles up at depths of 4000+ feet. Eerie stuff.

Boop-oop-a-doo???

2009-12-17T22:36:00.007-07:00

'S funny -- though I remember Betty Boop from my childhood, I never considered her a Big Deal. In fact, I never thought too much about her cartoons. And so here I am, at 80+, seeing all these Betty Boop items around town. Geezers remembering their childhoods, maybe? But not if they're like me. What can I do but turn to The Google to find out, maybe.

What I discover, primarily, are sites selling 1300+ Betty Boop items. (Here, here and here). Plus the cartoons. Wikipedia, of course, has an extensive article, though I didn't really get an answer to: Why Betty Boop in the 2000s? However, it did note that marketers rediscovered Betty Boop in the 1980s, and "Betty Boop" merchandise has far outdistanced her exposure in films, with many not aware of her as a cinematic creation. Much of this current merchandise features the character in her popular, sexier form, and has become popular worldwide once again.

Aha -- so that's what it was; when I was a little girl, Betty Boop was a sex symbol, a cartoon for the grown-ups, not really for the kids. And that appears to be her current appeal, as well, tho my memory puts her in the same class as the dumb blonde with a cutsie, high-pitched voice. However, I still marvel at how such an iconic figure gets dredged up from the past to take on a new life. I guess all I can do is buy one of these bright R.E.D. fleece blankets and curl up with a ghost of yesterday.

Local Linkage: The folks at Love Field, our local airport, have instituted a blog, Prescott Aerospan, which, in turn, is promising a series of articles about Prescott area aviation history. Another local blogger, Jenny Williams, who writes as Geek Dad at Wired magazine, has posted a 3-part interview with local SF author Allen Dean Foster.

A pair of big boring bits

2009-12-16T22:21:00.003-07:00

Last night's post reminded me that I did have, somewhere in my big iPhoto folder, good pictures, in focus pictures of those great big bits used to make great big holes in the ground. The pix date from a couple of years ago, about the time all that work was going on out Iron Springs Road. As I recall, the best of the shots were made by the Sson.

I'm sure that in the great scheme of things, these drill bits are ho hum -- no oil wells or sample cores from Antarctic ice, for instance. But I still find them impressive.

Caged borer

2009-12-15T21:43:00.003-07:00

By this time, everybody should know the drill: whatever is first in line in front of the lens is where the camera will focus. Which results in pictures of twigs instead of birds in trees. Smushed bugs on the windshield instead of purple mountain majesties. And a chain link fence instead of earth moving equipment with a giant borer attachment. Nonetheless, the combination makes for an interesting picture as a placeholder while I go prep the house for the Merry Maids, arriving first thing in the morning. Getting ready for the much-anticipated Christmas invasion.

More storm aftermath

2009-12-14T22:23:00.006-07:00

A crane looked out over Park Avenue this afternoon. A downed tree, my neighbor told me, urging friend Patty and me to cut the Scrabble game short and hie out to the car to go take a look. Which we did. The view from the alley showed 1) a lop-sided Arizona cypress that appeared to have lost most of its limbs on the left side and 2) another cypress whose upper trunk may have been broken off.

Here's the scene on the Park Avenue side of the historic mansion. As best we could tell, a huge trunk was squashing a car that's hiding behind the crane. If you peer past the crane (below), you might get a better view of the tree that lost the top of its trunk -- a side show to the main action.

This is the downed tree trunk -- and, below, the remaining stump.

Piles of slash all over the place -- and firewood for the taking (below). When did the tree topple? No idea, but I'm sure that the high winds earlier this week played a major role.

Those winds did a job on a shed at our cottage down in Wilhoit, as well. The roof blew into the lot next door, the former walls were all over the place...

And file cabinets that haven't been opened since the LH and I moved to Arizona were left standing, lonely, in the cold. Thanks to Chris for the photos.

Early Prescott

2009-12-13T21:51:00.006-07:00

This curious representation of "historic" Prescott hangs near the entrance desk at the Sharlot Hall Museum and is called "Prescott -- 1864-1924". The title caught me up short, but then I spent a little time studying details to discover the painting is chockablock full of anachronisms.

For example, there is a handful of motor cars in the midst of horseback riders and pack mules. There is also a streetcar, marking this street (below) as Gurley.

The old Head Hotel shows up moved to the NE corner of Gurley and Cortez Streets.

Frontier Days plays out on Cortez Street, with the stand on the Courthouse Plaza. Whiskey Row is on the opposite side of the original Courthouse (below).

Yes, there was a railroad train evident at the north end of town, but the hydraulic gold mining (below) actually happened in Lynx Creek, quite a few miles distant from the Courthouse.

Ah, if only I had anticipated how that one picture (top) was to be used! I would have made a number of closer shots to maintain decent detail.

Winter Wonderland: The dotter was out with her new camera and has just posted the results -- beautiful pictures of hoar frost build up by Alaskan fog on the trees. Gorgeous.

Critter exotica

2009-12-12T20:43:00.009-07:00

Lest you believe that Prescott's critter exotica is limited to javelina and ring-tailed cats, I've collected here other beasties I've seen while wandering our town. 'Frinstance, that's one fine toucan spotted at the Grayleaf Galleries last winter.

The gilt-encrusted rhino was for sale at the gift shop in the Prescott Resort, which had a rather grand collection of frogs, painted ponies and other goodies.

The camel (above) and the elephants (below) were photographed in one of our many collectible shops.

On the other hand, the life-size giraffes made their home down in Cordes Lakes. BTW, does anyone know what has happened to the outfit that was selling the giant made-in-Mexico giraffes and lions and saurians; I'm told that they have left their yard across I-17 from Anthem.

In my book, the critter above must certainly be a firebird, don't you think? It, too, resided at the Grayleaf.

As for the zebra, it happened soon after I handed the younger granddotter an empty toilet paper roll one day this past summer.

Linkage: If you don't read the comments, you may have missed the wonderful clock that Avus linked to. For a fun trip, you might follow the pair of Arkansas lads who rode west on their bikes; in the process they discovered the White Spar. Among new local bloggers is a woman with two Maine coon cats. And yet another article about Arcosanti, the Utopia that wasn't.

Storm finishes that broken oak

2009-12-11T21:28:00.009-07:00

It was very recently I wrote of the broken tree down the street, noting that despite the crack spiraling up the trunk, there was still a substantial canopy (below) and that I wouldn't be surprised to see the same tree hanging in there 10 years from now. That's the way of many trees with a strong life force, especially tough little oaks.

Oh, how wrong I was! Our Monday night storm, which combined snow, hurricane force wind gusts, plus thunder and lightning was too much for big robust Ponderosa pines, that crashed into streets, power lines and porches around town. Why should we expect this crippled Emory oak to survive such an onslaught. It didn't, as the pictures taken by my neighbor make quite clear. It was simply too much of a storm.

Up the hill, I worried the wind might blow in my big picture windows; however, the only suffering at Chez GrannyJ (aside from cold feet) was the electric outage that lasted much of the night. Now another two El Nino storms are headed this way -- while my bro, in Perth on the west coast of Oz, reports that he's suffering from the back side of the same El Nino, which means drought.

Our share of the Big Storm

2009-12-10T21:18:00.006-07:00

Yes, the big coast-to-coast storm earlier this week did pass over Prescott, bringing us our first moisture in over a month. As such, it was welcome. Not so the high winds. But the winds are another story. Later. Tonight, the subject is snow.

Usually the result of a snow storm is a load of of the white stuff on our pines and naked deciduous trees. At first, on Monday afternoon, the snow began to build up on the Ponderosa (above) and the Scotch pine (below). By the next morning, most had been blown off, which is too bad. As long as we're going to have a snow storm, that Christmas card look is one of the big payoffs. However, the start was pretty.

Though we had about six inches total, it didn't pile up very high on the juniper or tree branches.

My strawberry pot will be well watered; the snow is melting very gradually. Meaning that it is cold. As in BRRR!

Our street, being unpaved never sees the snow plow. That leaves a neat canvas for interesting tire patterns.

The embankment collects various critter tracks, primarily dogs and the occasional cat, whereas the road (below) collects people prints (left) together with dog meanderings (right).

Here's my neighbor with Toby, who's straining at his leash to catch the frisbee.

When I finally ventured out into greater Prescott, the major streets were reasonably well plowed, though there was still a covering of snow. That was on Wednesday. Today, Thursday, my street is still snow covered -- and we're expecting another storm this weekend. And another next week. All thanks to that El Nino dominating the Pacific this season.

All About the Storm: The Prescott Pines Camp suffered major damage from the winds, including a Ponderosa that crashed into its dining hall. For a round-up of news about the storm, check out the Courier story; I don't know if electric service has been restored in all the outlying areas or not. NASA's Earth Observatory has a great big picture of the Big Storm here.

Accidental skull?

2009-12-09T20:21:00.004-07:00

Oh, the strange things one sees when out walking around Prescott. What could it be? Any of you who recall seeing shapes in the clouds as a child ought to be able to come up with possibilities.

Misc. Links: In case you haven't seen the mysterious spiral of lights in the Norwegian sky, Space Weather has a still image; the Berman post includes videos that show how the lights developed, giving a very different picture of what happened; the final two of the three videos are best. In a less serious moment, you might take a look at a huge domino run over at YouTube.

Timepieces: postscript

2009-12-08T19:57:00.004-07:00

Inevitable, isn't it, that as soon as you hit the publish button and retire for the night you remember several excellent examples and ideas that should have been included? All right in your own house? Not that I could have changed a thing -- the power went down at about 10:30 p.m. in a windy snow storm last night and wasn't switched back on until several hours later in the dark of early morning.

However, today I opened a little used drawer and found two watches which should have been included in last night's post. You will note that Chairman Mao (above) presided over a clock face 1) with nary a number and 2) with a red star atop the second hand. One of these was given to every member of my tour group to China back in 19aught80. We arrived in China at a time when little blue uniforms were still worn by all citizens (silk or fine wool for the masters, wash cotton for the masses), all the shoes were black cotton Mary Janes and the country was just opening to tourists from the capitalist west.

Quite in contrast, the Lady Elgin was given me by my Phoenix grandmother when I graduated from Phoenix College back in the 40s. In those days, a good watch was a valued treasure and there was little competition from the dime stores. (To judge from my spam mail, I gather that there is still a market for snob watches.)

And then, on the mantelpiece there sits the xerox clock, a project of passing interest to my late husband. The works (below) are for real, the temporary face was a paper copy that was never replaced by the real thing. The eagle is removable, but lends an air of grandeur to the enterprise.

Bavarian Squirrels: Steve, who is a regular commenter here at Walking Prescott, has been providing nuts for and photographing the squirrels who abound in his village. They all are beautiful animals, with great tufted ears, but he has one (to me) rather remarkably colored critter he calls Coal. Coal is a black squirrel, what one might call a "tuxedo squirrel", which is totally new to me. Today's post gives a good series of pictures of all three of his current visitors.
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Tick-tock

2009-12-07T20:54:00.007-07:00

Precision measurement of time and space is a major underpinning of Western civilization, though I'm sure that those who are aware of this are few. Clocks are so ubiquitous in our world that we take them quite for granted. I'm one of those who doesn't even bother to wear a time-piece. (I got out of the habit when young, back in the days when one had to remove a watch when washing dishes or your hair or when showering.)

They are ubiquitous here in Prescott, as well, as I discovered picking out selections from my huge iPhoto folder. They range from the classic (above, complete to two mice who ran up the clock) I photographed in a collectibles shop to a wide variety over at the Miller Valley True Value (below).

Many more are on the shelves at WallyMart West (above, below), including one that should be donated to Sue Ann's Apple Pan.

This is a much grander clock awaiting auction at Batterman's several months ago; I wonder how much it fetched.

Apparently public time pieces arrived after individual clocks and watches were well established, according to historian Bernard Lewis. I doubt if any public clocks in America compare to the the astronomical clock on the side of Prague's Old Town Hall Tower, which dates back to the 15th century. Back when I was employed, I was lucky enough to join the crowd in front of the tower to observe the procession of the twelve apostles: on the hour, every hour, a small trap door opens and Christ marches out ahead of his disciples, while the skeleton of death tolls the bell to a defiant statue of a Turk. And, according to Lewis, the Ottomans did not adopt such infidel mechanisms as the clock until much later in their history, when it was realized how far behind the West their empire had fallen.

In the West, on the other hand, the symbolism of the two hands and their positions is sufficiently ingrained that you will find clocks that eliminate even the four numbers above. Whenever I see such a clock abstraction, my immediate inclination is to give it a good 90 degree twist, either left or right, leaving it to the owner to figure out why his machine isn't telling the correct time.

I also disapprove of the type of digital timepiece above. Whereas the classic round dial puts the current time into a context of past, present and future, the digital time readout is one more version of modern instant gratification. It implies neither tomorrow or yesterday, dealing only with Right Now. Relegate such a devices to timing a race or cookies baking in the oven, a proper use.

Woodman, spare that snag!

2009-12-06T20:50:00.005-07:00

City folk -- and suburban people, as well -- have no use for snags, those dead outlines of trees that used to be. In fact, in civilized locations, if a tree is failing, the arborist is quickly called in for last rites. It's all a matter of tidiness (and perhaps a desire not to be reminded of one's own mortality).

Admittedly, thanks to our drought and the bark beetle infestation, we currently have more than our share of snags in the woods.

I've no idea what caused this forest of snags, which I discovered in a download of my Sson's photos from the Gulf Coast. But the image does demonstrate why naturalists recommend saving dead tree bones -- I count at least three large nests. And here, below, is a closeup of one tenant -- an osprey on lookout duty.

Until recently, this was a tall pine down near Crown King. A dead tree like this eventually becomes the sort of snag that makes an excellent home for an eagle's nest (thanks to friend Bob for this picture below).

Winter Links: The dotter has a new camera, which she has been exercising with scrumptious Alaskan seasonal pictures; take a look. Hoarded Ordinaries meditates on how drab December is before the snow arrives, while Dagny points her camera at a leafless winter tree.

Walt Disney flies again

2009-12-05T21:14:00.005-07:00

So over at Albertson's there was this new batch of balloons, which included some quite Disney-ish looking items, such as that castle and, on closer examination, Snow White herself. Being of a suspicious nature, I figured that there was a reason -- a commercial one -- for Snow White to be popping up in public around Christmas time. I promptly hied myself over to Amazon to check on the DVDs and discovered, to no surprise, that the Disney folk have just released a new edition of their pioneering feature-length cartoon. (The last time it was released was in 20-aught-2. That's a pretty good life span.)

I suppose that it's a good thing to keep DVDs of films such as Snow White and the Wizard of Oz and Shirley Temple's Little Princess in print. That way, today's kids, inundated with modern children's books and cartoons coming out the kazoo, will be familiar with a handful of the classics. It's too bad that so much new (and so much of it so bad) muscles out the old stories that provided a bridge between generations. I recall what fun I had putting together a wonderful library of children's classics for my dotter, assembled from visits to resale shops and rummage sales and 2nd hand bookstores. The only old books that I never found in these venues were the Oz books, but then I had my own collection to pass along. Of course, none of these old books would pass muster under that recent law passed by our thoughtful folk in Congress -- there might just possibly be something toxic in the ink that would poison a toddler who consumed, say, the entirety of that library I collected. Sigh.

Waiting for the auction?

2009-12-04T20:26:00.004-07:00

Well used, vintage vehicles spotted in the Batterman's auction house parking lot.

The sedan is anchored; its tires were flat as a pancake. Right and to the rear of the sedan, a Jeep, another elderly pickup and it looks like two utility vehicles, as well, hiding behind the truck. Surely they don't drive those any of those babies onto the auction floor?

Come on, baby, light my fire

2009-12-03T21:42:00.006-07:00

Brr! The AccuWeather blogger is predicting back-to-back winter storms next week, storms of an El Nino persuasion. We might even get a wee bit of moisture in Arizona. Further, he suggests that at last, we might be in for the usual long series of storms we expect in El Nino years.

Today the cold really arrived. When my companions and I arrived at the Lynx Lake restaurant for breakfast this morning, we were greeted by this wonderful, warm fire.

The fireplace is made from local schist; unfortunately, in getting this picture, the flash overpowered the flames!

Another major feature of the restaurant. Too bad this massive hearth has been turned into furniture; can't you imagine a fire or even a gas log in that empty space? I have wondered if this piece was imported from Europe by the German couple who own the restaurant and store. The pictures below show details; enjoy.

But wait! There's one more fireplace out at the Lynx Lake emporium -- the biggest honking chimenea I've ever seen. It's a new addition to the outdoor eating facilities.

Pretty Pictures, a Crazy Cat & Other Links: Neat picture of peeling manzanita branches from Karoliina; Del, up in Flag got his camera extra close to a great horned owl. Next, mosey on over to Catalyst, who is showing the weird way a French cat has figured out to drink its fill of water; thanks, Cat-A for posting the clip so I could link to it. The last link is for the bicycle enthusiast; Avus is the proud owner of a 60s Rudge-Superbe, a gentleman's bicycle. He recounts its story, accompanied by detailed images.

The rest of the glass

2009-12-02T19:20:00.007-07:00

Last night, I said that I had more stained glass in the folder. Here it is, a highly varied lot.

First stop, a follow up visit to the American Lutheran Church, whose glorious Art Deco sunburst stained glass I blogged early in 2008. The luscious grapes (above) are details from one of two panels that flank the church entrance. Below are sections from a tall panel that lights a staircase to the sanctuary.

My mind is a total blank regarding this stained glass object; I remember neither the occasion or the place, though the actual photograph declares that it must be in the modern condo at the SE corner of Gurley and McCormick -- unless it was a weird angle from Bashford House. Be that as it may, there it is -- more stained glass.

Last night, I mentioned small windows near the roofs of old Victorian houses. Here's an example from a modern Victorian; not quite as much fun as the stained glass frog in another of the houses built at the same time. BTW, knowing that the houses in question were built in the 19-aught90s, it's entirely possible that these are plastic rather than glass, as suggested by Steve in his comment yesterday.

These two pictures hang in the window out at the Lynx Lake Store/Restaurant. (Of course, I dedicate the cat to Catalyst.) You could probably find all the pretty birds (below) here in Prescott except for the cardinal. Curious -- we often saw the R.E.D. birds just the other side of the Prietas down in Wilhoit but they don't appear to have come up the White Spar as yet. Plenty of them down in Phoenix.

The Prescott College coffee shop is where I saw the panel above, dedicated to agriculture in both the developed and the Third World. As for the elegant coffee table below, it's home was one of the many antique/collectible shops around town. (Oh, bother, GJ -- you need to go back to Oatmeal's Apostrophe Comics for a review. That should read "its home".)

Alternate Transportation: Who needs to spend money with the Middle East when you've got in-line skates? Imagine this on the White Spar.

Sharlot's stained glasses

2009-12-01T21:32:00.004-07:00

In a long gone world in which the pace was much slower and labor costs were far lower, a stained glass window or transom (or two or three) was just one more feature of a proper Victorian home. For example, Bashford House over at the Sharlot Hall Museum.

The ground floor of Bashford House is occupied by a museum shop absolutely full of tempting goodies. Among other items, it features stained glass, modern style, that is, as art object. The bright light of the solarium makes it just the right location to highlight the brilliance of these panels, for example, the pretty birds below. (I will forgive the artist for an eastern blue jay instead of a proper scrub jay or Steller's jay to keep the theme local.)

The circular plate above would have suited one of those little high windows in an old house, while the design below is just right for a transom.

Ah, morning glories (above) in a form that isn't illegal in Arizona. And, below, the critter who was created just to be memorialized in stained glass, the butterfly.

But then if ever I had my choice, I'd be hard put to decide between the very brilliant (and R.E.D.) poppies and those smug cats. Either would fit right in with that river boat that I didn't buy yesterday (see post below).

Sidewalk scenes

2009-11-30T20:09:00.006-07:00

So many things to see, in a short one-block walk yesterday. All manner of activities posted in the Book Nook window and on the yoga bulletin board. Something for anybody of almost any persuasion!

I've always liked the old-style circus typefaces, tho I'm puzzled by the anachronistic spelling of custom in its midst. Then there is the shop's fun with security (below).

A decorated window at the Outfitters features both fall symbols on the left side and bandana handkerchiefs on the right side.

And finally I have seen one of those discrete little bits of animal graffiti that's showing up around town. It looks to be a decal on the lamp post -- note how one ear has almost disappeared. Note too how small the rabbit is, as compared to that bolt. As for the splash of color below, I'm not sure if it was intended as a little critter or is merely that, an accidental splash of yellow.

While I was inspecting the rabbit and the yellow whatever, a young woman stood nearby with her back to me. The duck on the back of her tee fit in very well with the graffiti theme.

Over at Batterman's, the auction place, display items were being moved from the sidewalk, back inside.

But I was able to get a picture of this marvel leaning against the building before it was stowed for the night. The riverboat is 3-D and, as I understand it, the paddle wheel turns when the unit is plugged in. The little box to the left houses an 8-track tape player (remember those?) This could liven things up in my office if I were so careless as to attend this week's auction.

Art Walk on McCormick

2009-11-29T20:53:00.009-07:00

After reading a big write-up in the Courier, I decided that I should take a gander at what was happening in the so-called McCormick Street Arts District for the 4th Friday Art Walk. The short walk extended from the sign above near Gurley Street to the sign below at the Willis Street end. Of course, I had to show up early, as it would have been dark at opening hour (6 p.m.), though I'm sure I missed a lot, including fire dancers.

The action included thrift shop and collectibles as well as art: Ripple Repeats (above) and the House of Plenty (below).

The real art action had been organized primarily by Eye on the Mountain Gallery, which featured huge panels assembled and painted by Kingman artist Mikel Weisser.

An example: a conquistador among the barren Mexican mountains (above, below). Weisser told the Courier that he works with found and cast-off materials, as well as left-over paints.

More of his work. The street showing was organized because the gallery was too small to really hold and highlight Weisser's big works.

The main feature was a five panel description of the stages in a mountain sunset. The panels were distributed among the galleries and shops taking part in the street fair. Number one is above, the subsequent panels follow in order below.

I have to admit Weisser's art is more likely to get my vote than his politics, which you can read about at his blog "from the left coast of Arizona." Read it here.

Fruit of the rose

2009-11-28T20:20:00.009-07:00

My wild Arizona rose was covered with its single pink blossoms early this summer; which led in due time to an equal number of fruit, called rose hips. Old fashioned folk made jelly and teas from rose hips; the herbally conscious make all manner of medicinal concoctions, from syrups to powders.

I promised my crop, once ripe, to Georgene to make into a syrup, chock-a-block full of vitamin C (rose hips beat citrus fruits on that count).

Not a bad haul from one plant, eh?

And here is the final product -- a honey and rose hip syrup. Quite yummy. If you also have a productive rose bush, here are some recipes.

Linkage: One doesn't expect to hear about floods in Jeddah; in fact, residents of the Arabian city are ill prepared for a major rainfall. Fortunately, Susie of Arabia was out with her camera to get pictures of this highly unexpected weather. This interesting woman, incidentally, was once a Prescottonian. Next -- a forthright discussion of the problem of dying aspen in the higher elevations around Flagstaff; it would seem that the immediate culprit is the huge increase in number of elk, caused, in turn by the lack of predators and the prevalence of water thanks to stock tanks.

What a difference a new front makes

2009-11-27T20:27:00.006-07:00

You may recall Allison's, the gas station turned auto parts store, at the corner of Grove and Gurley. For the past couple of months, workmen have been busy remaking this example of nondescript architecture into...

...the very model of a respectable financial institution. It's been absolutely fascinating to watch how a simple new facade is transforming what is basically the same old box for a totally new use.

A touch of parking lot landscaping adds to the illusion. And what will occupy the made-over premises? Just mosey down Grove Street one block...

...to the Credit Union West, which is moving out of its strange quarters and into the newly refurbished building. The future of this structure, which is the last non-Prescott College premise on the block? PC is adding it to the collection of recycled buildings that comprise its campus; latest word is that it will serve as the school's visitors center.

Lightning tree

2009-11-26T21:41:00.003-07:00

Nothing more suitable to carry an electric charge to ground than a Ponderosa pine. I know of at least two trees in the neighborhood that carry the scar of a lightning strike, but this particular specimen appears to be of recent vintage. I am rather surprised that the electricity didn't go down the pole that is to the immediate right, but the tree was probably taller (I don't recall). And if you're curious as to why there are absolutely no branches interrupting that straight run down the trunk, you can thank the electric company, whose arborists lop off all branches that might possibly interfere with the power lines.

What's happening to Lowe's hill?

2009-11-25T21:46:00.006-07:00

A thousand pardons, dear friends and readers, I hadn't realized what an absolutely grinch-ly post this was for Thanksgiving Day!!! Right now is the time to thank you all for your continued interest and loyalty to these almost daily notes. And I thank Blogger for making it easy for me to continue to play at being a journalista -- this adventure has been wonderful.

The cut in the hillside made when Lowe's set up shop in Prescott is a very visible eyesore. And not just when you're tooling down SR69 in the vicinity of the big box. This picture is taken from a hill to the west of Park Avenue, for heaven's sake!

A couple of closer views of the big scar, including all those white pipes, presumably to water the non-native pines that were planted up the hill.

On my most recent trip over to Costco, something was afoot. First piece of evidence, the water tank, which is always johnny-on-the-spot when a lot of earth is going to be moved.

And there's the earth, being moved. Somewhere. I certainly hope that the Lowe's landscapers have learned a thing or two about arid country plantings since their first attempt. They could still do worse than investing a couple $ thou in annual seeds: California poppies for spring, sunflowers for summer and autumn.

Apostrophe Abuse: It is almost overwhelming today; more and more plurals are spelled with an apostrophe separating the "s" from the rest of the word. Wrong. WRONG. W*R*O*N*G!!! And yet I've caught myself and others who should know better including that dang punctuation mark incorrectly. All by way of introducing Oatmeal's excellent post on the proper usage -- go there right now! And for a eyeful of how bad it is out there in the real world, visit Apostrophe Abuse.

Where were those birds headed?

2009-11-24T21:25:00.004-07:00

Amazing sight early this afternoon: a huge flight of large black birds circling so high in the air that they were scarcely larger than specks. Just large enough to be visible as black. And large. As in ravens, possibly. Or they might have been vultures, on their way to the desert, though I'd have thought that buzzards were long since comfortably settled in the Sonoran warmth. I would guess that there were well over 50 of the critters in the high group. A subsidiary unkindness of ravens circled at a much lower elevation -- maybe as many as 25, which is a real crowd. All were headed west southwest -- and gone by the time I fetched up my camera. (The picture above is a much older photo, my only good picture of ravens in flight.)

I was reminded of a lingering question: what has become of the rookery in the forest to the southwest of town? For many years, beginning at about four on a late fall or early winter afternoon, ravens would begin to drift in that direction, one or two or three at a time. They came from the old landfill, from the grocery store lots, from PV, all over. More birds would continue to head southwest well into dusk. The numbers added up.

Of late, I have only seen a handful of ravens flying toward the old rookery site (which we never did locate, BTW). Have the raven adolescents found a new location to meet up and crash? Perhaps near the new landfill out SR169? Certainly we haven't lost our raven population -- or are their numbers down?

Linkage: Every day, NASA posts an amazing earth image taken from satellites, the International Space Station or the shuttle; today's picture shows cloud waves caused by a series of islands. To subscribe to weekly notifications, use the form here.

Post Script: Granite Dells

2009-11-23T21:52:00.003-07:00

I received these two pictures in my email this morning -- a response to last night's post about my visit to the bones of the old Granite Dells lake and pavilion. Time: 1967. Friend Bobbi sent them; she had noted that the two choices for swimming in or near Prescott were either in a stock tank or at the Dells! Thanks, Bobbi. Quite a contrast with the remains of the lake!

How times have changed! Can you imagine a city or county govt. allowing such a swimming lake today? More: can you imagine a couple daring to operate such a business in this day of liability above all?

Forgotten gem of the Dells?

2009-11-22T16:41:00.008-07:00

Historic preservation isn't faring well in the current recession. Sharlot Hall Museum is down to a skeleton crew, for example, as state funding rapidly dries up. Which is too damn bad. There's an important piece of Prescott history sitting over in the Granite Dells waiting to be available to the public, in one way or another. I'm referring, of course to the old Granite Dells swimming lake and attached facilities. I'm sure that there are others like me whose most poignant memory of Prescott is a memory of swimming and picnicking at the Dells.

All of which is by way of introduction to my recent adventure. Back in July, I posted pictures taken from the roadside of the remains, together with a bit of gossip about the site. A few weeks later, the current owner of the property made contact and invited me over to take a detailed look from the inside. Wow! Who wouldn't jump at the chance?

Friend Patty, who had also enjoyed swimming in the Dells as a child, drove me over to meet Mark Wirth, a Phoenician, for the guided tour.

I got a closer look at the remains of the pool...

...as well as pictures from the old days. The lake, by the way, was filled by a ditch that connected with nearby Granite Creek.

The old bath house/concession stand had been brought up to date.

And we were invited into the pavilion, half of which has been updated to provide a summer getaway for Wirth and his family, with the other half remaining "as is". Or, to put it exactly, "as was".

The pavilion was built right around this granite boulder. Many of the signs, pictures and other memorabilia were given to Wirth by Mrs. Payne, one of the original owners of the facility.

Amazingly, even a few of the old booths remain.

However, Wirth had a motive in inviting me out to Granite Dells: he's interested in historic preservation and a future for the property. At one point, the city, which has bought up a fair amount of acreage in the Dells, showed an interest in buying, but then backed out. A plan (see the map above) for a private club was shot down by county P&Z after nearby residents let out a NIMBY shout. So just what does happen to this gem? A conference center? A youth hostel? Museum? City park? It would be a shame for the land to get parceled out as just one more subdivision.

Ugg naughts

2009-11-20T21:09:00.007-07:00

Winter is on its way, bringing thoughts of cold feet. I must say that if I'd had a pair of boots like these (above), I might not have left Chicago. Those are my first pair of not-Uggs, a $25 special from Costco three years ago. And, just to underscore my cold-weather dedication to all footwear that is shearling-lined, below are my well worn, scuzzy but cozy slippers.

You can understand how my eye was caught by these Ugg knock-offs over at the local WallyMart. But even made in China, a $10 boot couldn't possibly include the all-important shearling lining. Of course these did not. But seeing them reminded me that the lining of my current boots was wearing down; I wondered what Costco might have on hand this year (and how the price might compare.)

As luck would have it, I scored yesterday! A black pair would have been grand, but then our world is just too dusty for black. The chestnut color (above) was a good compromise. As much as I'd like to own the Real Thing and support the Australian economy, $37 beats $100+ any day.

Here's my new pair of Ugg-naughts. I'm ready for whatever this winter might bring!

Camo craze

2009-11-19T20:52:00.009-07:00

Last summer, when the Sson's family visited, my teen-age granddotter was sporting grey camo pants. Which, of course, said that a fad was well underway, as epitomized by sites such as The Camo Shop.

Earlier this past summer I had seen this camp chair at a local auto show and two days ago, my taxi driver had installed a new cover for the passenger seat -- you guessed it, camo.

And here's the cap, worn by the same driver.

So I made a point of photographing a batch of camo clothing when I was last at the WalMart. A hoodie (above) and cargo pants (below) for a boy child.

Camo cargoes for a boy teen...

...fleece pants for dad (above) and a grown-up hoodie (below). Nice (and unusual) touch: images from Nature on the hoodie in place of the usual blobs.

Above, another different approach to camo design; below, inexpensive camo gloves ($4).

Baby camo I knew about from several years ago. But pink camo came as a complete surprise to me when the dotter discussed the problem of outfitting her young one for Halloween. (That's the GD who's, like, totally into pink.) Turns out there's girly camo all over the place, but especially at Target. The bedding (with matching curtains available) is just one example; Target even offers a tent for the budding princess in a similar pattern. Talk about an early introduction to irony...

P.S. Because I was sure you wanted to see my very own camo, here it is. Cool (literally) summer pants that originated as part of a sleeper set; the top was girly girly, with lace.

Gotcha!

2009-11-18T20:37:00.005-07:00

If you look closely at the scrub jay above, you'll note 1) a small patch of blue and 2) the color fringe that's a dead giveaway that I pushed the zoom past its optical limit. However, the news is that I actually got a nearly passable picture of the elusive jaybird. Perhaps if I had a feeder, like my SIL had up in Flag, where the Steller's jays congregated, I might be able to do better. As it is, there are several of these guys living near my house, but if I spot one and make the least move, such as peering through a camera, he's gone in a flash. So I'm half-way happy with this picture.

So why can't a blue jay be more like a spider, huh? Spider sits in my bathroom wash basin and I click away. I guess that my future is as an arachnid portrait artist.

High-rise. Low-rise. Why???

2009-11-17T21:58:00.006-07:00

So you own a car. Or a pick-up. And you figure your wheels could be improved. New paint job, maybe. A better hi-fi (heaven help us!) A locker for expensive gear. A power winch to get down into a small canyon or out of a mud hole. These are things I, a pedestrian, can understand.

But what I don't get are all those high-rise (above) and those low-rise (below) vehicle modifications. Exactly what do they get you, except, maybe envy from fellow louts?

Take the high-rise pick-up. More road clearance, a plus on unpaved mountain trails? Nope, if you look closely, you'll note that the differential is actually quite low, quite likely to get hung up on the center of a deeply rutted outback road. Apparently these vehicles haven't been modified for the boonies. So: what's the big deal? (Need I mention that a stereo with loud, booming base appears to be an auxiliary part of a high-rise pickup...)

Then we have the low-rise machine, truly a city phenomenon. As someone who loves the back country mountain roads, I keep envisioning one of these cars motoring up the bumpy, rocky road to the Copper Basin overlook. As. If. (And, as long as I am whinging, why, why, why, ruin the lines of a lovely antique automobile?)

The epitome of a low-rise job. I wonder if this street rod can even make it over a speed bump without ruining that lovingly polished paint job. It certainly wouldn't make it up Demerse Street these days, would it?

Off-the-Wall Links: Surely you've been wondering what how fractals look in 3-D. You know you have. Here's a place to get a few views. How about the domino world record? Two and a half hours for the last domino to be pushed over. I 'm fascinated by volcanoes and found this gorgeous picture of a recent eruption in the Russian Kuril Islands. And to think, the new word of the year comes from the burgeoning social web: the verb, unfriend, which has been added to the New Oxford American Dictionary.