Apricity West

Terri and Jim’s desert oasis...

Spot the neighborhood black kitty in the center... 

They have lived in this little Southwestern bungalo for 30 years and have found so many ways to personalize it and make it the cozy private corner lot of desert that it is (accented with a bountiful grapefruit tree).

Both seasoned bicyclists, they have taken full advantage of the miles and miles of bike trails. 

Jim is a die hard Boston Red Sox fan and has an abundance of baseball caps and other memorabilia. His creativity is obvious in the Green Monstah bike. See how many symbols / tokens you can identify on this masterpiece...

 

January 22, 2020, Friday 

 

Explored the RV park to see the lay of the land and though it is tight spacing between sites, it doesn’t really matter because no one seems to come out of their home. There is a nice heated pool at the club house across from us with lovely wicker furniture under cover and cool picnic tables spread out far and wide. It would be a great place to visit with our guests when they come over here since I haven’t seen anyone sitting there at all. 

January 23, 2020, Saturday

 

Went for a walk with Terri in our neighborhood which ends up on a bike trail they use. We had a great walk ’n talk catching up on life in general. It is soooo good to see her! We decided we could go for a Tour de Tucson all in the same vehicle (Jim’s 2005 Rav 4) with masks on and windows open. He is the best tour guide with his knowledge of the area having lived here most of his life. The murals around this city are amazing and spread out all over the place...

 

Our grandfather Bickford's brother, Stanley, lived in this house on the same street as Terri back in the 50's!! He and his wife moved West as he was suffering from tuberculosis. He died at the young age of 47 in 1955. We discovered it quite by accident when reading through letters that Gramma had saved. We noticed the return address on an envelope and were shocked. 

El Tiradito (The Wishing Shrine) is a little nook in the Barrio which holds hundreds of pictures, candles, notes stuffed into holes in the walls, stuffed animals, etc. in memory of loved ones lost. The plaque states, “This is the only shrine in the United States dedicated to the souls of a sinner buried in unconsecrated ground. It is affectionately called “El Tiradito” the castaway. The many legends about its origin all involve a tragic triangle love affair in the early 1870’s. The mysterious powers of “El Tiradito”are still an important part of local Mexican lore and culture. This site is on the National Register of Historic Places."   

 

It's hard to see it but the blue “A” on the ledge represents the University of Arizona. It provides an excellent view of the city.

A white bike at the top of “A" mountain is a memorial for a rider who lost his life on this treacherous road.  

 

Tucson is like a bowl with the magestic mountain ranges surrounding it:

 

North - Catalina Mountains

East - Rincon Mountains

West - Tucson Mountains

South - Santa Rita 

 

We stopped at a courtyard made of old rusty containers for a pit stop and to have a cocktail outside. Jim was a bartender in the early years and Rich owned a bar, so they were off and running with drink recipes and fixins. 

It was a gorgeous day with the sun shining bright for our little jaunt and temperatures suitable for open air. Went back to their house and sat in the back yard warmed by the fire pit and creative storytelling over hors d'oeuvres and a delicious chicken salad with feta cheese and pomegranate seeds. 

 

January 24, 2021, Sunday

 

Lolled around all morning, gathered up the laundry, and took it over to Terri and Jim’s to do while watching the end of the football games. Zoomed with grandkids and moms, then on to cocktails and Terri’s yummy tortilla soup. 

 

January 25, 2021, Monday

 

High winds today up to 24 mph so we stayed in and put laundry away and did our Instacart shopping at Safeway. 

January 26, 2021, Tuesday

 

Had a visit from Mark and Regina who worked with Rich at North Ranch RV Park in Congress, AZ in the past. They recently bought a home in Oro Valley and along with their cat Sonny, are adjusting to more space than they have had in many years. It was a nice visit and they were happy to share news and stories from the past. 

Being in the desert, the temperatures can span 30 degrees in one day! Snowfall followed us out to Tucson.

Morning -

Afternoon -

January 27, 2021, Wednesday

 

On the drive over to Terri and Jim’s - snow still on the mountain tops; 25 inches fell at the highest point of Mt. Lemmon. As it melts the dried up washes will run like rivers. 

Terri and I went for a walk on the bike trail nearest them - it is just like a two way paved road and people of all ages enjoy this trail. A little girl no more than 3 years old was being coached by her dad while walking her training bike; a pair of fit young men raced by in their recumbent bikes; bicycles built for two rolled by; men and women older than me pedaled past us. 

We (Rich) prepared four Hamburg steaks smothered with onions and mushrooms and butternut squash for dinner and I made chocolate mousse for dessert. 

 

January 28, 2021, Thursday

 

The winds blew so strong last night that I thought we would be blown away like Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz. And since they haven’t let up that much, today will be a day of creativity - me attempting to paint pictures with words in this blog, and Rich drawing and creating furniture.

The table between front chairs (pictured on the floor) took up too much room. So why not take a handmade cutting board, drill holes in the bottom, and repace it? Perfect - it even swivels. 

 

 Early morning art...

 

 

 

 

 

Apricity West

January 15, 2020, Friday

 

Took Gracie (VW) for a ride today to Las Cruces which is about 50 miles east of Deming. We pulled off at a rest area to see a close up of the Road Runner metal sculpture. 

Also came upon a huge tumbleweed at the onramp to Interstate 10. Couldn’t stop for a picture but it was about 3 feet in diameter. 

 

We drove into Old Mesilla (Ma-saya) meaning side table to see the historic site where Billy the Kid, Kit Carson, and Poncho Villa lived. This was the first stage coach stop on the Butterfield Overland Trail in 1858 and the only one that remains. 

When you want to beat the crowd you go to outdoor dining for lunch at 11am at La Posta. 

Thus drinking margaritas so early in the day. 

A delicious lunch followed by a sopapilla each - they were 4" x 4” - not what I was expecting! But wonderful. 

 

Strolled through a coop art gallery and met a watercolor artist who lives in Deming, John Glass.

Rich chatted with him about a fellow artist in the area who he really admires, Robert Highsmith. There are three of his paintings in the camper that look just like a photograph. 

January 16, 2021, Saturday

 

Walked over to Brenda and Dennis Keller’s 5th wheel in the back of the park to reminisce about the time that Rich was manager of the park. Things have really changed!! They are another great couple with many talents and it was nice to hear the stories of old. Dennis makes beautiful wind chimes with a little bit of glitz added in. 

January 17, 2021, Sunday

 

Listened to First Congregational Church service today while crocheting. Thank you Marcia Eveland for describing the process to become a pastor in the United Church of Christ and what lies ahead for the selection of a permanent pastor for UCC Lee. In the meantime, it is good to know that Interim Pastor is a specific skill set.

 

January 18, 2021, Monday

 

We drove over to Columbus, NM and walked across the border today into Palomas, Mexico to take advantage of their medical services. It cost $45 for Rich to get his teeth cleaned and $140 each for new lenses for our glasses. The $25 exam was free if you bought lenses there. Both of our lenses were very scratched up so we got new ones with progressive vision and transition to sun glasses.

 

The Pink Store is the prize in this town - located in the same square as the dentist and eye doctor offices. It is owned by Ivonne Romero and her husband Sergio. They were on a buying trip while we were there. 

As you enter you are overwhelmed with bright colors on display on ceramic, enamel, glass, wood, vinyl, and fibers. The merchandising is magnificent; even the table cloths are brilliant, the margaritas salty and savory, and the meal delectable. 

We were entertained as well.

I managed to choose a trinket for each of the grandkids which was difficult with such a vast array of choices. 

Senora happily posed for a picture for a tip in her basket. Beautifully adorned in her native apparel as well as a New York sweatshirt (the hook?).

Stopped at the Art Gallery in Deming where John Glass displayed his watercolors this month. We were very impressed with his work and wish him well.

 

When we first met, I was showing Rich around the Berkshires and introducing him to numerous friends. He said he couldn’t wait to show me around his turf. This turf turns out to be most of the United States which he has traveled over the years. I am so blessed to have him to show me new places while feeling secure and safe. 

 

January 19, 2021, Tuesday 

 

Lazy pajama day today - very windy, dark and cold - probably the second non-sunny day since in New Mexico. The most I did was make mousse and tear out my crochet project and start over (Debbie Dutton 🤪). I finally had the pattern that I thought was right down pat, and looked at it more closely to see that it was no where near what it should have been. Watched numerous tumbleweeds roll by too.

 

January 20, 2021, Wednesday 

 

Inauguration Day!!! Yay… It was so uplifting to watch the new administration be sworn in and to hear the messages about our future. Lady Gaga looked and sounded awesome, singing with such passion. I wondered how Jay Lo could match that, but she did with her heartfelt rendition of This Land Is Our Land / America the Beautiful. The show stopper for me was Amanda Gorman - outstanding young woman who has such a strong presence and animated style. I'm sure we will be seeing more of her!

Our final mission of the day was to get our Covid tests before entering Arizona to see Terri and Jim. Successfully negative results...

 

January 21 2021, Thursday

 

Pulled up stakes and headed for Tucson mid-morning - a short 3 hour journey. The stand out photo op was the Texas Canyon - trouble is picking which shots to share...

 

Our home for the month...

We're in the thick of it here - can see and hear planes, trains, and automobiles.  The park is pretty much full and tight. A direct contrast to Deming. We will be doing a lot of day-tripping with Gracie. 

 

Finally - it has been 4 years since I have seen my sister, Terri and her hubby, Jim. 

 

We had a wonderful homemade Southwestern corn and potato chowder with wonderful fresh artisan bread by the propane fire pit. They have a lovely back yard in desert motif. Super cute couple 💕.

More pics to follow...