Apricity West

March 19, 2021, Friday

We were sitting outside today when the man in the RV next to us approached us with his mask on to ask if we would like a picnic table on our site. His name is Lorenzo and he works here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on the maintenance of the picnic tables. We chatted for a while and he mentioned a few other places we might want to visit while here in Tucson. As the conversation was coming to an end, I thanked him again for thinking of us for a table. He replied, “Well, you’re my neighbor.”  

March 20, 2021, Saturday

First day of Spring! This was the hottest day so far - 83 degrees in the day, 54 degrees in the night so it was OK to have the window open while sleeping. Usually it gets so cold at night that you are scrambling for the bed covers that were too hot earlier. There was a nice breeze throughout the day to keep it bearable. Terri and I did our Saturday morning walk ’n talk, mostly talk. There are lovely benches along the walk/bike trail which are so inviting. 

 

We decided to hangout at their backyard in the afternoon so Terri and I could work on Easter cards and share some of the techniques we have learned on YouTube. I will post the results after Easter.

 

Jim had been working most of the day on changes in the gardens…

During the week I had decided to borrow one of their rocks and paint a Mandala on it with acrylic paints to leave in their yard… the tools I used were a pencil eraser, pencil tip, and 2 q-tips. Lots of fun! 

On the flip side...


DREAMS DO COME TRUE

I believe that if you focus on your dreams through constant thoughts, planning, praying, and visualization, they do come true. I hope that they will be able to retire and live their dream just as we are. 

 

Later I served Gouda, salami and crackers, Rich grilled steaks, Terri roasted cauliflower and we sat outside sans lap-afghans or a fire pit enjoying that meal knowing we only had one more day together. Jim is serving up dinner tomorrow. 

 

March 21, 2021, Sunday

Mission San Xavier del Bac (The White Dove of the Desert) is one of the places Lorenzo suggested so we decided it was worthy of the trip there on our last day of adventures. So glad we went - it was well worth it.

The only surviving mission in Arizona, services are still attended by members of the Wa:k O’odham community (on Tohono O'odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation)  for whom the Mission was founded in 1692. Father Eusebio Francisco Kino traveled throughout the extremities of the "New Spain” bringing Catholicism to the indigenous peoples of the area. 

 

San Xavier is considered the finest example of Mexican baroque architecture in the United States and one of the most culturally significant, at risk, buildings in the World.

 

The construction of this building was helped by the villagers from Wa:k from start (1783) to finish (1797). They gathered sand lime, clay, rock and wood: built kilns and excavated trenches. Thirty-three-inch foundations were built, and the walls were constructed of low fire adobe brick infilled with volcanic rubble stone with a lime-sand slurry poured between. Artists from central New Spain (now Mexico) worked to complete the interior. Money ran out and all were sent away. 

Before the pandemic, these wooden thatches were shelter for selling fresh cooked Indian frybreads. 

Today sections are being rebuilt in the scorching sun with a hand auger to dig holes for new hand hewn mesquite poles. 

As we drove through the reservation, we came upon a huge cemetery of uniform white crosses positioned symmetrically in a grid and embellished with a variety of decorations - balloons, plastic flowers, ceramics, photo, toys, etc. Signs warning "No Photographs” were posted along the fence. We pulled over for a moment to absorb the details but did not take pictures. It was very impressive.  

 

Downtown Tucson was full of more treasures...

 

El Charro’s 99th Anniversary 

We stopped at El Charro’s Cafe for a light lunch. This quaint restaurant serves traditional Sonoran-style Mexican food with innovative Tucson-style twists. It is said to be the birthplace of the chimichanga (deep fried burrito) and the nation’s oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Established in 1922, it continues to dry the Carne (beef) in the sun in a container hanging atop the building. 

Of course, we shared an El Charro Carne Seca quesadilla and mini chimichangas - and water glass size Margaritas with a salted rim. Perfect!

 

Presidio District

The historic Tucson Presidio District encompasses the site where the City of Tucson was established as a Spanish military fort in 1775. With three-inch-thick adobe brick walls, 10-to-12 feet tall, along a huge square about 700 feet on a side, the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson was built on land previously occupied by an ancient Native American community.

Embedded in the sidewalk

A 2,000-year-old prehistoric pit house and an original 150-year-old Sonoran row house are among the highlights at the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, a reconstruction of the original Tucson Presidio… (it was not open for us to enjoy)

Located across the street is Old Town Artisans, established in 1922, spanning a city block and housing art galleries and shops in the longest-inhabited set of buildings in all of Tucson – built in the 1850s, right over the remains of the original Presidio wall… 

This building was like a maze of rooms displaying bright vibrant colors displayed on all kinds of mediums - fabric, furniture, ceramic, canvas, jewelry, candy, and more. The transition from room to room was a ramp or step presenting a decision about which room to enter. I am sure we missed a room or two unknowingly. Need to revisit one day. 

Hotel McCoy

On the way home, Jim took a spontaneous quick detour to show us the Hotel McCoy. What a colorful history to this 100 room motel.

Can’t say it better than their ad...

Vintage vibes. Modern perks. Affordable rates.

Retro meets contemporary here at our 1960’s mid-century modern art hotel. From the fully restored pool to the A-shaped entrance & exposed posts & beams, it’s the best of both worlds.

Tucson is magic. We’ll share that with you when you are here. The lobby is adorned with pieces created by Arizona artists. The beer we serve was brewed just down the street. The wine we pour comes from AZ wine country. The coffee we brew was roasted right here in Tucson.

True to our roots, Hotel McCoy emphasizes function & affordability – offering fellow wanderers local style & high-end amenities at low rates. This is what we call Travel For All.

The poem I shared the first time we left Tucson is painted line by line on the exterior walls of the structure...  

Our last supper with T&J...

Jim prepared an appetizer of grilled shrimp with lemon juice and zest, a delicious angel hair pasta dish; then he and I created yet another dessert surprise. 

We delayed the final goodbye’s as long as we could but it was inevitable. The last time we parted, we knew we would see each other again when our trip back home begins. This time was more final and we all hugged each other real tight with moist red eyes. We have matured from the olden days of sobbing hysterically when saying goodbye.

Leaving Tucson is more than leaving family behind. We are leaving an amazing community rich with bright vibrant colors everywhere; art decorating every medium possible; eateries that are uniquely creative with the flavors dancing on your pallet through food and drink; remarkable structures embellished with southwestern flair; the blue skies and glorious rosy and salmon-pink sunsets. There is so much more to experience here...

March 22, 2021, Monday

Packed up a few things in preparation for the move tomorrow. Spent the rest of the day chillin’. Played with watercolors and crocheted another skein of yarn to my aphgan. 

March 23, 2021, Tuesday 

Today is my mother’s birthday and she sure is a young 91!! Sisters Cindy and Leslie and their hubbies celebrated with her on Sunday and sat outside in the warm afternoon sun to visit. We had a nice shindig planned at the Knox Trail Inn for her 90th, but Covid struck and that was that.

We pulled out of Crazy Horse RVPark by 9am today with an easy 3 hour straight shot on I-10 East to Dreamcatcher RV Park in Deming, NM ahead of us. 

Though we traveled West on this highway not long ago, I am still awestruck by the size of the boulders in Texas Canyon.

March 24, 2021, Wednesday

We went to a friend of Rich’s in the park to celebrate his birthday - lots of laughs and good storytelling.

March 25, 2021, Thursday

Received our first order from Boxed. Mark and Regina turned us on to this app to order in bulk - the best savings are by choosing their generic brand of Prince & Spring. No other plans today except for this blog and stretching my creative muscles with art… oh, and a much needed walk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apricity West

March 13, 2021, Saturday

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain… It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it is such a soothing sound on the roof of the RV. At times, the drops were so heavy that it sounded more like a PLOP PLOP than pitter patter. The desert needed a good refreshing shower to tamp down the dust and brighten up the flora. 

 

Terri came over for a walk and sisterly visit along the bike trail. Later, after her hair appointment, they came over for dinner. 

 

March 14, 2021, Sunday

It snowed in the higher elevations of the mountains which is a sharp contrast to the foreground. This is good news for Tucson since there has been very little rain or snow melt to sustain them. They actually close off roads to Mt. Lemmon for a day unless you live there or have chains on your tires since people are not used to driving in the snow. Tomorrow the road will open again and the skiers will flock to the top.

 

Our tour guide, aka Jim, took us over Gates Pass again to visit the renowned Desert Museum. 

 

250,000,000 years ago...

…you would have been swimming here, not standing! A warm shallow sea covered this area. Over millions of years mud settled to the bottom, burying the remains of abundant marine life. Look closely…you can see fossil shells preserved in the hardened mud in this limestone rock.

 

OUR HERON’S STORY 

In spring 2008, this heron was a nestling, living high atop a tree near Seattle, Washington. One day, a bald eagle grabbed the young heron from his nest to make a meal of him.

Something startled the flying eagle with its prey, and he dropped the flightless heron to the ground. Soon, a motorist found the injured nestling on the side of the road, and sought the help of a nearby homeowner. As luck would have it the resident worked at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Veterinarians and rehabilitators at the center repaired his broken wing, leg, and toe as best they could, but it was soon apparent that he would never be able to fly. The Desert Museum offered to give him a forever home, since he could not return to the wild.

 

PLEISTOCENE GIANTS

The grasslands of prehistoric North America teemed with grazing animals and their predators. Many were giants: mastodons, mammoths, bison, ground sloths the size of elephants, beavers the size of bears, horses, camels, prong-horn, American lions, short faced bears, dire-wolves. Quite suddenly, most disappeared, leaving only fossils as evidence of their lives.

What happened to the grassland megafauna?

The sudden extinction of most North American megafauna (animals over 100 pounds) happened about 11,000 years ago, just about the time humans first arrived on this continent. A coincidence? These first Americans were extraordinary hunters. On entering the New World, they found prey animals with no fear of humans, and within just a few hundred years, many believe, they hunted them to extinction. (Other causes, such as climate change, have also been proposed as agents of extinction, and the issue is hotly debated.)

The excavated bones in the exhibit represent those of a mammoth, brought down by spears tipped with points made by early hunters known as Clovis people. Similar bones have been found in grasslands very near Tucson.

MOUNTAIN ISLANDS

The Sonoran Desert region includes forested mountain "islands" surrounded by a "sea" of desert.
You are entering a representation of the biological community known as the Mexican Oak-Pine Woodland.
This community occurs at elevations between 4500 and 7000 feet in these mountain "islands."
At this elevation a moderate climate, with rainfall averaging between 12 and 22 inches a year, supports a variety of grasses and a mixed evergreen woodland dominated by oak, juniper and pine.

None of these cacti and  flowers would be here if not for the bees and hummingbirds which pollinate them.

An Anna’s hummingbird may need the nectar output of 1000 flowers to get water and the 8-10 calories daily it needs to survive.

If you had the same energy needs, you’d have to eat 300 pounds of food and drink 150 gallons of water every day.

 

After all of that walking, we went back to Parsons’ sanctuary to enjoy the sunshine, sounds of the birds, strains of music, cocktails, conversation...

 

The dangling spinner/sun catcher hanging from the tree is the gift we found in Yarnell Emporium and gave them for their hospitality. If you remember, there were innumerable yard ornaments to choose from, but when we saw this, we knew it was THE ONE. 

 

Over the years, they have spent a lot of time and energy on the design of this plot of land. Jim, being a graphic designer and abstract artist, has put his skills to work on this display. 

In the background is the privacy wall he and his father made from weaving rebar together and adding elements of corrugated steel...

Notice the structure in the foreground - it is made strictly from rusted bicycle parts (except for one hand trowel) and the “flowers” all spin in the wind. A local artist created it and donated half of his earnings to BICAS (Bicycles Inter-Community Art & Salvage).

...and another perfect dinner. 

March 15, 2021, Monday

Dabbled in art more today - watercolors are my favorite medium as there is a larger margin for error. It’s not as precise as pencil. Not that you can erase it, but you can doctor things up easier. 

Here is the difference between my hurried dabbling...

...and sister Terri’s methodical planning, practicing and painting!

See what I mean!? 

March 16, 2021, Tuesday

Haircut today! If you are ever in Tucson and need a super-cut, go to Aysha at Shear Force. She is an amazing upbeat personality, willing to go to all lengths to meet your beautification desires!

I have been talking about getting purple highlights for a LONG time. While in the grocery store, I happened upon the hair color department, and there was a sale for 1/2 price! Whoa - it’s a no-brainer! Right?

Treatment ...

Subtle temporary results. 

 

March 17, 2021, Wednesday

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Terri and Jim like a corn beef dinner, but have never cooked it, sooooo chef Rich got busy in the kitchen (I prepped the veggies). It was delish and Jim and I teamed up to create a fresh strawberry with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with orange liqueur. Perfect ending.

 

March 18, 2021, Thursday

Rich’s friends, Mark and Regina Linsalata, from Oro Valley stopped by today. They keep you in stitches with their stories and banter. One of the stories was about meeting a grizzly bear on a trail they were hiking! As she pulled out her bear spray, he took a picture of it and they began singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - why? You are supposed to raise your hands to appear big and make a lot of noise. Why that song? It was the only song they new all of the words to without music playing. We still don’t know how they decided to sing at all...

  

Hearing them singing...

Running away from the noise!!


This picture of a bear and her cub was spotted close up - and behind cars!

Apricity West

March 5, 2021, Friday   

On our way to Prescott (not Pres-cott, but Pres-kit) today. Being 5300 feet above sea level you notice the change of environment on the way up. It was founded in 1864 and was the first territorial capital of Arizona. 

Over, under, around or through - what would you do?

 

We passed through Yarnell and decided on the Skull Valley route which goes around the mountain. We took the tight zig zag route on the way down where there are parts of the road without guardrails and steep drops - scary!

In a cowgirl state of mind today and at our first stop I found a pair of boots - ankle high, roper (low heel), leather sole, fringe and a little bling.

We went to a co-op art gallery and Rich bought me a pair of glass and sterling earrings from the woman who made them.

This is Rich’s hat and the blue micro-bead band was made by Theresa... 

The city is much bigger (42,785 population) than I expected with big box stores on the outskirts of town and a bustling block known as Whiskey Row.

The Palace 

“This is the oldest frontier saloon in Arizona and most well-known and historic restaurant and bar in the state. Past patrons include Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate. Virgil was Prescott’s Town Constable. Originally built in 1877, the Palace was destroyed in the Whiskey Row fire of 1900. Patrons moved the bar and lower back bar across the street and drank and watched Whiskey Row burn to the ground. It was rebuilt in 1901. Today, the Palace maintains its history, grandeur and old Wild West atmosphere, is a favorite for locals, and attracts visitors from all over the world.”

 

Who is that masked man?

 

“Erected by Arizona in honor of the 1st. US volunteer calvary. Known to history as Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. And in memory of Captain William O. O’Neill and his comrades who died while serving their country in the war with Spain.”

The things you learn! A friend of the family and first time reader of my blog, Margaret O’Connell, sent the following comment to me: “You are lucky to have seen the Solon Borglum sculpture in Prescott - there are none in Massachusetts. His uncle & brother were the driving force behind Mount Rushmore.” I did not know that!

 

March 6, 2021, Saturday

Another great visit (and meal!) with John and Eileen at the Saigon Kitchen 10th Anniversary Party - plus the owner’s birthday! We indulged in appetizers and the guys had a few drafts, so we were pretty stuffed. They are lucky to have us gals to drive them home.  

Passing through Wickenburg (Team Roping Capital of the World), we are amazed by how many RV’s and horse trailers there are at the arena. 

March 7, 2021, Sunday

Today is our last day "at home" before we leave so we took a walk over to the Saguaro Garden within the park. The paths are lined with round rocks which were laid by hand and every plant has a name plate in front of it. 

North Ranch Memorial Bridge

In memory of the SKP’s (Escapees) who have trod this land with us (1996)

This wash is dry now, but after a monsoon it is flooded and the streets run like rivers.

 

At one point the rocks end and bricks now line a section of the park as a memorial for those who have passed beginning in 1994 with their name, year of death, and SKP number. Where you see 2 bricks, the remaining spouse has passed too. When we got to 2018, I counted 27 bricks and that doesn’t include those that are placed next to their spouse who passed before them. In 2019 there were 16 bricks. It makes sense - the founding couple in 1978 (Joe and Kay Peterson) of the SKP’s have both passed and their children and grandchildren now run the organization.

This beautiful park was the brain child of Maisie:

In remembrance of Maye Huslage

This park was a vision of hers.

With her supervision & the help of others,

It is through her effort

You have this park to enjoy. 

 

Time capsule…they thought of everything!

Near the end of the path we came upon Nola Cook who was busily organizing white bags and styrofoam cups in a cart. Rich knows her and we started talking about the garden and its history. I noticed the bins had black marker which read Frost Coverings, so I asked her about it. Turns out she and Mary Kistler had covered ALL (about 150) of these cacti in December and had just uncovered them before we got there!! What perfect timing that was… if we had gone 1 day earlier, we would not have seen the beauty of this Memorial Park or met Nola. She turned 90 this winter and has been here in a park home for 26 years now; she has always been involved in the maintenance of the garden. Mary is the person in charge and Nola told her when she turned 90 that she was retiring, but I don’t know who will replace her. She has been an SKP (Escapee) since 1985 and knows her membership number by heart - as does Rich (#111,285). 

They talked about Methuselah’s demise! It was a 12 ton, 400 year old saguaro that had to be removed (with the aid of a crane) because one of its arms was separating from the core. It takes 70 to 80 years for the first arm to grow. They were afraid it would fall on one of the buildings.

This is one of those arms which was replanted in the garden and others were given to anyone who wanted one to plant in their yard.

 

Friends stopped by to visit more and say goodbye. They reminisced about the SKP ice cream socials, line dancing, woodworking, beading, quilting, polymer clay, art class, pickleball and more - they long to start gathering at the Activity Center again.

 

Through more conversation, I learned that Keith was a school teacher, then a vice principal, then a principal. Roberta was an elementary school librarian and beads jewelry. 

 

Tom was a machinist and service tech. Here are more examples of his skills - they were each carved out of one piece of wood. 

Alet was a Freight Claim Analyst for a medical firm. She analyzed the cost of product lost or damaged during transit across the USA.

 

She doesn’t crochet, but she can’t help herself - tucking away my loose ends (the part I dislike the most) - thank you!

When I ask why there is so much talent amongst this group, I am told that it gives them something to do. They did not necessarily have these skills until after they retired and had time to hone their skills through the groups that met regularly before the pandemic. Slowly they are coming together again, but it is not the same. 

 

March 8, 2021, Monday

Today is sister Cindy’s birthday, Happy birthday Sis...

John Moore stopped by this morning after participating in the weekly Beautification project with a crew of volunteers who help with maintenance and grooming of the property. He and his wife, Gerri, have lived in North Ranch since 2014, first in a park model. After a few twists and turns of fate, they ended up swapping homes with a couple who had health issues and needed to downsize. Although the husband passed away 2 months later, the wife is happy as a clam to be there. John and Gerri are very happy with the exchange too and have purchased the lot next-door and added an RV garage. The summer of 2019 they stayed here while the garage was being built and vowed never to stay here in the summer again- too hot! Then the summer of 2020 was Covid, so they stayed. This summer they are leaving in May heading east for a 5 month trip to get out of the heat. I asked if they had any children and he replied, “We are DINKs  -Dual Income, No Kids."

Had our farewell lunch at Nichols West with John and Eileen. Will miss seeing them and our fun conversations. 

March 9, 2021, Tuesday

Travel day back to Tucson. I will miss North Ranch and all of the super people that I met here. This park was very enjoyable with so many places and people nearby to visit. 

 

This is a caravan of four wheeler buggies lining up for an adventure in the desert. There have been as many as a dozen at a time heading out. Wouldn’t want to be the last in line eating the dust of the others...

Goodbye pink mountains - until we meet again!

 

March 10, 2021, Wednesday

It was easy peasy to get our second shots and since we had no side affects yet, we joined T&J Parsons for a delicious dinner - pork tenderloin and brussels a la Terri, peanut butter cup hot fudge sundae a la Jim. 

 

March 11, 2021, Thursday

Our arms are a little sore, but that’s about it. Finishing up this blog and tackling water color painting today.