Apricity West 2

January 15, 2022, Saturday

Finished the 2nd book of Olive Collins’ Trilogy - The Weaver’s Legacy. She is a terrific writer - it’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together as she goes back and forth between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s describing the characters of the two generations and the family dynamics. There is always a jaw dropping secret divulged at the last minute. 

Sister Terri and husband, Jim arrived at noon today from Tucson. It is so good to see them again. They were home last September to see the whole family which was great. We get an added bonus for traveling out here and handmade birthday card created by Sis…

We had a nice lunch at Nichol’s and then drove up to Yarnell to show them the small town, the Emporium where we bought their sun catcher, and where the new Barnstar Brewery will be opening next month. Then we came back to the camper and shared beverages, shrimp cocktail, music, and conversation. They brought 6 beautiful and delicious pink grapefruit from their tree in the back yard. 

January 16, 2022, Sunday

Lunch at Hassayampa BBQ - this was my Monstrous Loaded Baked Potato

Hassayampa comes from a Yavapai Indian word - Hayesamo meaning “following the water as far as the water will go.”Apaches referred to it as "underground river as it flows” as it is underground most of the way. 

 

Covered Wagon Tour of Wickenburg - we were disappointed that Wayne Elliott was not there to serenade us, but enjoyed the ride, courtesy of Sid and Sam - 16 hands high. 

On to the Downtown Arena for more cowboy roping. Jim sat next to a cowboy and extracted a lot of information from him...

Couldn’t wait to see Terri and Jim’s Airbnb shipping container home. It is in walking distance from Safeway, yet removed from traffic. It is modern, homey, efficient and comfortable with 2 lofts, an entertainment unit, convenient kitchen, and bathroom with walk-in shower and washer/dryer set up.

January 17, 2022, Monday

Wickenburg Western Museum - if you haven’t been there, I highly recommend going. They have done a fantastic job of displaying and sharing the Western experience in a relatively small footprint with only 2 levels. 

In 1863, Vulture Mine was a gold mine and settlement and became the most productive gold mine in Arizona history. As it grew, itinerant merchants came to service the needs of the miners, at first selling goods from the backs of their wagons and from tents. Land along the Hassayampa River provided and ideal location for a town and permanent buildings were soon constructed for homes and businesses. Gardens, orchards, and farms prospered along the river and ranchers raised cattle and sheep. The town of Wickenburg was born!

LOWER LEVEL PICTURE OF STORE FRONTS

Sadly, the young actor pictured in the video in the body of this email was hit by a car and killed in 2019. He was 6’8” tall and contributed much time to the physical development of the downstairs portion of the museum. 

 

WHERE THE COOK WAS KING OF THE CHUCK WAGON:

With the arrival of hot summer temperatures, ranchers herded their cattle, goats, and sheep to higher elevations. A public trail for driving animals, known as a "stock driveway,” stretched from Phoenix through Wickenburg and north to Williams. The herds returned to the desert floor as cold weather descended on the high-country.

The chuck wagon was used to transport food and supplies for trail crews and served as the cowboy cook's home base on long drives. The cook was second in the chain of command only to the trail boss, because the morale and teamwork of the group depended upon his culinary skills. The cook's tools of choice were the Dutch oven (a cast iron pot with legs and a rimmed lid) and the coffee pot. They were heated at the campfire.

PROVISIONS FOR 1,000 MILE DRIVE FOR 12 PEOPLE

300 pounds salt pork
500 pounds flour
50 pounds salt

100 pounds coffee
50 pounds baking powder
10 pounds pepper
200 pounds onions

500 pounds beans
50 pounds sourdough starter
500 pounds potatoes

50 pounds dried chilis
50 pounds dried garlic
50 pounds lard
200 pounds dried fruit

 

Before the invention of barbed wire, Osage orange hedges were commonly used in the mid-west to keep animals and trespassers out of fields and gardens. In this part of the country, ocotillo stalks were sometimes used for this purpose. Barbed wire, first patented in 1867, was advertised as "The finest fence in the world. Light as air. Stronger than whiskey. Cheaper than dirt." Cattlemen began using it to fence their land. This put an end to the "open range" concept and eventually to the huge cattle trail drives. In 1950, 482,000,000 pounds of barbed wire were manufactured and sold as compared to 10,000 pounds in 1874.

Vi and George Wellik first saw the Flying E dude ranch in April of 1949 and began to invest in the property, taking it over in 1960. Vi was a popular local horsewoman and philanthropist. This outfit was made for her by the famous Western outfitter "Nudie" Cohn, which she wore while riding in the 1970 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California. The saddle and drape she used in the parade are also on display here in the Quayle Family Gallery, and all items were donated to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum by Vi Wellik.

This magnificent parade saddle was made by Edward Bohlin for C.C. Whitcomb. Vi Wellik bought it and rode in this saddle at the 1970 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California, along with the drape, made by famed designer "Nudie" Cohn. The drape complements the "Nudie" outfit she also wore in the parade, on display here in the Quayle Family Gallery. Vi Wellik donated the saddle to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum.

We came back to North Ranch and gave T&J the tour of the Club House to see where the dancing and jam session take place. Sat outside the camper for cocktails and then went inside for a delicious steak dinner a la Rich. 

 

January 18, 2022, Tuesday

Went to Anita’s Cocina for an early lunch before T&J headed back to Tucson. Can’t believe the number of people who eat a full Mexican meal at 10:30am like us. 

 

January 19, 2022, Wednesday

Did my 2 hours of line dancing with relatively good results. Had lunch and then walked to Joanne’s to play ukulele for an hour, then a walk back to the camper. 

 

January 20, 2022, Thursday

Joanne and Denny invited us to tag along to Quartzsite, 1.5 hours west of us, for Dottie’s Margarita Party complimented with homemade chili, live music (Denny, Harvey, and Wayne), potluck buffet, and a huge bonfire. It was a fun-filled 11 hour day, with Denny doing the bulk of the work - driving, setting up, and entertaining. We stopped along the way for breakfast at the Black Rock Cafe...

Quartzsite is a popular RV destination due to the weather, free camping options, and trade show in January. Small camps emerge as different groups of RVers park together - SOLO’s (singles), Boomers, SKP’s, etc. About 100 people were at Dottie’s party with the RV’s circled around the campfire like covered wagons of old. 

Dottie even smoothed out a section for line dancing!