Apricity West 3

February 17, 2023 - Friday

Murphy’s for lunch today. Matt, the bartender, was there today as we had hoped. We had a good time with him last year and today was no different. He plays the mandolin, guitar and banjo - AND he writes his own music. I attached one of his songs which he shared with me. Love his voice which has an Irish tenor and he plays with the greatest of ease. He and his fiancee, Lisa, are heading to Santa Fe next weekend (her Christmas gift).

February 18, 2023 - Saturday

Went with Terri and Jim to the Horseshoe Cafe in Benson for breakfast on our way to Tombstone. It is a holiday weekend so the traffic is heavy and parking harder to find. We were fortunate though and got a spot right in front of Tombstone Brewery. 

My choice of beverage was a good old Sarsaparilla (aka, Root Beer).

Afterward we drove through the town which was loaded with tourists and decided not to walk the side streets to see the gunfight at OK Corral. Instead, we moseyed up to Old Bisbee to check things out. Toured this quirky little town in Pearl (T&J’s Kia Sportage) and reminisced about the times we were there before separately.

 

BISBEE BACKGROUND
The discovery of ore in the Mule mountains in 1877 began what was to become one of the world’s largest copper producing centers. By 1905 over twenty development companies were exploring the district and the population swelled to the largest in the state. Immigrants from all parts of Europe and the Americas came to work in the mines and discover a new way of life. Mining came to a halt in 1975, bringing artists, craftsmen and other new arrivals who along with long time residents established a unique, vibrant community. 

 

It is said that the town is perched a mile above sea level AND that the mining tunnels below go a mile deep. 

Lavender Pit

After our tour, we headed for the Old Bisbee Brewing Company - lo and behold, there was a rare empty parking space right in front of the charming building. Notice the 2nd floor of this small building - it is an Airbnb apartment (The Penthouse) with an outdoor scenic porch.

When we entered there was a great vibe about this small space - lots of action, people milling around, strangers chatting with each other, a lot of hustle bustle on the part of the bartender/general manager.

As luck would have it, a couple of people left leaving four empty bar stools for us. We bellied up and enjoyed the ride for a good 2 hours. Brandy was something to watch as she handled the crowd, pouring several beers at a time, hopping out from the bar to run upstairs to the patio above to grill more brats (using her phone alarm to keep time) and come back with double stacks of empty glasses. 

She would make it known as people poured in that they could order from her when ready. She and her bar-back worked like a well oiled machine washing/drying glasses and food baskets, assembling brats, chili and rolls. She simultaneously collected credit cards, tallied orders, and took payment on her iPad. One of the regulars left his stool briefly to make more popcorn which is complimentary. At one point a woman entered to check-in for her stay in the Penthouse above. Keys and instructions were given out while she continued pouring. They had a dark ale which Jim and Rich enjoyed, as well as a clear beverage, Salut! (almost like Prosecco - one plain and one with a cranberry flavor). All of this activity did not prohibit good conversation with her - we learned that she is a master distiller. Since Terri and I only drank Sarsaparilla, she took over the helm for the ride home and the boys got the back seat view. This is the merch Rich bought for us - hoodies…

February 19, 2023 - Sunday

Spent the day at Terri and Jim’s nibbling chocolates, talking, drinking and eating. The "piece de resistance" was Terri’s pozole (Mexican soup) with Mom Parsons’ recipe. Delicious!

Jim made his special drinks - this is the LeMonda…

February 20, 2023 - Monday

Started the day at El Charro in downtown Tucson. They open at 11; we arrived at 11:30 and there was already a 1/2 hour wait. Well worth it though. We got a pitcher of Margaritas and shared a dish of assorted goodies including the signature carne seca (beef dried on the roof). They had to ration it as the rainy weather has slowed down the process.

Then we took a relaxing scenic ride through Gates Pass and Tucson Mountains.

Ended up at the new satellite Borderland Brewery. They had the Mango Foxtrot Cider there which was the first cider I tried last year at the original Borderland. It was just as refreshing this time.  

Back to Parsons’ backyard to chill and review new information about an ancestor of ours. At the age of 19 our great-great-grandfather’s brother felt the call and enlisted in the Navy and was assigned as a gunner’s mate. John Fifield Bickford went on to receive the Medal of Honor during the Civil War (1864) for espionage which he took upon himself to enact. Captain Winslow of the Kearsarge was assigned to ferret out and destroy the Confederate commerce raiders which were wreaking havoc in American shipping. He asked some petty officers if they would be interested in getting some information. No one was willing, but the captain’s steward overheard this and told young Bickford. He was on a solitary mission. Being denied a two-day leave, he did acquire a leave until sundown and managed to get a fake certificate that he was an Englishman and good dependable sailor. This would allow him to sail to the quay where the enemy boats landed. He soon enlisted with the Confederate navy, whereupon he gathered intel to take back. Once his mission was complete, he asked for a leave to retrieve personal items and take care of business, promising that he intended to bring back a bottle of brandy to properly introduce himself. At this point he paid a shopkeeper to open the back window for him to make his way to the Dover-bound ship. It was well out of the harbor when he alone saw a flurry of action on shore hailing them to come back, but no one else saw and no one followed them. Upon his return he was called into the captain’s cabin and it was assumed he would be court martialed for overstaying his leave. Instead, the captain and other officers recounted his activity while gone and offered him the master’s mate position and that he was recommended for a Medal of Honor.  His information resulted in the destruction of the Alabama Confederate ship. Thank you, Alex MacKenzie, for your research.

Stanley (Everett’s brother), John, Erastus, and Everett (our paternal grandfather💗)

 

February 21, 2023 - Tuesday

Today was do nothing Tuesday and that is just what we did. 

 

February 22, 2023 - Wednesday

What a day! We never left our humble abode due to high winds (50-60 mph gusts) and rain. We had plans to go to a new English pub for lunch, but I begged off. We were rocking and rolling and I felt like we could easily lift off like Dorothy of Oz. So I worked on my Ancestry for the first time in a while, inspired by the above find. 

 

We never watch TV during the day, and at night it is a 2-hour Western on the Grit channel. That is with the antenna.Today I figured out how to connect the Roku TV to the internet provided by Crazy Horse so that we can watch streaming programs. Life Changing!!  

 

February 23, 2023 - Thursday

Ventured over to the university district to try out the Union Jack, an English pub. They have Guinness and I had Pear Cider which was good. We had wings for lunch. No exciting stories to tell because it wasn’t busy at all - must be a night life destination. 

Finally found out that my hip X-ray CD arrived at my surgeon’s office. I have been calling for over a week tracking it down! Mystery solved. Now waiting to hear his thoughts…