Apricity West 3

March 3, 2023 - Friday

Haircut this afternoon with Aysha at Shear Force. Then to Murphy’s for a pear cider and Guinness. There was one other man in the bar sitting next to me. He left some personal papers on the bar and left the building for a bit. When he returned he had two bags from Albertson’s which he boasted were steaks on sale. So I asked him about it and he showed them to me. They were almost half price and looked delicious, sooooo we stopped there on the way home and Rich picked up a couple of packages. The store was NOT busy which surprised us for a Friday. Nothing like word of mouth for advertising... paid $24!

We have had our own "up close and personal" air show this week as we are just minutes from Davis Monthan AFB. It incentivized us to watch Top Gun Maverick - it was a thriller for sure! Don’t know how these pilots have the courage to do what they do. 

Stock Photo as I’m not quick enough to get a picture  in flight. 

First born granddaughter made 8th grade High Honors 💕👏 as well as being a great kid! 

March 4, 2023 - Saturday

Celebrating Terri’s birthday with Mom Parsons today at PF Changs. The last and first time I was at a PF Changs was in Phoenix 2 decades ago with Terri and Jim. The thing I remember most about it was the lettuce wraps and we started today’s meal off with the same. Simple (lettuce leaf filled with yummy chicken mixture) but sooo memorable. Then we had pork dim sum, and several entrees (orange chicken, honey shrimp, and beef Mongolia with brown rice) to share by all. Asian (and Indian) spices are like a party in my mouth! 

There was a disc on a dish that made us curious. It turns out to be a hot hand towel when hot water is added...

Back to the oasis for gift opening and cake! 

My card...

Watched the original Top Gun to remind us who all of the characters were - I recommend doing that in reverse: the original first, then Maverick.  

 

March 5, 2023 - Sunday

We are using Instacart since I can’t walk the grocery store anymore. It is truly one of those positive developments from Covid that has served us well. 

 

The Miniature Museum was so interesting and inspirational for Rich’s projects. Pictures are better than a thousand words...

LAGNIAPPE MADELYN COOK 1978 MIXED MEDIA 1:12 SCALE

Lagniappe (pronounced 'LAN-yap'), is a French Creole word which roughly translates to "a trifle extra," or "an unexpected gift." Artist Madelyn Cook spent over 3 years planning and constructing Lagniappe, which includes two separate wings and 25 individual rooms. She handcrafted nearly 90% of the miniatures found within this piece. Inspired by George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, Lagniappe references the plantations built throughout the Virginia Tidelands during the 18th century. Cook chose to portray the estate of a fictional merchant sea captain and his family living during the American colonial period, complete with furnishings reflecting the captain's voyages and highlighting his trade with ports around the world.

DONATED BY JAMES AND MADELYN COOK. 2010.1.1-

Silver Queen…


Colonial Room…


Steady hands and magnifying glass? In a walnut shell!


Imagine!


In the floor under plexiglass!


Pocket Dragons…


Mercantile…


Castle…

Back at the Parsons’ ranch for surf and turf, Jim grilled shrimp, Rich cooked up the steaks and Terri cooked her yummy garlic green beans. On top of that, they sent us home with a huge piece of the birthday cake.  

March 6, 2023 - Monday

Well, well, well - at last a forecast that is more like Arizona.

Went to Murphy’s for a pear cider for me and Guinness for you know who. Learned that Adam the owner is the brother-in-law of Gabe as he is married to his sister. And Gabe’s dad who does some maintenance work is Adam’s father-in-law and his mom often comes along. It’s a family affair. The keys were handed over to Adam on April 1, 2016 and their first child was born on April 2nd. Like I said, Tucson is like a bunch of small neighborhoods. 

 

We left there and stopped at Final Touch Nail Spa to get pedicures (walk-ins only). This is the closest set up to what we are used to back home, and cheaper. 

 

March 7, 2023 - Tuesday

I tore the dinette apart today in search of my capris since the weather is really warming up. Put away long sleeves and some jeans too. Rich finished up his 18th woodcraft piece and started sawing more small pieces to create mini-buildings. I worked on my mother’s birthday card - coming soon. 

Enjoying the thrill of having streaming TV, we watched Seven Days in Utopia. This is a great "never heard of” movie about a golfer meeting up with a rancher. Good story - love Robert Duvall.   

 

March 8, 2023 - Wednesday HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SISTER, CINDY 💗☘️

Gorgeous day here! Blue skies and sunshine all day long reaching 75 degrees. Worked on art projects in the morning and sat outside in the afternoon. 

 

March 9, 2023 - Thursday

Called my surgeon’s office again, left a message. 

All work and no play today - Rich worked 9 hours today on this magnificent pencil holder surrounded by a village. It was a total of 19 hours!

And I got a good start on my Paisley Collection...

 

 

 

Apricity West 3

February 24, 2023 - Friday 

Went to Murphy’s Pub for lunch. Bartender, Matt, was in Santa Fe as mentioned in last week’s blog. I forgot to attach his song to the email, so it is in this week’s email. Kendra was bartending instead. Nothing exciting to report except that Rich was under-charged for his Guinness for the second day in a row. Yesterday at Union Jack, she comped him. Today she charged him for a less expensive beer. They had a pear cider today which was very good.

February 25, 2023 - Saturday 

Terri and Jim drove us to the northwestern side of town, Marana. We stopped at the Ritz Carlton to see the layout there, but the security said, “Not today!” When asked why - he responded, “We're very busy.” Hmmm. We brainstormed a number of things that could have been going on that would keep us out - VIP, lock down, breach of security, fire, etc. We’ll never know.  

 

On to the Dove Mountain Brewery where we enjoyed food and drink...

The boys each got a flight of dark beer…

Back at the Parsons’ oasis, we sat in the long absent sun and had a mini concert - me and my ukulele. They endured and I got to practice. 

A short clip is in the body of email…

 

February 26, 2023 - Sunday

My turn to cook so I made spaghetti sauce which simmered all day. Haven’t made it in over a year, so was glad that it came out good. It was recommended that I wear a bib to protect my clothes 🤪

Terri and I worked on Ancestry for a couple of hours and got more frustration than pleasure out of it.

 

February 27, 2023 - Monday  

Rich is working busily on a new idea. They are pen/pencil/paint brush holders surrounded by a miniature village...

Went to Harbottles Brewery briefly - still in search of the perfect spot. Later, Rich was outside with his saw cutting up small pieces for the miniatures and a fellow stopped to ask about it. Turns out he is a woodworker from Indiana and has done a variety of pieces. He told us that if we are ever in Indiana to stop at a huge flea market there (didn’t really get the name of it) to see amazing woodcrafters.  

 

In the afternoon a couple of rigs pulled in at the same time - turns out they are traveling together as the wives are twins. The park tried to squeeze them into the two spots next to us but thankfully, one opted out for a spot nearby so we still have an open space next to us. The other couple are in the next one over from us and we had nice conversation. He had a Boston Red Sox shirt on and their license plate was New Hampshire. He really reminds me of Rich’s son, Perry - pony tail, same build and mannerisms, even talks like him. It is their first year camping, but they have traveled 4000 miles since mid-January with stops in Florida (Zephyrhills where my great grandfather lived), New Orleans, New Mexico, Texas. Drove 400 miles today and will be here for 2 nights. They are very familiar with Lake George, Whitehall, Saratoga… Also have spent a lot of time in York, Maine and fishing on Sebago Lake (lake next to us in Maine). 

February 28, 2023 - Tuesday

Stopped at Murphy’s today and met the young owner, Adam. He is opening a coffee shop next to the pub in a couple of weeks. When asked why, he said he has two small children and felt the need to expand. His opener, Gabe, was helping out with various things and then his dad showed up and started helping with some maintenance issues. Tucson may be a very large and growing city, but I love the neighborhood pockets in the community. It made me feel like I was back in my small town, Lee, at the former Bull’s Eye or Locker Room with everyone knowing everyone else and helping out when they could. Once open, we look forward to checking out the coffee shop.

 

It turns out that they have snowbird friends from Lake Placid. They talked about the mammoth Olympic ski jump and bobsled. Rich shared that he had ridden as the brakeman in that very run with Reggie Bennam, son of Stan Bennam who participated and won in the Olympics back in the day. Well, Gabe and his dad also got to ride in a bobsled and said it was the greatest thrill they've had. 

 

Got me a cane today - purple of course.

The Line Dancers from North Ranch sent a group picture from their Teacher Appreciation Dinner.

March 1, 2023 - Wednesday HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTA TERRI

We’ll party this weekend 🥳💗

Tried out Copper Mine Brewery again. We went there our first year out here and it was nice, but no cider or root beer for me. Decided to check it out again and the bartender, Marina, was friendly and informative. The atmosphere is nice and the selection of beers is plentiful. I had a Sprite and caramel popcorn made and packaged in Tucson - delicious. 

Chatted with a couple from Minnesota and recalled the hardships of times back home during winter.

 

March 2, 2023 - Thursday

Very high winds last night rocked our rig and this is what we woke up to. Not what we signed up for, but at least we don’t have to shovel it. 

It’s hard to get a decent picture of the Davis Monthan Air Force graveyard, but each time we drive by there, we marvel at the hundreds of props and jets that are in mothballs. 

I watched"You're Not You.” Great cast and storyline! Check it out on Prime Video!

One more creation…

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…