Ahhhhh, spring!

Doesn't this just make you feel like spring is in the air?

Sure made me feel that way when I saw this wagon load of flowers outside a shop in Prescott the other day. I had to go back the next day with my camera to get a few shots. But when I got up close, I discovered these were SILK flowers!

I stepped inside the shop to complain but was quickly shown a case full of REAL flowers.

They were even better than the silk ones outside so I promised the folks some free advertising.

Oh, so you say that's not enough? O.K. I also scanned their business card. (A little wobbly but you get the idea, right?)

Joe and Vikki are very nice people so give 'em some business. Buy some flowers.

C'mon, there's a recession on! Everybody needs a little help.

There's even a toll free number!

(Oh . . . and by the way . . . it's not really spring here yet. It only got up to 55 today!

Heh-heh-heh.)

Feeling burned up?

So, this fine Thursday, let's see what's going on in our neighboring "city".

Prescott is known to some as "Everybody's Home Town."

To others, it's just "P-town."

If you lived around these parts, you might have been heading for the hills this week.

Or, "from" the hills if they looked like this.

But, not to worry. It's just the annual ritual called "slash burning". The Forest Service burns off some of the dead trees to keep them from burning in an "uncontrolled burn" later in the year. One of those fires, apparently started by homeless transients, nearly burned the town out a few years ago.

So every year, the Forest Service tries to protect folks from themselves and we see letters to the editor in the paper about all the terrible smoke.

Ho hum.

Cal-o-ries . . my mouth does crave cal-o-ries!

So, you're feeling kind of hungry.

And you don't feel like you want any more sushi.

No raw tuna.

No tofu.

I know what you need.

It's popularly called "The Bacon Explosion."



Now that your mouth is savoring it . . . here's the full story:

The Bacon Explosion

(Be sure you watch the slide show)

You're welcome!

Well, look at this!

What a difference a day makes!

THIS is ARIZONA???????

At least it's not sticking and the weatherman says it will move through by morning.

(Click on the photo for a larger and better view)

A gloomy day

These photos were taken yesterday and may be indicative of yesterday's blog. First, clouds settling over Granite Mountain.

Clouds may be breaking up down toward Phoenix.

But it's still pretty dark above Glassford Hill.

And a mixed sky back toward Prescott.

Meantime, south toward the Bradshaws, you can see snow on the north-facing peaks.

Signs of the times

Today we take you on a little tour of our neighboring city - Prescott - "Everybody's Home Town." Except maybe it isn't. Following up on a rumor we paid a visit to one of P-town's oldest restaurants - the Pine Cone Inn.

Well the sign shows promise of fun.

But wait! High noon and this is the parking lot.


What's going on? Aha, the rumor is true as this sign on the front of the building points out. (Sorry about the blurriness. Photographer failure)

The word is the restaurant had been for sale for a couple of years but so far no buyers have surfaced so the doors have been locked.

Well, moving into downtown in the heart of the restaurant and bar area, we found another place shuttered.

We heard the same story on this place. Been for sale for a couple of years but no one is interested. Looks like the luck of the shamrocks didn't help.

And finally, here's one that's been closed for quite awhile. Last time around it was called N'awlins. Before that it was Zuma's. And who knows what before that. It's a nice building with a roomy interior and only half a block from the center of town but apparently no one wants it either.

Could be the recession but I don't know. My town has recently opened two new hotels and at least one new restaurant. Maybe "Everybody's Home Town" has lost it's charm.