HOW THE WEST WAS WON

First you had to have the proper tools.

You had to have a horse - your constant companion.

You had to know how to ride.

Prescott maintains a claim to fame.  In case you didn't notice it . . .

Those rodeos can truly tucker a man out.  So much so that he can fall asleep on his feet.

When you need to get yourself some new gear, there's the general store.  Or, around here you can go to . . .

'Course, things have changed since the glory days of the 1800's.  Nowadays there's a more modern way to shop.

CINCO DE MAYO

The Mexican celebration which occurs on this day does NOT mark Mexican Independence Day.  In Puebla, Mexico it is a commemoration of the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862 in which the Mexican army unexpectedly defeated French forces.  In the United States it is a day to celebrate Mexican heritage and pride.

Mexican Independence Day, the most important national holiday in Mexico, is celebrated on September 16th.

But up here in El Norte, May 5th is a day for margaritas, beer, tacos, mariachi music, dancing and whatever else comes with it.  In a tradition which began decades ago holidays frequently are celebrated on the nearest weekend to the actual date.  Such was the case Saturday in Prescott.

A good sized crowd gathered on the Courthouse Square, in part to watch these guys.

A classic mariachi band in their traditional costumes.

This was one of several young ninas in colorful costumes who danced on the plaza to the lively music.

A pretty senorita enjoyed the music from the sidelines.

There was a beer garden and a young man grilling up some taco fixings.

Ah, the finished products.  Corn tortillas, carne asada, frijoles, avocados, cotija cheese.  Yummy!

There was also a busy face painter.

I wonder how long that brown-eyed beauty waited before she had the paint washed off!

O.K.  I know you've been waiting for this so . . . strike up the band.

Viva Mexico!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

CHALK IT UP

An annual festival of colored chalk artists was taking place in a bank's parking lot in downtown Prescott this weekend.  There were only a few professional artists this year.

But there were plenty of amateurs of all ages on hand and some of their work was pretty darned good.

Here's one of the younger artists . . choosing his colors and deciding on his theme, with the help of a proud dad.

All in all, a fine festival on a warm sunny weekend.

MUSTANGS!

There was a big car show in Prescott today, aptly in the parking lot of the local In-N-Out Burger.

Can you guess what it was all about?

If you can't guess by that familiar logo, it was a Mustang show in honor of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Ford Mustang.

There were representatives both young and old.

Muscle car designer Carrol Shelby was celebrated on one car.

And speaking of muscle . . .

If you're going to drive one of these beauties at it's best, you'd better have one of these on your dashboard.

That's a radar detector, in case you didn't know.

But sometimes it's just all about color.

The owner of this little gem told me pink was her favorite color. Her husband finally found her a pink car and spent 16 months restoring it to its original beauty.

Complete to a pair of pink fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

Another owner had a Route 66 steering wheel cover.

Another car had white fuzzy dice and a warning sign.

This license plate on one of the original 'Stangs brought forth memories of the old song "Mustang Sally."

Another car's owner seemed to be thinking of Hawaii Five-Oh.

And have you ever seen a hood held in place with barbed wire? You still haven't.  That clever design was painted on by a car detailer.

Another car's owner had gone all out with his paint job.

So which of the many Mustangs over the past 50 years, with the many styles and many colors is the best?

Something tells me these guys will be arguing about that one for years and years.

(This post is dedicated to my pal, Scott, a true car aficionado.  If you read his blog Flight Plan, you're no doubt familiar with his frequent visits to Cars 'n' Coffee.)