Montezuma's Castle

I drove over to Montezuma's Castle National Monument the other day. It was built and occupied by the Sinagua Indians around 1400 A.D. The first photo shows what was called Castle A by archaelogists.

It really is nothing more than some caves hollowed out of the cliff. Years later, a five-story masonry construction was built higher up on the cliff wall. Supposedly about 45 people lived in the "apartment house" before mysteriously fleeing the area, never to return.

The ruins are now off-limits to tourists although a park is operated at the base of the cliff and thousands of visitors come to the park annually. I've been there several times but this week was a perfect time to visit with temperatures around 70 degrees.

Incidentally, the name "Montezuma's Castle" is a misnomer. When the ruins were discovered by European Americans in the 1860's, they were believed to have been built by followers of the Aztec emperor of Mexico. In truth, he never came anywhere near this far north. But the name stuck.

A Montana Girl

My cousin, Bonnie Rae, has been here for a couple of days visiting.

It's quite a trip. She lives in Billings, Montana.

Yesterday we spent all day touring Northern Arizona.

First an examination of an Arizona Sycamore tree at Montezuma Castle Park.

Then a trip to Arizona's most popular tourist destination. No - not my house. The Grand Canyon. Bonnie had visited the North Rim but this was her first trip to the South Rim.

She was amazed at the vast number of other tourists there - especially as we hunted for a parking place. We would have found parking easier had we been traveling on these.

We stopped in at a motorcycle shop the other day and Bonnie tried out a Victory bike. I was amazed at the size of the biggest bikes but was assured that while weighing about 800-plus pounds they were delicately balanced and easy to ride on the highway.

I'll take their word for that.

Anyway, it was a good visit with this adventurous Montana girl.

Tokin' with Larry

I just don't know if I can believe this. But . . . you decide.

St. Patrick's Day

Oh it's that day again.

As always the leprechauns have been out painting a shamrock in a P-town intersection.

Actually, the leprechauns come from this nearby establishment.

The folks at Murphy's bar and restaurant tend to celebrate St. Paddy's Day in a big way every year. But they have some competition now from another Irish pub and restaurant.

The folks here intend to get into the day early.

And after one or two of those 60 ounce pitchers of Killians, the flag out front may look more like this.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and . . . take a cab home from the pub!

Spring is in the air

This may be my favorite time of year here because of the flowering trees.

These purplish trees are everywhere right now.

As always the photos are even more spectacular if you click on them.

Cooking

I cooked tonight.

It has been some weeks.

I shopped for this meal a couple of weeks ago. Tonight, I finally did it.

Saltimbocca

Not veal, but chicken breast. Coupled with prosciutto and sage.

My gawd, it's wonderful.

Even SWMBO raved about it.

You could find a recipe on Google.

Try it.

Some changes

Some changes here at Oddball Observations, as reflected in "Da Gang" along the right margin.

I have re-found Miss Cellania and invite you to check out her great sense of humor. I'm not sure why I lost her. She used to be linked here but may have gotten lost when I got lost for awhile. But it's great to have her back.

I've also added Malicious Intent to the group, though she'll have to decide whether she wants you reading her blog or not. But she's pretty good about those things. I mean she let me in didn't she?

There are also some who have left "Da Gang", most notably Old Hoss, who recently moved on to that great blogland in the sky. Miss Cellania has a great "goodbye" to Gene here. (Scroll down a ways.) I agree with what she has had to say about him. He was one of a kind.

Let's all be careful out there.

Lunch

I had to run some errands today. So, since I was in P-town anyway I began thinking of all of the fine restaurants and lunch spots there, trying to decide on one.

So, where did I end up?

Actually I've never been able to "get" the mystique of In 'n' Out burgers. To me, they're just another greasy fast food burger.

So why was I there? Convenience, I guess.

Coin of the Realm

Hmmmmmmm . . . .

Clouds

There were so many clouds in the sky today they seemed to talk to me.

(Click on the individual photos to lose yourself in the clouds)

Spring?

This doesn't look like a pleasant spring day.

A glowering dark sky and brisk breezes have the flags at the Town Hall whipping briskly in the sky. And one shivvers. After all this is early March and still, according to the calendar, winter.

But wait. What's this we find just a few blocks away?

Well, it's either a flowering plum or apple tree. I never can keep them apart in my mind. And that is a sign of spring.

(Several days later: SWMBO came in and said she had thought of what that tree is: an ornamental plum. I looked it up on the Web(s) and sure enough, she's right!)

Well, it can't come any too soon for me.

And, as always, the photos are more spectacular if you click on them.

Fry - too high!

Fry's Food Markets are opening a new gasoline station at their store up in North Prescott - at Willow Creek Road just north of Willow Lake Road. I was by there today and was astounded by the prices they are advertising.

Based on those prices, I don't think they'll stay open too long.

But, truthfully, the station isn't completed yet and those figures were apparently just put up to test the signs.

Don't worry, folks, it's not that bad.

Yet.

Catalyst Unveiled!

So, you see, I've been growing my beard out lately, just to see how grey, or white, it has become over the years. Awhile back, Tombo said "Let's see a picture!" But I declined at that time because it was mostly stubble. But the other night, as I was on a nice run of cards down at Old Charlie's Hootch-n-Stuff saloon, somebody with one of them damned new fangled cell phone cameras got a picture of me.

It wasn't long before the sheriff showed up and checked the cards. Blast him, he says they were coming from a marked deck. I don't have any idea what he was talkin' about but it doesn't matter. Now here I sit in the hoosegow (jail) waiting for Angel Mary to come by with a cake I told her to bring me.

The worst part of this is after all these years of foolin' you folks with pictures from my youth, now you know what I really look like! Once I get out of here I'm going to have to do something with my appearance to fool them boys followin' the reward posters!

New life

Yesterday, SWMBO cleaned the sun porch and did a little rearranging. This morning she caught Smoke apparently giving his approval. The cats love to lie out there in the sun.

As always, the photos appear larger when you click on them.

Out from In, New from Old

Time for an update on the building of the new library in Prescott Valley. These pictures were both taken from inside the current library, on the third floor of the town administration building. The construction seems to be taking a very long time but it is continuing to move along. The building is expected to be complete and occupied later this year.

As always the photos are larger if you click on them.

Big Smoke, Small Smoke

I'm always amazed at how flexibile cats can be. If the weather is hot, they stretch out on the floor or the bed, with their front paws extended one way and their rear ones the other way. I measured Smoke one time when he was lying like that and he's a good three feet long.

But then, look how small he can become when he finds a perfect place to curl up: in the bottom of a laundry basket.

More signs of the times

I was in Prescott today and decided to stop at Porky's Barbecue for one of their pulled pork sandwiches. After trying several doors and finding them all locked, I became more observant and noticed this sign.

Since today was a Monday, I was out of luck. But when I do get in, perhaps this is what I'll have to eat.

I also stopped at Park Plaza to check on Granny J's rumor last week that the Mexican restaurant and grocery store had closed. Correct on one and not so correct on the other. The restaurant has changed its name to the Pita Pit and advertises Kronos' Gyros on the front window. I stopped in and perused the menu which features a pretty good number of Greek items but also still offers Mexican food.

Then I walked down a couple of steps to the grocery store. It is the same and one of the employees told me it will remain as a basically Mexican market. But they've apparently severed their connection to the restaurant.

Meantime, in my town of Prescott Valley, progress continues at Roberts Marketplace. Construction workers are busy erecting steel over the site of the former tiny convenience store.


I inquired of a clerk in the new store and was told 16 additional fuel pumps are being added. It's becoming a gasoline superstore!

More changes

This little restaurant has become a favorite breakfast spot for SWMBO and me. It's a sister place to the Apple Pan restaurant in Prescott.

But lately there have been some disquieting signs. Sometimes the restaurant was open, sometimes it wasn't. I stopped in at the Apple Pan in Prescott today and talked to Sue Ann, who gave me the bad news that was confirmed by a sign in the window.

She said they had worked hard for 2-1/4 years but they just couldn't make it at that location. So it's gone. Sue Ann said business is down at the location still open. I asked her if that was because of the recession. She said she didn't know but she hoped so.

She also said the opening of the big new Roberts Marketplace just across the street also had something to do with their decision since that place will soon have a pizza restaurant and a deli.

So it goes.

Black Robbers

I couldn't resist putting this story on my blog. It came from one of my regular correspondents. See what you think.

BLACK ROBBERS (A True Story)

On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room.. 'I'll be right back and we'll go to eat' she told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator. As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was very tall and had an intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: 'These two are going to rob me.' Her next thought was: 'Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen.' But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed.

A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. 'My God' she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore. Then one of the men said, 'Hit the floor.' Instinct told her to do what they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down on her. 'Take my money and spare me', she prayed.

More seconds passed. She heard one of the men say politely, 'Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the button.' The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. 'When I told my friend here to hit the floor,' said the average sized one, I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the floor, ma'am.'

He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.

The woman thought: 'My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself.' She was too humiliated to speak. The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.

The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.

The next morning flowers were delivered to her room; a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred-dollar bill. The card said: 'Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years.

It was signed: Eddie Murphy & Michael Jordan.

Changing of the guard

Last November I posted a report on changes coming for Roberts Marketplace in Prescott Valley.

The familiar little red and white building would disappear to make was for a new, much fancier Roberts Marketplace.

Monday was the day and by the time I visited on Tuesday, there was nothing left but rubble being loaded up and hauled away.

I think you're going to like the new store. It is much bigger, roomy and has several new touches.

There will be a Postal station to serve customer's needs.

And supposedly a pizza restaurant in a front corner.

From what I've seen so far, I can tell owner Robert Hamill: job well done!