The start of a New Year

Happy New Year

A gorgeous Bougainvillea plant in bloom

right next to AZ Golf (a consignment shop) - imagine that!

"Passing the Legacy"

Riding around the canals & out into Old Scottsdale on Christmas Day, things are very quiet and a great time to look around.   This sculpture was done by Herb Mignery - depiction of a Pony Express rider and a contemporary Hashknife Pony Express (led by the Navajo County Hashknife Sheriff's posse) rider handing off the mail at full gallop. Hashknife - was a pony express company that ran every January from Holbrook to Scottsdale 200 miles.

Stairway to an office






Arts, Antiques and cafes make up the majority of old Scottsdale. 

Blues Man from Detroit

The Old Blacksmith Shop "Cavalliere Blacksmith Shop" built in 1910 and classified as the "edge of town" is still a blacksmith shop today.   The OLD downtown area was a small agricultural settlement with a bank, post office, two schools, two homes, two stores, one church and an industial use area.   All but three businesses are still standing and Scottsdale is home to over 220,000 people.

"Fountain" by B. Parks - owner of an art gallery for 30+ yrs  - the fountain depicts  Arabian Horses playing in the water.

Killer Bees

Africanized bee on the left

Have been on the look out & paying attention to any kind of "bee" buzz around town!  The Africanized honey bees have made their way into Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.   They arrived in southern Arizona in 1993 when the first fatal human attack occurred on an 88 yr old woman who disturbed a hive in an abandoned building on her property.

Brazilian scientists attempted to breed a honey bee better adapted to the South American tropics.   In 1957 when some escaped quarantine, they began breeding with Brazilian honey bees - they extended their ranges and eventually bred with other honey bees and moved into America the 1990s.
In Sept, 2011 a 1,000 lb pig was killed in Bisbee, AZ - the hive weighed 200 lbs & had over 250,000 bees.  Marc was golfing with a couple of men a few weeks ago - one of them informed him his sister was driving up the driveway in Queen Creek (20 mins from here) & found her J. Russell dog staggering in the yard . . . .she unfortunately, could not save her little JR. 
Below is a video clip of a couple of climbers rescued from bee attacks.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/animal-planet/36171-untamed-and-uncut-killer-bee-attack-video.htm

We have had several honey bees caught in our fantastic fans and a few inside the motorhome - I now pay close attention when I hear or see bees.



Gonzales Pass


Day Trekk to GLOBE
En route along I-60 the drive takes you towards the town of Miami through the Tonto Nat'l Forest - a climbers paradise.

Seven miles west of Globe is the once copper mining boomtown of Miami, with over 1,000 residents in 1910.   Today the mines are dormant and some locals are trying to renovate and rebuild Miami with a few antique shops and cafes.  Miami is located at over 3,000 ft elevation so locals enjoy outdoor sports - climbing, hiking and appears almost everyone has four wheelers & dirt bikes.

Since the 1950's R. Licano fulfilled a vow while serving in the Army during the Korean war; he promised if he returned to Arizona alive, he would build a memorial to honor Mary.  In 1977 the shrine was completed.  It has been involved in administrative issues surrounding the use of religious symbols on public land  - the land was eventually ceded to the private owner.  Today, candles continuously burn and photos and memorials of lost loved ones fill the shrine.

The town of Globe apparently got its name from a globe-shaped piece of pure silver.   It became known as one of the richest mineral states in the US in 1871. 

Prior to driving to old downtown Globe we drove around the SW part of town, just off the I-60.  We found twisting, hilly roads among some very old & delapidated homes and a huge cemetery in the midst of the residences; victims or war and mining accidents.



Holy Angel's Christian Catholic Church - 1918

Globe was founded in 1876 as a mining town.  Today has a population of over 6,000.  In 2006 a Canadian company from Vancouver purchased 5500 acres and began the Carlota Project - a copper mining project that would boost the sagging economy in Miami-Globe, bringing over 300 jobs.  Molybdenum also mined, as it is commonly found with copper.

A very steep & hilly town.  Snow in the mts but temperature lows in winter are usually around zero & we never saw any signs of snow removal equipment or signage.   The road on the pass to Globe however will occasionally be closed due to snow storms.



Downtown saloon with outdoor seating.

A dry Queen Creek  (Gonazles Pass & climbers paradise - en route back to Apache Junction - just a one hour drive from Globe)

Superior

appears to be another almost abandoned mining town just west of Miami.  Population of over 3,000 today, the downtown area seems very quiet with alot of closed businesses.

A fun day trip - The Pickle Barrel in Globe was a great place to scope out - a trading post with a huge inventory - everything from outdoor garden ornaments to old artifacts to souvenirs, jewellry, leather wear, a tannery, hides, records, sacues - you name it - it was there.