Life's Little Surprises

One Former Slow Moving Yarnell Resident

Yarnell, Arizona, is a quiet unassuming small town nestled on the edge of the heights just before a precipitous drop to the desert floor.  Its one main road, four wide lanes, looks like it was built for a sudden spurt of growth that never came, but for it 649 year-round residents, its close to paradise, or so I am told by a few of its resident-merchants!

At an elevation of 4780 feet, Yarnell has relatively cool nights, warm days, and is quite a bit more temperate than its cousin to the south, Congress, smack dab in the desert 2,500 feet below.  Why am I mentioning this small town that is about 35 miles south by southwest from Prescott?  Two reasons, well maybe three.  First, but not the greatest reason, is the little old country-style cafe, known as The Ranch House, a bit outside of town to the south - open to its customers for breakfast and lunch which has been in operation since the early 1940s.  Forget the plastic, its two policies is cash only and good food at a reasonable price. 

Second reason to mention this town is its history in GOLD!  In May, 1863, on a mesa just southeast of the fledgling outpost, acres of gold nuggets were found just lying on the ground!  This area is Arizona richest single placer gold discovery ever.   But then there are many little towns with claims to fame, pleasant places to live.  So, what is that third reason for mention that "other gem" discovery in this quiet community tucked in the semi-arid hills?  For those who are spiritually inclined, there is a non-denominational, volunteer-run and maintained, outdoor shrine for meditation and prayer.
Its natural shrine setting is organized around the 12 stations of the cross, following the New Testament's teachings of the week surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.   Louise and I toured the site and shared a meal at The Ranch House with a couple we have become friends with in Prescott, Dave and Peggy.  Here are a few of the pictures of our time at the shrine, known as the The Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains.

A metal sculpture with a crown of barb wire, a poignant reminder...

Dave and Peggy, just last month, visited the Holy Land and stood by the historic grave, but this too was full of meaning and remembrance.

We spent perhaps and hour walking the stations for our own prayer and meditation.   This site is well worth the stop and is only supported by volunteer donations.  As we left town, we were visited by several deer grazing in someone's yard, but also by some Javalina, the wild pigs of Arizona, who think they own the road and everyone's vegetable gardens!

Louise and Kevin bid you farewell, for now!

Next entry will be set in lights, Christmas Lights, and plenty of them.  Prescott is known as Arizona's Christmas Town, and for very good reasons as you will see.

Thankful on Thanksgiving Weekend

Yes, I have lots of things to be thankful to God for...

A gun slingers that just happens to be one of my five grandsons.  He can hold me up anytime, and really already does when he says "papa kevn."'

Let's not forget his older brother, Tristin, who generally is not an older bother!  Just before Halloween the boys enjoyed this hayride.  Guess who also got to drive a tractor with all the people in tow?

August also got his chance to sit on the coveted seat.

Soon, there will be two more grandson, Tristan James and Alexander Duke coming to live in Prescott!   Daughter, Sarah, will join them and the three will live just outside of town for six or possibly 12 months while father, Simon, is serving our country in Afganistan.  My camera is ready for them all.

Thankful for my "pops," who regularly claims with a grin that he is my son!  You be the judge... or maybe not.

Kristin really enjoys her role as mother and she does not seem to mind having her parents and her grandpa so close at hand.  She does not miss living in the Arizona desert land.

 

 

Of course, I am thankful for my wife, Louise, our other children and grandchildren, brothers and in-laws, friends and many others that I enjoy the company of.  There are many folk back in Denver, friends and former colleauges, relatives spread from Florida, the mid-west, Colorado, northwest and California.  The Lord has richly blessed my life and I need to learn even more how to give thanks to Him.   Recently, we have been attending a Lutheran Church here in Prescott, one that holds to the historical Christian teachings, as we continue to explore the next phase of ministry and connection in our lives.  We miss our home church, Light of Christ Anglican, but we face the future while we keep connected to our past.

I am also thankful for the faith I have in Jesus Christ, still learning and growing and revelling in his grace, mercy and love.  Yes, much to be thankful for, a hope and a future.  

In less than three weeks we are expecting to successfully purchase a home here in Prescott and it will be our new home base for the forseeable future.  There is a view with those windows; more on this milestone once we are owners.

I wish all of you well, especially to Verda, my beloved aunt and sister to my dad.  Verda, I keep dad informed of your progress and I pray for God's comfort and healing in your life.  It is a great point of faith to know that the Great Comforter is with you every moment of every day!  I am glad that I can bring you a bit of happiness and inspiration through this blog as you are being loved by your close family in Washington State.   A special well wishing comes from your brother, Floyd. 

With a thankful heart, I bid you all farewell till next time!

"Floyd" Thumb Butte

Last summer my dad took a hike on a hot summer day with his grandson-son-in-law, Ty, two young great-grandsons, and a couple of younger kid friends of theirs.  Dad remembers half of the hike, the half that he walked up to Thumb Butte's base.  The other half of his venture he was ushed down the hill strapped into a one wheel gurney by six exhausted firemen and para-medics!  It was a hot day with the temperature reaching into the mid-90s; he got overheated, dehydrated and passed out on top of the hill shortly after he sat down on a viewing bench.  Ty immediately called for emergency help, wisely.

An afternoon at the VA Medical Center to run tests and get hydrated was all it took for him to be released back to family care.  He was no worse for wear after a couple of days of rest.

It took me about three months to venture out on that same trail with him.  It was a cool Fall day, and this time we went up half way and all was well.  Notice the picture above; his constant companion is now Mr. Water Bottle and I carried plenty of backups.

I know I took more picture of "Floyd" Thumb Butte, but the only ones I could find were from that day.  So, here you have it!

 Manzanita, the smooth red barked bush is native to the area.

 This is a back shot view of Thumb Butte.  If one stood on the other side of the encropment one would see the whole of the City of Prescott perhaps just three miles distant.

 Lower in the forest the dead trees have been removed, but as we hiked up the natural look abounded.

Happy older man still enjoying the beauty of God's creation.   How many 88 year olds still revel in the hike?  It was a perfect late October day and it shows on his face.

November 17th, yet another beautiful day and another beautiful hike -  this time with Louise joining us.  Instead of venturing a bit westward, we traveled north a few miles to a trailhead easily accessed off of Williamson Valley Road.  Destination: toward Granite Mountain, the tallest and most prominent of the hills which provide the backdrop of beauty of this area.

7626 feet high surrounded by a rolling hills and small plains and home to at least a small herd of antelope.  These beautiful creatures may have been as surprised by our presence as we were of theirs!

This was the first time I had witnessed antelope in brushy area.  Up to today I had only seen them in open grassy fields.

 It has not rained with any resolve in several weeks, but the hike was still pleasant.

Lichen abounds throughout the area.  Did you know that Lichen is actually two organisms in a symbiotic relationship, fungus and algae, in most cases.

 

To our amazement, we found that although we were hiking the trailhead for Granite Mountain, virtually all the ground was covered by volcanic stones.  This area, including north and east of Flagstaff was very active around 1000 A.D., merely yesterday in geologic terms.

 

Stay tuned for more adventures as I hone my writing and picture taking skills!

TUZIGOOT

What is Tuzigoot?  Likely, most of my readers have never heard of Tuzigoot National Monument, but the federal government has.  There are protected Native American ruins which had been occupied for approximately 400 years and America, located between Prescott and Sedona just outside of the town of Cottonwood. 

The hilltop structure likely housed over 200 agrarian natives in this fertile valley.  Consisting of over 90 first story rooms and about 15 second story habitats, the views are stunning.  To the north, Sedona, to the south, the perched town of Jerome on Mingus Mountain.   This wayfare site and communal home was at the crossroads of early native trade.   The Verde River winds slowly through the valley.

We made the visit with Louise's mother and father including L's brother's mother-in-law.  Here, a vantage point view of the Verde Valley.

Tuzigoot is one of those quiet gems preserved for future generations and is easily worth the two or three miles drive off of the major throughfare Highway 89A.

Next entry will include a recent hike I took with my dad up in the Thumb Butte area just west of Prescott.   Have a great day!

Blaze of Mountain Yellow!

This picture and the one below were taken at the top of Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona Arizona in early October.  The forest fields were ablaze with color; something we did not expect but were a result of plentiful rain during the monsoon season of July and August and an ample amount of life-giving moisture in September.

Yellow flowers seem to dominate the Arizona highlands and the southern Colorado Plateau.

Even the cactus get in on the act with the fruit they bear.

While in Arizona we plan to continue our exploration of its beauty.  Many folk only think of the hot desert but they don't realize that the terrain is varied and interesting and that not all of the state is oven hot.  Oak Creek Canyon is especially beautiful as it winds itself up from Sedona toward Flagstaff.

Normally rushing in spring and summer, the placid Oak Creek gently plies its way down the deep valley.

The venerated one, my dad, enjoying the view and a beautiful day.  Here, overlooking the valley.

Native American vendors set up shop at this mountain top overlook.

Shifting gears a bit, I want to share with you some pictures from my recent bike ride in the town of Prescott.  Little-by-little I am conquering more of the town and its little by-ways.  There are a number of washes and seasonal streams that run through the town.  One of the main ones run just on the west side of downtown and a partially improved bike trail runs a good portion of its length.  To my surprise a local artist carved a dragon out of a tall dead stump.  What will be around the next corner?

Mural art is part of the urban trail, adding to the overall experience whether one bikes or walks.

The urban trail led me to an historic landmark structure, the railroad bridge.  Prescott used to be a major center of rail activity for central Arizona.  You remember the "bridge to nowhere?"  This bridge used to go somewhere, but now is cut off by progress.  Where the six rail track sets converged just north of the old downtown, now consists a small shopping center and a busy street running east through town.

Ending this entry, I wanted to bring your attention to the weather shown in the pictures of recent entries.   Prescott enjoys, much like Denver, 300 sunny days a year.  We are enjoying the temperate nature of this fall season.  I hope you are enjoying yours too!   Next, Toozigoot National Monument...