Yesterday I was out in the yard and I heard the familiar droning of a heavy plane. Recently we have had 4 mandatory evacuations in the Walker area south of town because of fires and the tankers have been flying to put water and retardant on the fires. Thankfully the fires were put out and the million dollar homes in that area are safe for now. However, the newspaper daily reminds us that we are in a critical fire danger position and we should be fire wise.
Well, I saw this really big plane overhead and thought that it was a tanker and wondered if there was yet another fire started somewhere. Flying also was a small piper, probably one of the Embry Riddle students up for a spin. I thought no more about it until this morning's paper.
the headline says - Flying in for the weekend - last airworthy WWII B-29 plane comes to Prescott. Next to the picture is the explanation - The Commemorative Air Force's World War II era Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Fifi" is among the aircraft on display at the Prescott airport form 9am to 6pm through Sunday.
According to the newspaper, this is the only B-29 that is still in flyable condition. This plane was built in 1944 and it a big four-engine bomber and it supplanted the smaller B-17 and B24.
In years past they used to have an air show here in Prescott, but there will only be a number of historical planes on display this weekend -no air show accompanying them.
Prescott is gearing up for the 150th birthday of Fort Whipple and there are supposed to be big celebrations over the Memorial Day weekend. I will not be here for it - makes me sad - but I will be out in Lincoln with the grandchildren. Usually the Memorial Day weekend with its super large craft show heralds the beginning of the Summer Craft Show and various celebrations here in Prescott. Last weekend they had the Mountain Artists Guild Mothers day weekend show. I went to it and saw some spectacular wood turnings by the Wood guild people and some fabulous hand woven pieces by the Mountain Spinners and Weavers guild. I used to belong to the Weavers guild but could not manage two quilt guilds and one weavers guild all at the same time. There were lots of Jewelry people - mostly people who 'strung' beads. A true beader makes wonderful constructed bead necklaces whereas a stringer just puts a mishmash of beads together and calls it bead work. There was one lady from California who had some Dichoric glass work that was spectacular. Of course there was the usual painters, musicians and the ever present garlic tasting booth and roasted and sugared almond booth. You do not have to be a member of the Mountain Artists Guild to be a participant in the show -you just have to pay a lot of money to have the booth there. Some of the potters there have good work and some of the painters are exhibiting originals. It is easy to spot the beginners from the experts.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Tornado, toys, insurance and walnut sized quail
Arizona is home to many creatures. Last month, I was rounding the corner of the building at Las Fuentes Resort in time to see the Blue Heron fishing in their lily pond. I asked the lady at the front desk if there were any fish in the pond and she said they stocked it with goldfish. I then told her she did not have any left because the Heron was in there fishing and apparently had quite a feast. He is a lovely graceful bird and I think he is the same one that wades in the shallows at Watson Lake. There are lots of frogs there so he has quite a feast. He looked at me and then fished some more and lazily got out of the pond and spread his wings and flew to the top of the roof. He looked so cheeky standing up there staring down at me as if to say, "Ha Ha, you came well after I had a belly full of Las Fuentes goldfish. I think I will go back to Watson Lake for a top off the tank with frogs."
One afternoon I came home and noticed what I thought was the garden hose on the front rocks. I knew it was not the yellow/orange garden hose when it slithered away into the Rosemary Bush. Ah yes, we have a snake in our front yard. One warm day a few days later he was sunning himself back on our rocks and then he went over to the neighbors for a look see but soon came back to our rocks. He is really pretty and is about 4 feet long at least. I am not sure what kind of snake he is, but I do know that he is not a rattler. There is also a similar colored snake that lives in the big rocks in our back yard, along with assorted lizards and Tarantulas.
The Quail family have hatched their chicks and they look like little mobile walnuts. I watched the family pecking around the Rosemary bush and all of a sudden, there was with the adult birds, a flurry of little feather balls with legs - mobile walnuts. They skitter so fast there is little chance of catching a long enough look to count them but roughly there are about 12 to 15 of them.
We have had a lot of problem with the Javelina tipping over the garbage cans. They seemed to have zeroed on my neighbors can and it gets tipped over and feasted upon on a regular basis. That is, until last week when they went out and bought a Tough Shed to put the garbage cans in - it locks and not one solitary Javelina can break in and steal the contents. Truly, these animals must have cast iron stomachs to eat the garbage they do. So far they have tipped our garbage can one time - and it was a mess.
On Mother's day we were on Face time with the family in Lincoln and they were all downstairs for the night sleeping in the basement. The sirens had sounded a Tornado warning so they grabbed food etc. and went down to the basement. Lyla got on the phone with me and was telling me that if the roof gets blown off, all of Oliver's toys would be blown away but not to worry, the family has insurance and so in a week or so, Oliver could go out and buy new toys. However, they did take time to round up their Devices (electronic devices including the Ipad). I doubt if Lyla thought that the storm would be so particular as to sort out Oliver's belongings from the other stuff in the top floor and leave her stuff, Ethan's stuff and the Baby's stuff intact. She was just convinced that Oliver would lose all his belongings. Now that is a selective storm!
After hearing all that they took down to the basement to eat, I am sure they could be holed up for at least a week before they ran out........ha ha ha ha
One afternoon I came home and noticed what I thought was the garden hose on the front rocks. I knew it was not the yellow/orange garden hose when it slithered away into the Rosemary Bush. Ah yes, we have a snake in our front yard. One warm day a few days later he was sunning himself back on our rocks and then he went over to the neighbors for a look see but soon came back to our rocks. He is really pretty and is about 4 feet long at least. I am not sure what kind of snake he is, but I do know that he is not a rattler. There is also a similar colored snake that lives in the big rocks in our back yard, along with assorted lizards and Tarantulas.
The Quail family have hatched their chicks and they look like little mobile walnuts. I watched the family pecking around the Rosemary bush and all of a sudden, there was with the adult birds, a flurry of little feather balls with legs - mobile walnuts. They skitter so fast there is little chance of catching a long enough look to count them but roughly there are about 12 to 15 of them.
We have had a lot of problem with the Javelina tipping over the garbage cans. They seemed to have zeroed on my neighbors can and it gets tipped over and feasted upon on a regular basis. That is, until last week when they went out and bought a Tough Shed to put the garbage cans in - it locks and not one solitary Javelina can break in and steal the contents. Truly, these animals must have cast iron stomachs to eat the garbage they do. So far they have tipped our garbage can one time - and it was a mess.
On Mother's day we were on Face time with the family in Lincoln and they were all downstairs for the night sleeping in the basement. The sirens had sounded a Tornado warning so they grabbed food etc. and went down to the basement. Lyla got on the phone with me and was telling me that if the roof gets blown off, all of Oliver's toys would be blown away but not to worry, the family has insurance and so in a week or so, Oliver could go out and buy new toys. However, they did take time to round up their Devices (electronic devices including the Ipad). I doubt if Lyla thought that the storm would be so particular as to sort out Oliver's belongings from the other stuff in the top floor and leave her stuff, Ethan's stuff and the Baby's stuff intact. She was just convinced that Oliver would lose all his belongings. Now that is a selective storm!
After hearing all that they took down to the basement to eat, I am sure they could be holed up for at least a week before they ran out........ha ha ha ha
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