August 8, 2007

Sierra Vista, Arizona - Bisbee

August 4th we were back at my daughter, Alisa's, house and with access to a computer and the internet, I was able to read all my e-mail and happily jump back in doing some genealogy. My Blanding cousin, Howard, in Florida asked me to look up his wife's family, and although the names of Thurn and Bettcher are not the easiest because of the possibilities in misspelling, I think I came up with a lot of new information for him after those families immigrated from Germany about 1884. Also I was jolted into reality of passing time with an e-mail from my Pearce cousin, Jeanie, in LeMars, Iowa... we are going to meet in Boone, Iowa and I finally came up with a decision on a date to meet her in Boone and get a motel. As of now we'll meet Aug 27th and 28th. I want to look up land and tax records on our gg-grandfather, John Pearce, of Wales, in Angus, Iowa from 1881 to 1900. While doing a Google search of Boone, I found out that is the birthplace of Mamie Eisenhower, and that there is a scenic tourist train ride that I'd like to take. So much to do, so little time.

To the right is a "Diaper Cake" Alisa made from disposable diapers for a baby shower she attended recently.

The monsoon rains continue in Arizona - every day the sky turns black. On Monday was the first time we have actually seen the "fabled" waterfall on the Huachuca Mountains to the west. I am amazed it is so tall - reminds me of Bridlevail Falls in Yosemite (only shorter). It's quite the sight in this high desert. A road not far from here was totally washed out at a bridge, and now the people can't get out of their country neighborhoods. There have been plenty of flooded streets/washes in Tucson and Phoenix lately.

August 6th Emily and I took a drive to famous old western mining town, Bisbee, where Alisa works at the Copper Queen Hospital. We drove the southern route Hwy 92 paralleling the Mexican border. Six miles from Bisbee we passed Naco, a U.S. port of entry that sees lots of Border Patrol activity from Mexico. It was also a battle site of the Mexican Revolution in 1911.

Since it was my birthday Aug 7th we went out to lunch at the Lawman & Outlaw Cafe. Quite the rustic, old artifact decorated place. We all ate the "Road runner Sandwich." Bisbee was founded in 1880 as a center of copper, gold and silver mining. It became the Cochise County seat in 1929 when it was relocated from Tombstone to Bisbee. The huge "Lavender Copper Pit" (see pic on right), an open pit mine, is in the center of Bisbee and ceased operations in 1975. Bisbee claims the oldest Baseball Park still in operation (since 1909) and is used by the the professional and semiprofessional teams called the Bisbee Kings. The TV series I remember, called "Sheriff of Cochise" a 1957 contemporary/western police drama, was filmed in and around Bisbee.

On the return trip we traveled the north Route 90 back to Sierra Vista - and past the road to Tombstone. It was raining in Bisbee but after going through the Mule Mountain tunnel it cleared up. In the distances above Sierra Vista a very big storm front and monsoon rain was directly over Sierra Vista and heading into the Huachuca Mountains. I had to take a photo of it (at left) as it still amazes me to see such a sight. By the time we arrived home there was no more rain, but we really could see the mountain waterfall again. We ate out again to celebrate - this time to La Casita Mexican Restaurant. Such good food, and so much of it! Ole!

School started for the kids here in Sierra Vista on Aug 8th and things are quiet. The monsoon rains may subside, and the waterfall in the Huachuca Mountains from the kitchen window is getting smaller.