End of an era

This bleak sight is from my Christmas trip down Tucson way. Not really much to say about the graffiti-covered portable sales office out in the midst of a one-time cotton field whose owners thought to cash in on the big real estate boom. That's why they turned off the irrigation -- hence the acreage of dust.

Otherwise, there'd be a covering of desert scrub. Sad.

Linking for Your Pleasure: Geology has produced all kinds of remarkable eye candy, but Rich has a favorite location up near Page that has to be seen to be believed. Also difficult to believe is what can be done, sculpture-wise with the plain old paper plate. Now I know that we have all kinds of folks here in Prescott, but this one really grabbed me: a new local Meet-Up group has been formed to practice the tango, that smouldering Argentinian dance form.

Miller Valley Empties

So just what is the problem with Miller Valley Road? Is it a location! location! location! issue? All I am aware of is that there are a surprising number of empty business buildings between Gurley and Iron Springs Road. Likely all that commercial construction on SR 69 has simply swamped the region with an oversupply of retail, restaurant and other business locations. (There are even empties in the Prescott Gateway Mall.)

The one good piece of news for the Miller Valley area -- a new Chinese buffet will occupy the building (above) almost completely vacated by The Oak Tree, which has closed. Welcome news, if the food is as good as the buffet near Costco that shut its doors. Of course, this building was built as a restaurant originally. But the long-time El Chaparral Mexican food operation (below) is still sporting a "for sale" sign. It's been at least a year.

No activity at the empty gas station next to the True Value...

...and the ID's been stripped from the sign next door -- a sign that declared the pretty little building below to be a branch of the Stockman's Bank, swallowed up back a while in yet another mini-merger. I had always believed the Stockman's Bank, which survived the Depression, to be a keeper; guess I was wrong!

Saddest of all to me is that the old stone building on the east side of the street has been up for rent for such a long time. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to save the historic structure but they haven't managed to get a taker. I've always loved the way it is nestled into the granites, front and back (below.)

Only $1Mil & You're in Business in Bumblebee!

OK, I'm exaggerating. They are only asking $975K for the former Bumblebee schoolhouse, built in the mid-30s. Right now it's a modest-size private residence down in the lonesome desert west of I-17. But it does have commercial fixtures, such as a bar. On the other hand, it is one of only four buildings in greater Bumblebee, all pictured in this post. That's it below.

Unlike most vanishing Arizona, Bumblebee was never a mining town; instead, the hamlet was a stage stop on the Old Black Canyon route between Prescott and/or various mining settlements and Phoenix. Its post office was commissioned in the 1870s and still exists, in one of the four buildings. I presume it serves the odds and ends of settlements and ranches in the basin.

After a consultation with The Google, I located pictures of the phony false front buildings erected as a tourist come-on at some point. The last time I visited Bumblebee was in the late 80s and at that time, those buildings were in pretty good shape. The pix show them as thoroughly ramshackle -- but I didn't see them at all yesterday. My hunch is that they finally fell down and were carted away.

Some years back, my boss' husband happened upon Bumblebee; the town's owner at the time tried to sell him the entire place. Perhaps there is some secret about the burg that makes the schoolhouse/residence worth all that money. After all, there is a dudish ranch nearby. And maybe we're just seeing one more remnant of the recent Arizona real estate bubble.

Mucking Up the Mountainside

The rise in this picture is the lower, Southeast slope of our very own volcano, Glassford Hill. For most of my years in Prescott, it was a pleasant small mountain, clean, with no man-mades to ruin the prospect. No longer. Prescott Valley can't grow fast enough for its city fathers. So what's wrong with a car dealer up on the mountainside. Good way to get noticed. Especially at night, when the place is all lit up. In fact, it is so bright that a friend and my daughter, independently, call it The Mother Ship. Truly garish, it is.

In contrast: this huge hillside apartment complex which matches the basalt outcroppings and almost looks as if it might be a monastery. The architect or builder should be congratuated for restraint, tho I'm told that at night, when the tenants all are home from work, the lights do come on.

Nearby, a sight that truly makes me shudder -- blades lined up cheek by jowl on both sides of SR69, California-style, ready to flatten more mountain for more shopping center. Just what we need -- lots of sales tax for the government and low-pay retail jobs for the subjects. BTW, I'm not ranting -- just commenting. But take a read of former PV councilman Tom Steele's blog, The Truth Prescott Valley. Might well get your juices worked up. And while I'm on the subject of PV, Steve Words had something to say about a concert at the new arena over east of Glassford Hill.