The view from Bradshaw Drive

You would think that with all the wandering and exploring my husband and I did over our years in this area, we might have taken a look at the southeast quadrant of Prescott -- that turf south of Gurley, east of the Senator Highway. The reality is that we were not particularly interested in housing developments -- in fact, tended to sniff at them. So, it was a new experience when one of my friends and I followed up the IOOF cemetery/Acker Park visit by checking out the hilly neighborhoods. Bradshaw Drive is the major route, but be sure to enjoy it driving downhill to see the sites:

For instance, a great view of The Peaks 90 miles north.

Or the cropped hilltop next the Senator Highway. Is that a sled run going straight downhill there?

Prescott opens up to the north.
One of two facilities for the aged located on Bradshaw -- the crenelations of The Peridot. A recently built subsidized rental complex is just around the corner; it will soon have additional buildings.

Houses clinging to the hillsides are a feature -- neither lawn nor garden friendly real estate.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of this upscale modernity, we turned a curve to see this remnant of earlier days. The old Tenney homestead, I am told. A nostalgic reminder of a nearly buried past.

Late summer afternoon walk

No, if it appears I haven't been walking very much, that's quite true. Too dang hot; I don't do summer heat well. However, with our monsoon moisture skittering away, we had a sunny day with autumnal breezes and temperatures. A perfect time to head over to Grove Street to inspect the Moroccan fountains and otherwise to see what was to be seen along the way.

The time: late in the afternoon, as shadows of the stones in the roadway should attest. However, despite unseasonal dryness along the way, this big Park Avenue trumpet vine was lush. (FYI: we have had absolutely lousy rains this summer.)

Here's the historic white house which was gutted, then waited and waited for the expansion/remodeling to begin. Finally, the job is almost complete; below is a handsome new set of doors at the front.

Another handsome door, this on Grove Street.

Of course, there's always infrastructure that's in need of repair -- and no federal bailout money available for the work, either. I guess for that you need to be a bank or a government operation, not just people.

Along the way, I found the auction sign, tucked away in a planter by the sidewalk. Waiting, no doubt for the next auction to be announced; I believe they happen at least once per week.

I'm still trying to puzzle out just how (or why) this juniper got scalped. Was it possibly growing higher than its mate (below), and so cut back to the same level resulting in this misfortune? Any landscape experts out there? Will new leaves cover that barren understory? How long should it take?

A more pleasant sight along the streetside next to the gutter: pavers in circular patterns.

Then there's the question of that large square building at the northeast corner of Sheldon and Grove. It appears to be 1) empty and 2) the victim of vandalism, unless all that boarding up of what had been plate glass is/was to create more privacy inside. I wonder, too, about those circles: paste-on decal graffiti?

Right across the street is this Prescott College building currently being remodelled. At the moment, however, it looks like an extra big package was just dropped off by FedEx or the boys in brown.

I guess tonight is my night to be querulous, as I have yet another query. To wit, how do two competitive C-stores both survive when plonked down cheek-by-jowl? I don't get it. They both appear to stay in business. While we're stopped here, do note the flower in the lower right hand corner of the pic (enlarged below). It's a healthy volunteer snapdragon, one of the garden flowers that does extra well in Prescott, wouldn't you agree.

By this time on my walk, Grove Street had segued into Miller Valley and I could get a picture of that lovely stone building which is, once again, looking for an occupant. Too bad. Catty corner at the CVS, I was reminded that there will always be a marketing man: specifically, the sort of charlatan who invents a so-called "collectible" out of whole cloth, signs up a factory in China to make the geegaw and sets about making his fortune off the clueless. Neat toys they might be, but "collectible"? Come on.
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End of May neighborhood walk

And so I set out on another short neighborhood walk. Good reasons this time: first, to see what the unusual, slightly damp weather has wrought amongst the plants and, second, to take a look at progress on the old house that was gutted, then sat for several weeks with nothing happening. I did get a chance to talk to one of the owners who explained that the venerable structure had always been in her family. At last, the new addition is moving along expeditiously and should at least double the size of the building.

A discovery which had been in front of my nose all along -- another old brick structure with bolts, tho these might have to do with holding the garage roof up. Further along this alley: a basket of artificial flowers adorning a utility pole.

Which is not to deprecate green, growing things, which, having received more May water than they were expecting, have responded with gusto. Here, a volunteer hollyhock on the alley, with buds ready to burst into flower.

The wild four o'clock along the alley are lush with blossoms -- very early. But much, much earlier is the lone aster below. Poor thing must think that it is August, which is when asters are scheduled. (Even my wild asters that get regular watering wait until the proper time of year to produce flowers.)

This neat little garden belongs to one of the little cottages that fronts on the alley.

The neighborhood vines are thoroughly greened out and looking for new territory to climb and conquer. The grape (above) has, to my knowledge, never set fruit, though it blooms every year. On the other hand, a Virginia creeper (below) is about to flower; this vine always sets those big dark berries that consist entirely of one big seed.

More vines: in this case, wisteria, with one lone panicle, tho if you look closely below, you'll see that the expanding vine is ready to grab any unwary passers-by.

Yet one more vine: honeysuckle. Unfortunately, it is still not possible to capture the fragrance electronically. Surely the bright boys and girls of Silicon Valley should be able to remedy this shortcoming Real Soon Now.

On Park Avenue, there stands a small tree, possibly a locust. Today I realized that this was not a single tree but five or six twined about one another. Strange! And, below, my final botanical note of the day: the Spanish broom is abloom and quite thoroughly covered with brilliant yellow pea-type flowers. Quite as fragrant as the honeysuckle, but headier.

I close with trees of a mineral sort: manganese "trees" on a small slab of granite that I've seen many times but never Seen.

Walk hints at spring

Well, more than hints. The first blossoms of the year are always on the domesticated jasmine, followed shortly by the wild manzanita. It's funny -- I never anticipate the jasmine flowers; they happen as a surprise every year. Nonetheless, it will be another month or likely more before those empty tubs below are filled with new plants.

But then, as I am out walking, last year's pods are a reminder that the trumpet vine will bloom anew. While I'm about it, why not a picture of the shadows of last year's pods?

Another reminder that time passes: Eros ready for Valentine's Day. Question: red eyes? I thought that red eyes were merely an unfortunate artifact of digital photography that we could all do without.

Here's a sentimental touch at one house in the neighborhood -- a plaque proclaiming the driveway to be Emily Drive. What is your guess: daughter or wife?

Then there's this high hatch in a garage, perhaps formerly a barn. Suitable, perhaps for bales of hay to be tossed in? As for the door leaning up against the window below: 1) the window is right on the alley and thus not very private and 2) it might well be the bathroom. So why not an informal cover?

The final surprise of this walk was meeting up with un-Max, another Siamese/tabby mix who was looking a bit lost but then settled down in the middle of the alley to consider his situation. There are not-so-subtle differences: un-Max hasn't turned as dark as my favorite cat and he is wearing a collar. I don't know whether to hope I see this fellow again or not.

Yet More Links: Have you ever heard of a bourdalou? Me neither; however, Judith at Not Dead Yet has a series of pictures of these dainty little urinals for m'lady plus a bit of the history of the object, its need and its use. As you are only too aware, I am a bit of a cat fancier, however, I'm not going to let Max take over my photographic duties as Cooper has in his household; you can get a load of his picture-taking at Cooper--Catphotographer. Among the curses of our throw-away culture -- what to do about dead big boxes and abandoned malls. Here in Prescott, it took a surprising number of years before the empty Fry's out West Gurley found a new use; Popular Mechanics has a article about what might be possible. And, before I collapse for the night, I have to report that I just visited LindaG's new Prescott Past postcard blog; she's featuring a view of Gurley toward Thumb Butte -- but the greatest thing is to take a look at the picture blown up to catch detail, such as the little bridge across Granite Creek or the gent on the rear platform of the streetcar or the single auto among the horse wagons and carts. Great fun and a cool "you are there" feel to the picture.

Cruising South Prescott

The idea hadn't been to explore neighborhoods -- it was simply to locate the blue Victorian with a fine tower for my collection for a future post. However, friend Patty had time after our Thursday breakfast group to travel a bit. Thus, we took a hint from the RV mural above, on a very small (and local) scale. A few of our findings follow.

First, another muralesque sight, this on the north wall of the florist at Montezuma and Leroux. A real northern AZ subject, too: a mountain man up near Bill Williams Mountain (left) and the Peaks (right), even a bear in the lower right hand corner.

The old Adult Center has been thoroughly face lifted for its new role as the Boys & Girls Club. Looking at those stairs makes one wonder how our senior citizens managed all those years, though the location is certainly superior to the new center which is far from downtown or the little bus route (and an expensive taxi ride away).

This "boat" is a hard one to figure out (or to picture). We couldn't decide whether it is a trailer to be pulled in a parade of art cars or if the "bridge" actually holds a driver's compartment. In any event, it sits in a front yard, awaiting the right event.

On the other hand, the idea of a VW bug serving as a wrecker is certainly an idea whose time is ahead of us, what with soaring gasoline prices & automotive down-sizing. Another potential use is very, very Prescott: attach the hoist to a stout tree at the edge of a small canyon to lower your ride to a lower level. One way to explore the upper Verde, for example.

A surprise, really ready for gentrification, that we found at the south end of town. Somehow this property got overlooked in the midst of our recent housing boom.

This cute little playhouse matched the accompanying home in color scheme, if not in architectural style.

Quite different from most local houses was this house, shingled all over. Comfortable looking, in any event.

Perhaps the greatest experience from the hilly south end of town was the wonderful view! The Pioneers' Home above left, with Little Granite and Two Rock Mountains in the background to the right, and Granite Mountain looming over town below.

We finished our adventure near the Sal, where this willow caught the wind that presumably is bringing a storm and our snow level down to 6000 ft. tonight. In Prescott, we will always accept any moisture, with many thanks.

Linkages, Etc: Speaking of that storm, it chased the Artful RV folks out of the Nevada mountains over in the Basin & Range country. I've often wondered about what those hills were about and now I have an idea; they've got some wonderful pix, including small wildlife. If you've ever wondered about life in the G.O.D. (Good Old Days), take a look at Prescott Style's list of headlines about accidents from old Arizona newspapers. World Pictures & More captured a neat batch of bee photos the other day, while Warren down in Tucson features a picture of el hombre, a gent you wouldn't like to meet up with on any dark and stormy night.