Alaska: a spot of latte

When the dotter first moved from Northern Arizona to Alaska last year, what was the biggest change in the scenery that she noted? No, not moose. Certainly neither mountains nor conifers. No, it was the espresso shacks. Everywhere. In the city. In the burbs. Along the highway. In the woods, yet. I don't have nearly all my Alaska photos home with me (hint, hint, dotter), but I certainly had enough photos of latte stops on my flash memory stick to illustrate this post.

I am a naif about many current crazes. Do expresso shacks proliferate on the Left Coast like mushrooms in rainy weather? Is Alaska a special case or does it share certain characteristics with California (along with union power)? I wouldn't know; I haven't been on the Coast for a good 15 years.

I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense. With only 5.5 hours of daylight (of sorts) in midwinter, a lot of folk are commuting in the dark. A good zap of caffeine would be in order on the way to work.

What surprises me (and the dotter) is the contrast between fancy-dan lattes and the frontier image so carefully cultivated by Alaskans. In all the sound and fury about Sarah Palin, not one of the legions of intrepid reporters bothered to note this curious cognitive dissonance.

I think the only place there was a notable absence of latte shacks was in the immediate vicinity of McDonald's stores. But then McD is serving up fancy coffees these days and exercises enough muscle to keep any competition at arms' length.

If you think I'm making a mountain out of a mesa, bear in mind that we have but one -- count 'em -- one drive-up espresso stop here in Prescott (above). At least as far as I know. The contrast with the Anchorage area is astounding. Based on our population, we could support anywhere from 25 to 50 of those little shacks. But then we have a bit more sunshine on the solstice.

Later Note: Out of curiosity, I went to The Google using the phrase "latte shack". Guess what I turned up: a Flickr page from an Anchorage resident who, at this point, has photos of 169 such java joints, from Juneau to Homer to Fairbanks. I'm truly outclassed!

Only 92 shopping days until...

Yep, the merchants are speeding up the calendar ever further, perhaps in anticipation of a lean yearend. In any event, on my last picture shopping excursion over to the WalMart West mall, it was already Solstice Shopping Time, which is one of the six merchandising seasons of the year. (The others: Hearts, Bunny Egg, Flags, Sun, and Harvest.) I found these upscale Santas at Tuesday Morning, which featured an entire aisle of Christmas decorating goodies.

The ornaments were quite pretty, too. And pricey. Those below, $17 a pop.

But, oh, I do like these medieval holiday cats! I might treat myself.

Still more seasonal items, including a handful declared as clearance merchandise.
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JoAnn, down a few doors, was just revving up for the winter solstice; Autumn was still on display...

...while the WalMart fabric department had an excellent selection of Christmas prints. Of all the seasonal stuff I saw the other day, the yard goods makes the most sense; after all, if you plan on special holiday sewing projects, you need to work well ahead.

Even the CVS store has already allocated space for Christmas decorations: one side of an aisle. As for what ever happened to the Autumn Season (back-to-school/Halloween/Thanksgiving), I'm not quite sure. Perhaps they've mostly past in the merchandising universe.

A Gift of Links: In keeping with tonight's theme, here's a potpouri of interesting sites I've come across. First, a critter movie from Firefly Forest: bats cleaning out her humming bird feeders. More interesting critter pix from Quilted Dogs: subject, the jellyfish at the San Diego Aquarium. Perhaps you'd like to compare Arizona Then and Now ... read reviews of over 35 different Prescott restaurants ... wallow in 60s jukebox nostalgia ... or make prickly pear cobbler -- it's all yours for a simple click. Enjoy!

Hats for m'lady

The sign at JoAnn's was a reminder of days long gone. When I was young, starting out on my career as a magazine editor, hats were a chore. Did you have an important business lunch? It meant gloves, nylons, heels, girdle and, of course, hat. The formality of those days is long gone, happily. But I still have an aversion to wearing headgear, even when it's quite necessary on a very hot, sunny Arizona day.

But that sign wasn't talking about making the modern little pill boxes which were the style back in my early working life. Oh, no. Rather, hats as art objects and collectibles. Periodically, I find such fluffy confections in local antiqueries.

Not just Victoriana, sometimes a straw quite perfect for Joan Crawford or Ava Gardner.

You'll periodically see fancy hats at Prescott events -- quite in keeping with an Old West theme, for example.

Members of our active Victorian Society appear in costume at ice cream socials, senior living communities...

...and sometimes just stroll our streets.

It keeps life here interesting. If I don't have to wear gloves, nylons, heels, girdle and hat.

Recycle bins

In the course of my wanderings these past few months, I came across a pair of recycle bins that just begged to be partnered. The first was this fine collection of soda pop cans down at the Birdsong Creek marina in Tennessee which I visited with TONFM (The Other Niece from Memphis). The big surprise? All that Mountain Dew; for overseas readers, MD is a lemon-lime soft drink concoction. I had thought that the South was Dr. Pepper country, but I don't see any below.

And here's the similar bin, over at the local upper crust Goodwill store on SR69. Don't weep for the decline in literacy that this might represent -- these titles are the same sort of stuff that one multi-story second hand bookstore in Chicago used to sell for 5 cents a pound.

I wouldn't want to give Goodwill a bad rap for denigrating the printed word. The more respectable reading matter (i.e., more likely to sell) is available on neat shelves at the back of the store.

Miller Valley revisited

I walked from Iron Springs down to the CVS store this afternoon. Purpose: to record the changes since reporting on the Miller Valley empties last January. Before you read any further, do go back to that post. In particular, read all the comments; more than one old-timer has weighed in with stories about the past. Well worth your time!

So, what did I find out today? First, that the old filling station next to the True Value is now a rental place. All kinds of stuff. You can even rent the blow-em-up bounce machine for your next party. Didn't get the price.

The venerable El Chaparral has been succeeded by La Fonda, continuing the tradition of Mexican food. Anybody out there tried it yet?
And after all this time, the Hong Kong looks to be ready for opening day. All reports say that the proprietors of this establishment do a good job at a good price. Am I correct that these are the same folks who ran the Chinese buffet over behind the Costco and now have a similar place in PV?

Of course, we're all aware that the McDonald's is being rebuilt from the ground up. Even the raven below. I wonder if the franchisee will still offer that little play area; after spending time with my daughter and her super-bouncy OmegaDotter, I understand the appeal of such amenities!

Oops -- I didn't get a new picture of the wonderful rock building, but I'm happy to report that there is some sort of cosmetic or beauty operation there. Thus ends the good news. Now for the not-so-good news, i.e., the current empties. The former Stockman's Bank remains shuttered, with no clue as to any potential new business occupant.

That (dare-I-mention-it pink) building at the corner of Fair/Hillside also needs filling. Not that it was ever apparent just what sort of businesses held forth at that address. I do recall that when we first moved to Prescott in the 80s, there was a green grocer at the rear. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a good green grocer again? Makes me recall the wonderful stores back in Chicago's Italian neighborhoods.

Also empty: the building across the street which formerly housed Prescott Classic Auto Parts, which has moved three doors down the block. I think that's all, but did you realize what a restaurant row this short stretch of Miller Valley Road has become? Once the McD and the Hong Kong are open, the total count from the Taco Bell down to Trishs' Lil Cafe will be nine. That's a lot of eating out.

Pink perfection?

The color pink is very well. In its place. For instance, hollyhocks and showy sedum (above). Or strawberry ice cream. But, yikes! Our clever marketing men (and women, I suppose) are smothering an entire generation of little girls in an enormous pink miasma.

I mean, have you really looked at what's being offered in the stores and shops? There was this entire aisle of pink over at the WalMart the other day. Costumes. Dolls. Toys. Pink. PINK. PINK. The part that really frightens me is that the girls not only go along with this monolithic sales push, but they love it, if I am to judge from my familial experience. The youngest granddaughter even insisted on a pink bedroom, she did! And more pink in the hen house.

The theme is not just pink, but princess pink. Costumes, tiaras, the whole nine yards of cloying Hollywood-style royal frou-frou. And, oh yes, a proper backpack for the princess while we are about it!

Where are the ginghams ... the greens, reds and yellows ... the plaids, prints and stripes? The individuality (or, to be more PC, the Diversity)? You realize that when the kids grow a bit older and rebel, as rebel they will, they will simply choose to follow another mass-marketed theme. After all, what is a Goth girl but a pink princess rendered in black and white?

Forgive the rant. It's just that today I had one pink experience too many. Would you believe pale red marking pens over at Staples, hardly the home of your everyday princess? Or, below, pink kitchen tools at Tuesday Morning for the thoroughly over-grown princess. Eeek!