Buc-ee's Has Come to Arizona

If you don't already know it, Buc-ee's is a famous chain known for huge amounts of gas pumps, a huge store, a huge selection of items, and is fast developing a following.  I have known about them for some time but have never been to one.  I've had a few people tell me I should go at least once, but I don't plan on going out of my way to get to one anytime soon.

Anyway, they opened up their first Arizona location in Goodyear, right off I-10.  I honestly would have thought they would have opened in Eloy first.  The opening was a big event here in the state, with hotels being booked to capacity and law enforcement having to re-route traffic.  I don't know if the hubbub has died down yet, and I don't have occasion to pass thru Goodyear.  If I need to use I-10 west of Phoenix metro, I take the bypass thru Gila Bend to avoid Phoenix.

I could criticize those who camped out for a few days before the grand opening, which if I do, then I'd have to hope that no one ever finds out I stood in a long line here in Tucson when In-N-Out Burger opened their first location here.  The honest truth of the matter is, those people who are fans of Buc-ee's aren't out robbing liquor stores, and I consider them more desirable to society than lottery addicts.  

As for why I don't see myself going to Buc-ee's, it's for these reasons.  One, I'm something of a Quik Trip loyalist.  They opened up in Tucson some years back and it's my convenience store of choice.  Two, if you buy something to eat from a Buc-ee's kitchen, they don't provide a place for you to sit down (some, but not all, of the Quik Trips do).  Three, I don't like crowds very much.

Now if I happen to be on the road somewhere and need some gas, I might stop there to check it out.  I'm sure I would go in and wander around some, to see what they have.  I might even grab a brisket sandwich to see what that's all about.

All of that said, it has to be noted that what we have here in Buc-ee's is an American success story.  They are doing something right to have the kind of following that they have.  Bucky Beaver is on his way to becoming as recognizable as Ronald McDonald.  

And I just might be missing out on something if I don't check it out.

A Visit to the Land of Enchantment

One week ago tomorrow Sheila and started my third road trip since retiring.  We wanted to retrace the route we took back in August 2016, but with one major difference:  overnighting for two nights in Silver City NM.  Like the last time, day one was spent driving to Deming, where we stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites, as we did in 2016.  For the evening meal we walked over to the family-run El Camino Real Mexican restaurant........which was of the New Mexico style, my favorite.

The enchiladas I had were almost nightmare grade, which I mean in a good way.  Beyond zing and almost rocket fuel.  In New Mexico, the custom is to have eggs served on top of your enchiladas, which I did.  The next morning it was off to Silver City, with a stop at City of Rocks State Park, which I recommend.

The next stop was the Bayard Food Basket, a local supermarket, where we got some items and beverages for our stay in Silver City.  After getting back to the truck, I kept thinking about that large package of dried Hatch chilis.  I went back, bought a bag, after we ate a somewhat late lunch at a Mexican/Salvadorean restaurant called La Mexicana.  

Our stay in Silver City was the historic Murray Hotel.  It was our first time in a historic hotel, and we liked it.  The only drawback is you have to hope there is street parking nearby and finding it was a challenge.  We fortunately landed a spot within half a block, but we also knew that we couldn't dare do any side trips or we would lose that spot.  That was OK, we wanted a full day downtown, so we booked two nights.

While there I did some online research about those chili pods.  Now that I have them, what do I do with them?  I found a recipe for chili sauce from scratch, and I thought I had better buy more bags of these.  On our way out we stopped at the Silver City Food Basket, where I picked up three more bags.  It was slow, so the cashier gave me a quick rundown on how she makes chili sauce from them.  I intend to be making a batch in the near future, with near future meaning this week.  I also picked up some hot sauce brands that I don't see here in Tucson, so as you're guessing my home cooked meals are having a Southwestern twist to them.

Saturday we drove to Willcox, where we stayed for the night.  Lunch was at Big Tex BBQ, which I highly recommend.  We spent Sunday morning driving to the Chiricahua National Monument where God's signature is all over the creation that is found there.  The rock formations are unique.......towering cylindrical shapes that reach up to the sky!  That afternoon we were back in Tucson, and I've spent today mostly resting.  

We love road trips, but it's really great to be home.  Our next trip hasn't been planned yet, but I'm guessing we will visit Laughlin NV, Oatman AZ, and if my cousin's available, we'll stop off and see her in Lake Havasu City where she and her husband now spend their winters.  

There's not very much else to report, and that's a good thing.  I have some projects to take care of, and I want to spend some time on the air.  

Retirement is great!  I miss some of my co-workers, but not the corporate crap.  I won't rule out going back next year as a part time consultant.  

Our First Road Trip, Post-Retirement

On Tuesday of last week Sheila and I took to the road, expecting to be gone anywhere from five days to one week, and largely making it up as we went along.  We knew that the Petrified Forest National Park was going to be one destination and we knew that we would take scenic routes to get there.  Destination for night number one was Globe AZ, which I've passed thru before but did not stop.

We took AZ77 up thru Oracle (getting off to drive its main drag), with a stop in Mammoth to check out some lots that were for sale.  Sheila wants some property outside of Tucson, which I'm sympathetic to but for me it has to be a great location for ham radio.  There was a lot in Mammoth which would have been great, but it wasn't buildable due to terrain.  We eventually found ourselves in Globe, where we had a nice meal at Irene's Real Mexican restaurant.  Well, I liked the meal..........Sheila didn't like the enchiladas.

The next was a drive over to Show Low, thru some really awesome scenery, especially that of the Salt River Canyon.  Show Low is a candidate location for a second home, but its drawback is the awful traffic they have there.  From there it was up to Snowflake, which was checked out.  Snowflake looked more like a town in Oregon than in Arizona.  To me its drawback is the distance from Tucson, because I would want to be in a place I can get to within a day.  

After Snowflake it was on to Holbrook, where we put down for the night.  Holbrook reminded a lot of Needles CA.  Both out in the middle of nowhere, both with historic US 66 running thru the main drag, and both where you stop for only one night before you continue on.  The major difference is Petrified Forest National Park, which I visited once in 1986, but something I wanted to see again.  That place has some scenery that you just can't get tired of looking at.  We plan on going up there again sometime within the next six months.

We knew that when we left Holbrook, that we would take in the Four Corners monument.  We also knew we would do that after stopping somewhere for the night.  That stop was in Cortez CO.  In retrospect we maybe should have stopped in Shiprock NM, but we had reservations in Cortez.  The drive gave us lots of scenic formations to look at.  As for Cortez, I think of it as a decent place to stop, and maybe on a future trip we'll stay there again.  The next morning, Thursday, it was off to the Four Corners which was something I've wanted to see since high school.

Four Corners is way out in the middle of nowhere, but if you have an appreciation for southwestern scenery like I do then you'll enjoy the drive there.  There were a lot of visitors there.  As I was standing in line waiting my turn to stand at the quadripoint, it was weird looking down and seeing one foot in Arizona and the other in New Mexico.  I got my picture taken (Sheila did not want to be photographed), and then walked around in all four states some.  The decision had been made the night before to drive to Flagstaff, and again I loved the scenery that the Navajo Nation had to offer.

I can't say that I liked that section of US 89 some eighty miles north of Flag.  That was pretty desolate and there was a lot of traffic.  Flagstaff was something of a madhouse on Friday afternoon at 2:30, and I'm sure being near Northern Arizona University didn't help.  We stayed at a Quality Inn and loved being within walking distance of a Himalayan restaurant.

After that it was the drive home, not made pleasant by the Phoenix metro traffic, but at least it moved.  I was worn out something fierce the next day and now I am enjoying retirement at home.

I took lots of pictures on this trip, but I'm not sure that posting them here would do what I saw any justice.  I would have to download them from my phone, and right now the "to do" list in my planner has ten items, and I'll settle for getting three of those knocked off the list tomorrow.  I'm also going thru papers here; sorting, filing, shredding, organizing..........a lot has built up and the next challenge is to live long enough to see everything done.  

That said, retirement is great.  I can take an afternoon nap anytime I want to.  I can get up at 3:00 AM and go on the air.  And now I've got time to work on some family history.  I want to get additional pages up, and get caught up on email.

With that, time now to call it a wrap.

Out.

20 Years Ago Today

It was 20 years ago today that I arrived in Tucson.  It was Wednesday, the 24th of February, 1999 that I came here to begin a new chapter in life.  I was in the townhouse that afternoon accompanied only by my cat Sylvia, a mattress, and some odds and ends.  The rest of the stuff was delivered on Friday the 26th, and I spent the weekend unpacking.  I reported for work the following Monday, and by Friday I either had AZ plates on the truck or the new driver license.  I know I did them in two separate visits but I can't remember which one I did first.

I had no idea how long my stay here would be.  There was no where else in the United States where I wanted to live at that time and it was that way for some time (I can now be talked into relocating to New Mexico, or elsewhere within Arizona).  I was in the process of recovering from some adverse circumstances and I think coming here accelerated that process.

I have, for some time, lived longer in Tucson than anywhere else, and yes, that includes that 15 month exile that I had in Las Vegas.  Although there were 23 years in California, 16 of them were spent in San Jose, and another 7 elsewhere.  I don't miss San Jose, I never have, and although I can reminisce about the good times I had there, most of the people I had them with have left too.  I told Mark a few months ago that six days in San Jose is seven days too long.  And that's a shame, as that there was a time where San Jose was one neat city to live in.  That was many years ago.  By the late 1980s it had already become unlivable.

Unfortunately Tucson isn't what it used to be.  I like my house, I like the scenery here, I like the cuisine here, and I like the attractions here, but Pima County is on its way to becoming a third world country (we might already be).  The roads are in poor condition, law enforcement won't respond to a call unless someone is killed (not necessarily their fault; the fatass politicians are more interested in illegal aliens), and I don't see things getting any better. 

I could move to Phoenix metro, but I don't think I would like it much better.  I'd consider Prescott, but the cost of living there started going thru the roof years ago, as it is in Flagstaff.  There's not much to do in Kingman, Yuma is unbearable in the summer, and I'm not a fan of Sorry Vista.....excuse me....Sierra Vista.  Casa Grande has some problems I don't want to deal with, and I don't think Sheila would like the other areas I haven't mentioned.

That said, coming here 20 years ago was the right thing to do.  It changed my life, and very much so for the better.  I had to learn some lessons about some things during my time here, but not at a cost that others would have had to pay. 

That said, I think I'm staying here.  Maybe not in this house.  I could move farther out, and yet be close enough.  The local ham radio scene here is a good one and I'm much more involved with the local ham clubs (note the plural) than I have ever been before in my life.

I remain grateful to the Good Lord for bringing me here.

The Move from Nevada is Completely Complete

The move is now finished!  The credit card billing addresses were finally updated; the electricity to the apartment is now shut off, and this morning I visited the Motor Vehicle Department to register the truck back into Arizona, and once again there is an Arizona plate on the rear (Arizona does not issue a front plate).

When I first moved here in 1999, I couldn't wait to get the California plates off the truck.  I went in one morning to re-register, and they made me surrender the back plate (they let me keep the front) and I went to get the driver license taken care of in another visit.

Nevada also made me surrender the back plate when I registered the truck there in December 2014.  It was faded from years of exposure from the desert sun so it wasn't collectible, in my opinion.  To my surprise, MVD didn't want the Nevada plates, but offered to have them destroyed if I wanted.  I wanted to keep both of them to add to my license plate collection, and they will be eventually displayed in my garage (I rotate the display frequently) and I'm glad to be adding a new Nevada design to the collection.

The Nevada common plate currently in use is a decent design, and looked good on the truck, and in one way I regret that it's no longer there.  There is no shame in having a Nevada plate on your vehicle like there would be if you had a California plate.  Of course, the commemorative Las Vegas plate that is offered by Nevada advertises that you live in Trashcan and like it, and I'm not sure that it's a good thing if you drive a vehicle adorned like that out of Clark County. 

In other news, the background check on me is now done, and I report to my new employer this coming Monday at 8:00 AM.  The commute is the only drawback, however I'm good friends with two of the managers of Quik Trip, and one of them delights in distributing $2 bills for me.  I've been a fan of the $2 bill for several years, and now that I'm back in the Old Pueblo I'll be ordering straps of these from my Wells Fargo branch.  I'll see if I can get Eisenhower dollars since he likes those as well.  It's free advertising for his store and he's told me on occasion that his customers get a kick out of the "odd" money.

Tomorrow morning there is one more visit to MVD to get my title updated (I'm adding Sheila to it), after which I finally get to goof off a little.  I'm having lunch with Tim O, who is one of the first friends that I made in Arizona.  I've also got a lot of yardwork to do, and I plan on getting some of that in as well.

It's really great to be home.  There are a few more people I need to reconnect with. 

You *can* go home again!

Thirteen Years in Arizona

Last Thursday, the 24th of February, was the 13th anniversary of my arrival in Arizona.  I was leaving behind a rather adverse collection of circumstances in California, which I will not get into right now (nor am I likely to get into in the future).  I think the words "divorce" and "layoff" are sufficient to describe that.

It was a beautiful day when I crossed into the Grand Canyon state.  The sun was shining, the desert sky its characteristic blue, and a new chapter in life was beginning to unfold.  As I was leaving California, I said to it "enjoy your new governor" (a reference to the recently elected Gray Davis who was subsequently recalled) and upon seeing the sign that the Grand Canyon State was welcoming me, I think there may have been a few tears of joy.  I stopped the truck, said a prayer, and then continued on my journey.  My cat Sylvia was with me; she wasn't enjoying the trip....she was the only companion I had with me when I made the crossing.

Later that day, which was a Wednesday, I arrived in my newly-leased townhouse in Tucson, near the Sabino Canyon.  I didn't have much with me aside from clothing and my collection of CDs that I wasn't trusting with the movers, and a mattress pad to sleep on since I didn't own a bed when I arrived.  I was really starting all over again.  That day Arizona became the seventh state in which I was a resident of.

Two days later, the movers arrived.  I still didn't have much.  I had visited the nearest Wal*Mart to get some pots and pans and a starter set of dishes and silverware.  The movers brought my microwave and stereo equipment.  I immediately commissioned the stereo and started playing some tunes as I was unpacking.

The following Monday I started my new position at my new employer.  I was no longer a satellite engineer; I was instead helping to test out some specialized electronics that were being developed for production.  I was no longer living in the land of milk and honey as that I was instead now living in a desert.

When I arrived, I wasn't sure then how long my stay would be.  I was in the process of being bought out of my share of the house back in California, and was going to wait a year or so before buying in Tucson as that I wanted to get to know my new city before selecting a neighborhood to live in.  And, there was the business of having to make some new friends, which happened quickly, and I'm glad to say that the first friends I made here are still my good friends.  Also, I wanted to explore what was around Tucson.  The border town of Nogales was a little over an hour away by interstate.  Tombstone about 75 minutes away.  The Desert Museum some 45 minutes to the west.  That was what I knew about.  I was later to find out that we had wine country down by Sonoita.  A national park nearby.  A great collection of Mexican restaurants.  Steakhouses too.  And most important, a lot of friendly people here.

I always thought Arizona was a neat state even before I had set foot here.  I would read about the desert when I was in the third grade back in Florida.  I had a fascination with the plants and animals that were here, and I really wanted to see it.  I could never have imagined that I would get to live in the desert.

My arrival in Tucson, thirteen years ago, interestingly enough was not my first time here.  I passed thru on a road trip in July of 1986.  On the return leg of that trip, I saw northern Arizona, and was amazed at how we had so many different types of scenery here.  The Grand Canyon comes to mind, as well as the forests outside of Flagstaff, and the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest.  When I had gotten the phone call that someone down here wanted to interview me, I was elated as that Tucson was where I really wanted to land when I was blasting out resumes.

Thirteen years already.  It's been that long now.

I hope to be here for a lot longer than that.

Deer Hunting, Willcox AZ

Todd and I are in Willcox, Arizona this evening.  We drove down yesterday and checked into the Days Inn and this morning we were out looking for deer.  This is our first time hunting in Unit 32, and we like what we see so far, even though we didn't spot any bucks.

We decided to check out the Allen Flats area, and spotted a doe and her yearling fawn crossing at Muleshoe Road.  We watched them for about five minutes, after which they disappeared into some brush.  We continued on, pulling off at N-O Canyon.  First off we spotted a coyote trying to get a drink from a watering hole.  He changed his mind about that when he saw us.  Further up the canyon we spotted two more coyotes, both of which quickly disappeared over a ridge to the north of us.

We drove back to town for lunch, but first conversed with another pair of hunters who gave us some tips on where to locate deer.  While on Muleshoe Road near mile marker 4 we spotted a herd of antelope!  There were 20, maybe 25 animinals in that herd, and they were clearly spooked by us.....though they did stop to look back at us.  We watched them thru binoculars before they ran off.  I didn't know there was an antelope herd near Willcox.  I know there's one near Sonoita but neither of us have any desire to go after antelope, not that it matters, since Game & Fish does not issue very many antelope tags for southern Arizona.

We went back to N-O Canyon for the afternoon posting.  Hunter pressure there was light.  We glassed the southern facing slope extensively but no deer were sighted.  Right at sunset I spotted a coyote.  I'll never forget that sight.  He was silhouetted right against the skyline.  He was a good 600 yards away and I never would have seen him without optics.  He was scoping out the area too.  He disappeared and then re-appeared, though that second sighting might have been a second coyote.  I think there's a good chance that it might have been that same pair we spotted earlier this morning.

Deer season continues thru Thursday, though tomorrow will be our last day out.  Todd needs to get back home tomorrow night, so tomorrow afternoon's attempt will be last until next year.

From a wildlife sighting standpoint, it's been excellent.  I'll admit that I'm glad that we were out there again this afternoon.  Seeing the coyote(s) at sunset was a neat experience.  Yeah, I've seen more here than I can remember, but seeing one out in the wild like that is something you'll never forget.

I'm tired, so I'll sign for now, but not without mentioning two restaurants in Willcox.  One is La Salsa Fiesta Mexican restaurant.  That's right off of I-10, exit 340, Rex Allen Drive.  It was my second time there and last night's meal was one of the best Mexican I've had in some time. 

This evening we went to Big Tex's BBQ near the intersection of Maley & Haskell (Haskell is the old Arizona 86 that served as the main drag in the pre-I-10 days).  I had the Albuquerque Burger and it was a good choice. 

OK, I'll mention a third place.  There's that pie place north of I-10 and its name escapes me as I write this.  Their pies are too good to be legal.  I may stop off there before heading out.

We're having lots of fun, but it would be nice to be bringing home some venison.  Hunter success is about 20%.  It's a difficult state to hunt in, mainly because of terrain.  But we have fun making the attempt.

OK, this time, I'll really sign.

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.

On the Road....in Tucson?!

Greetings from the Coffee Xchange on Tanque Verde Road, near Camino Principal! Why am I here?

It's like this. A computer virus/malware infection surfaced on the home computer on Saturday, and after spending a lot of time yesterday trying to fight it I've decided to take it in. I'm taking a break from file backup to come out to the Coffee Xchange, so that I can download protection updates and at least keep the laptop as a viable option for maintaining what I can of being connected to that online realm we call "cyberspace".

My computer will be in the shop for a few days; they want to make sure that once the fix is in, that the fix really fixes the problem. At the worst I'm in for a complete disk wipe, at the best it'll be resolved quickly tomorrow.

* * * * * * *

On a more positive note, I placed an order for five copies of the new Bachman & Turner CD.

Yes, five copies.

One's for myself, and two others will be given as gifts to my housesitter/catsitter Barb and to my stepson Richard. That leaves two extra; hopefully I can get both those guys to autograph one of them if I can ever catch one of their shows.

They are playing in Coachella, California next month, where I can easily get to, but I'll be in Portland. Well those good people in Portland that I'm visiting are folks that I consider family, and family is more important. And Fred Turner told me several months ago that he thinks they'll play Arizona sometime.

* * * * * * *

I was about to report here that the monsoon season in southern Arizona is winding down. Rain is forecast for tonight, around midnight. We still have clouds gathering from the south and some wind gusts like it's about to start raining.

As it is, I think the monsoons are on the fade. This means that I can get some more outside painting done and perhaps a scouting run for mule deer down by Willcox.

* * * * * * *

Willcox is a small town along I-10 in southern Arizona. It's at a higher elevation than Tucson, and thus has different vegetation. You won't see saguaro cacti there.

Willcox is best known for its proximity to the Willcox Playa, which is where cranes come to visit, during the winter, I think. There's also an awesome pie place just north of I-10 that sells killer blueberry (and other) pies.

South of the freeway, on Rex Allen Drive, is La Salsa Fiesta Mexican restaurant, featuring New Mexico style cuisine. That comes highly recommended by two friends of mine and I will give this one the thumbs up too.

* * * * * * *

Willcox used to be linked to Tucson via the old Arizona state highway 86. A remnant of that old highway peels off from I-10 at exit 344, and passes to the south of Willcox until it rejoins Willcox some eight miles later. Along that strip are some buildings that used to be motels, back when 86 was the main drag thru town. I think that maybe one of them might still be in business but most of them folded, being overtaken by the chain hotels that are alongside I-10.

Whenever I drive by buildings like that, I can't help but think of what kind of stories those buildings would tell me if they could talk. They are from an era that is largely forgotten....an era of classic V-8 powered Chevrolets and Fords, and era of prosperity, an era where many of our greatest generation had been home from fighting the Nazis for a decade and were busy raising families.

The question I'm tempted to ask here, is what happened? Where did it all go?

Sometimes I ask that same question when I think about the 80s, the decade where I was launching my career and pursuing my aspirations. I'm still in my career, still pursuing aspirations, but sometimes there's this sense that some things are getting away from us, and I wonder if we'll be the better for it.

* * * * * * *

When I return home later this evening I've still got some work ahead of me, backing up photos and then getting in a little reading. Supper is also coming late as that I have not yet eaten aside from some light snacks. The computer repair place doesn't open until nine so I get a rare opportunity to sleep in......that is, to the extent that the cats will let me.

My cats are wonderful boys, but they like to manipulate the people that they own, and Moe especially can get quite vocal in the morning.

Whenever the food dish has one square inch of visible bottom surface, the cat considers the dish to be legally empty, and the cat reserves the right (and often exercises it) to let you know about it.

* * * * * * *

That's it for now. Good night.