Happy Camper

Doug got a sweater for Christmas.  He is one happy camper.  He thinks he's a real chick magnet now!

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UPS Debacle

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday urged the UPS to provide refunds to consumers whose packages and gifts did not arrive by Christmas.

“I am disappointed to learn that so many consumers in Connecticut and across the country made purchases this holiday season expecting their gifts to arrive in time for Christmas, but instead were left empty-handed,” Blumenthal said in a statement.

“I call on UPS to do the right thing and provide refunds to people whose Christmases were a little less cheery as a result of their late deliveries.”

FedEx and UPS failed to deliver some packages before Christmas despite their promises and blamed poor weather and overloaded systems for their inability to keep the deadline.

The Associated Press reported that people in Alabama, California, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia didn't receive presents in time for Christmas.  (The Hill)

I was having a hard time deciding which side to come down on the UPS “debacle.”  I can understand the frustration of people who shipped gifts that weren’t delivered in time for Christmas.  I can also understand how the weather contributed to the UPS delivery delays.

We are fortunate that we didn’t ship any gift packages and our on line orders were done with enough advance time for delivery to us.  Which makes me wonder why people wait so late in the season to order and ship gifts.  

In every instance where UPS delivers to the farm they are always efficient and it is obvious they are doing their best.    

Maybe that isn’t a fair comparison to the backlog they experienced this holiday season, but I’m coming down on the side of UPS.  Senator Blumenthal is just pandering and is wrong.  Next year people should just ship earlier.  Problem solved.

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Way To Go Santana!

Now for some good news as we exit 2013.

Award winning composer-musician Carlos Santana has reunited with his former drummer, Marcus Malone.  Malone, who is now homeless, has not seen Santana for 40 years and was recently found by a television reporter. 

President Barack Obama, right, congratulates 2013 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, Carlos Santana, during a reception honoring the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors recipients, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Malone performed as a member of the Santana Blues Band up until 1968 when he was convicted of a crime and sent to San Quentin Prison, according to Bay Area station KRON4. The next year Santana performed with his eponymous rock group at the first Woodstock music festival in New York state alongside the likes of The Who, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead, but by then had last contact with his ex-drummer.

Neither Santana nor Malone has seen each other in the four-and-a-half decades since, until just recently when KRON’s Stanley Roberts reunited the two in Oakland, California.

Roberts met Malone earlier this year while filming a segment on illegal dumpsites in the area. Malone identified himself as a homeless man who lives in a camper and rummages through garbage for a living.

He also told Roberts that he was an original member of the Santana Blues Band, which the legendary guitarist was able to confirm when the two were recently reunited.  (RT News)

Santana has said that he wants Malone to perform with him again.  Way to go Santana!

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Peace on Earth

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Presidio de Terrenate

Today we explored the ruins of the Spanish Presidio de Terrenate near the San Pedro River.  The ruins are a little over a mile off a side road, which required taking hiking trails to find the site.

The site was chosen on August 22, 1775 by Hugo O'Conor, the Irish mercenary who had come up with the plan of relocating the three presidios. He chose a spot on a bluff overlooking the San Pedro River, which seemed to provide a natural fortification on several sides.

San Pedro

In the early part of 1776 a Spanish garrison marched north from the original Terrenate site further to the south in Sonora to the new site. Their commander was Francisco Tovar, and the company consisted of fifty-six men, 352 horses and fifty-one mules. Every available hand was put to work constructing the foundation and wall which was to be their first line of defense.

They did not have long to wait before hostile Apaches began to harass the settlement, attacking anyone who ventured out for water or to try to plant crops in the nearby fields. The Apaches were attracted by the large number of horses kept at the settlement and ran off the herds whenever they were unguarded. As the number of their horses became fewer, the soldiers were less and less able to pursue the raiders to try to reclaim them.

On July 7, 1776 a battle left the commander and twenty-nine of his men dead. In August the fort finally received a shipment of weapons. Captain Francisco Ignacio de Trespalacios replaced the fallen commander and brought reinforcements to bring their number up to eighty-three men.  In 1777 the Spanish forces gained ground, winning a victory at La Tinaja and mounting an expedition to the Gila River, but in February 1778 the Apaches made a successful raid on the fort's horse herd, and between June and September the fort again lost its commander and nineteen other soldiers and settlers.

In 1779, when Inspector Roque de Medina came to Santa Cruz de Terrenate, he found forty-six soldiers, ninety-eight horses and twenty-three mules. Only twenty-six of the original  troops survived, and only sixteen of the reinforcements were still alive. After examining the situation at Santa Cruz de Terrenate, Medina strongly recommended that the garrison be moved back to its former position, citing poor communications, the isolation of the presidio and the extreme difficulties of getting supplies to the present location.  The traditional Spanish fort warfare was ineffective against the lightning raids and guerrilla tactics of the Apaches and in 1780 the Presidio was abandoned.  Today, the remains of the fort look lost in the vastness of the desert and traces of numerous buildings and adobe walls remain.

Even as early as 1776 Spaniards attempting settlement were mercilessly repelled by the Native Apaches.  Today’s hike to the ruins of the Presidio de Terrenate was a bit of a walk, however well worth the effort.  We’ll certainly sleep well tonight.  Doug was zonked the minute we got back to the camper.

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Really?!

A Salvation Army bell ringer says she was assaulted after wishing donors “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”

Kristina Vindiola, a Salvation Army bell ringer, says she was assaulted outside a a Walmart store in Phoenix, Ariz., after she wished a woman "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas."

The incident reportedly took place outside a Walmart store in Phoenix, Ariz. Kristina Vindiola says a woman hit her and then went inside the store. She told the manager who called the police, WXYZ.com reports.

"The lady looked at me,” Vindiola said. “I thought she was going to put money in the kettle. She came up to me and said, 'Do you believe in God?' And she says, ‘You're supposed to say Merry Christmas,' and that's when she hit me."  (International Business Times)

Really?!  Religion thugs?

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So Long Cat

We got word today our farm cat (Kevin the cat) has leukemia.  

He is actually our son’s cat, but has been living with us on the farm because it was clear to everyone that the cat loved the farm.  While he liked being indoors, he was happiest being outdoors.  Even when he was indoors he sat at the window and pined to be outdoors. He has been staying with our son while we are south for the winter and for the past few weeks he has not been eating.

My wife and I simply called him “the cat”, which suited him fine.  Twice a day, no matter how far he wandered, he was always back for his crunchies - first thing in the morning and in the evening.  He was the ideal farm cat.

Our son will take the cat to the vet tomorrow so he doesn’t suffer.  He plans to take the cat to the farm to bury him.  I wish we could be there.  Damn, we’ll miss that farm cat.

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Bisbee and Tamales

Today we made the drive to Bisbee.  Practically every RV blogger has been there, so we didn’t take a lot of photos for my blog.  Suffice to say it is a really funky town.  A real haven for an old hippie. 

 For me the best part was people watching.  There is a real dichotomy between those who have dropped out and those who are fairly well off.  It was interesting to see the street people, compared to those driving around in Porches, Jags and other pricey cars.

Those who follow this blog know that I have restored old mantle clocks.  I did see several nice clocks, including this one which was way out of my price range. I inspected it closely and even though it isn’t running, I’m sure I could get it going again.  

On the way back we stopped in Tombstone, where we have a retired teacher friend who lives there.  A few days ago he mentioned that there is a lady who comes up from Sonora, Mexico about once a month selling tamales she makes.  Doubting that she would be back any time soon, I mentioned that if she does show up that I’d like him to buy some for us.  SCORE!  She stopped by the museum where our friend volunteers and he bought a package of ten for us for $10. (there were actually 13 in the package).  These were the original corn masa, shredded beef tamales.

It was another good day exploring and made even better by the tamale, refried bean and candied jalapenos supper.  As Croft would say... Life is Good.

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Chiricahua National Monument

The Chiricahua National Monument is an amazing view of topography and geology.  The area surrounding the park is generally flat desert and upon entering the park it turns into the rock formations. 

About 27 million years ago the Turkey Creek volcano, in the heart of the Chiricahua Mountains, spewed forth more than 100 cubic miles of white-hot ash and pumice that settled, fused, and cooled into a 2,000-foot-thick layer of gray volcanic rock known as rhyolite. Then, nature’s sculptors (ice, water, wind) began whittling away at the rock to eventually create craggy grottoes, towering rock spires, massive stone columns, and balanced rocks weighing hundreds of tons. Known to the Chiricahua Apache Indians as "Land of the Standing-Up Rocks," this 11,985-acre wonderland of stone was renamed Chiricahua National Monument by the National Park Service in 1924.

After an eight mile drive up the mountain you are able to view acres of rock formations, many precariously balanced.

A day trip to the Chiricahua National Monument was certainly worth the drive.

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Amazing Mural

I'm re-posting the picture of the amazing mural that is painted on the wall of the general store in the ghost town Gleeson.  The building is falling in on itself and the desert is reclaiming the store.  Soon this mural will be lost to the elements.  The mural covers one wall in the store and depicts to boom days of he mining town.  Click on the pic to enlarge.  What an impressive work of folk art.  Too bad it cannot be saved.

Ghost towns Courtland and Gleeson

Mining towns in Southeast Arizona came and went with the mining companies.  We visited two more where the desert has all but consumed one and more remains in the other.   

COURTLAND

Courtland is a former mining town that has been almost completely destroyed by the desert. Courtland grew in 1909, as the Calumet & Arizona, Copper Queen, Leadville and Great Western mining companies all started mining there.  The Great Western was owned by W. J. Young, who named the town after his brother Courtland. 

The town had a population of 2000 and a post office that opened on March 13, 1909. They also had a newspaper  (The Courtland Arizonan"), cinema, butcher store and swimming pool.  Businesses included Wells Fargo, Southern Arizona Auto Company (local Steven's & Dory company) and Mexico & Colorado Railroad. The town survived the Depression days but lost the post office on September 30, 1942. By that time many buildings were either removed or collapsed.  

What remains are the foundations of the jail (jails were built well) and store.

GLEESON

The hills on the Southside of Dragoon Mountains were mined for many years by Indians for the decorative turquoise. These stones became a crucial part of trade and were used in decorative turquoise jewelry and art. When the white man came to the area they found copper, lead and silver, but they kept the name of the camp - Turquoise.   In 1900 a miner from Pearce, John Gleeson, searched the Turquoise area and registered the lot by the name Copper Belle mine.  As the mining town developed it took the name Gleeson.

In 1912 a fire destroyed 28 houses, but the town was built up again.  John Gleeson sold his lots in 1914, but progress continued and copper production flourished during WW I. After the war, prices dropped down, production was reduced and the mines closed. The post office closed for the last time on March 31, 1939.   When the mines played out in 1940, Gleeson became a ghost town.

A number of buildings remain, including the foundation of the school with the entrance pillars still standing.

The remains of the hospital are still standing.

Also standing is the original general store.  It is rapidly deteriorating, including a stunning mural painted on the interior wall of the store.  It is too bad this mural cannot be saved.

We will be in this area for a couple of weeks more and hopefully we can find a few more ghost towns to explore.

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Ghost Town Pearce, AZ

Today’s summary is of the ghost town of Pearce, AZ.  Yet another town that sprang up during the mining days.  Several original buildings are still standing and the substantial graveyard is well cared for.  Even today Pearce is being threatened by the start up of mining operations which could cause damage to existing buildings.

PEARCE

Pearce is named after Jimmie Pearce, who mined in Tombstone. He and his wife ran a boardinghouse and saved enough money to buy land northeast of Tombstone.  In 1894 he found gold beside a hilltop and he was back in mining. The town grew near to Jimmie Perch's Commonwealth Mine.  The post office opened on in 1896 and the number of residents grew to 1500. Several buildings remain, including the post office, jail and the old adobe walled mercantile, built in 1894 by Soto Brothers & Renaud. 

Jimmie Pearce later sold the Commonwealth Mining Company for $250.000 and his wife, who remembered the hard times, put a clause in the contract granting her sole rights to run a boardinghouse beside the mine, which remained open until 1930.

The Commonweatlh Company exists to this day and they have begun test drilling at the old mine.

The word is that the mining company has intentions of purchasing the remaining land in Pearce to begin blasting and open pit mining operations because of the current value of gold and silver.  The hill in the photo below would be excavated and turned into an open pit mine.

It is rumored that if they begin mining the area again that most of the buildings in Pearce will be damaged or destroyed.  If that is the case it will be a shame to lose this historic ghost town.

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12-14-12

How's it going with the revised gun regulations Congress?

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I'm Your Huckleberry

There are many outlaws from the late 19th century that have gone down in the history books as fearsome desperadoes, angry and mean, but few could be called gentlemen.  Johnny Ringo was one.

In the movie Tombstone, it is represented that Doc Holliday shot Johnny Ringo.  

The fact is that no one knows who shot Ringo and indeed the coroner's report lists his death as a suicide.  Today we made the excursion on unimproved back roads to the burial site of Johnny Ringo and took photos. 

John "Johnny" Ringo 1850-1882 (compilation from various sources) 

He is characterized as an intellectual, a reserved and morose man who drank too much, an educated man obsessed with violence yet possessed with a sense of honor.  He drank heavily as if to drown his troubles; he was a perfect gentleman when sober, but inclined to be quarrelsome when drinking. He was a good shot and afraid of nothing, and had great authority with the rustling element.

John Ringo was born on May 3, 1850 in Wayne County, Indiana. The Ringo family moved to California when Johnny was about fourteen, his father dying along the way from an accidental gunshot wound. They arrived in San Jose and lived for a short time in the home of Coleman Younger. It is said that Ringo was a cousin of the Younger brothers, who rode with Quantrill before they teamed up with their kinsmen, the James brothers who in turn were related by marriage to the Daltons. If indeed the relationship is true, he came from a long line of romanticized outlaws. There is no record of a formal education, but there is evidence that he may have been a well read man and better mannered than his outlaw friends.

At nineteen he left California and went to Texas, joining relatives. By then he was already an alcoholic and this is where the real record of his life began. In Texas he became involved in the Hoodoo War, one of Texas' numerous feuds. It began when a large body of citizens lynched four men for cattle rustling. It became two years of murder and mayhem and Ringo was involved in two murders. He managed to escape and never stood trial for either one. When things got too hot for him in Texas, he moved on to Arizona.

By 1879 he was in southeastern Arizona and involved with Curly Bill Brocius and the Clanton-McLaury crowd, stealing cattle on excursions into Mexico. They called him Dutch, and he was considered a loner, he drank too much and was feared as a deadly man with a gun. In certain accounts he is called the real brains of the gang and by general agreement he was the most dangerous man among them.

There are three incidents in the Tombstone area deserving mention of Ringo showing his mean side. The first took place in 1879, when he shot Louis Hancock in the neck, apparently because the man wouldn't drink whiskey with him. There are conflicting stories about Hancock and whether he lived or died, but it did establish Ringo, as a man who would pull the trigger and that was exactly what he needed to gain a reputation of such proportions.

The second incident occurred in Galeyville, Arizona on August 5, 1881, when Ringo was cleaned out in a poker game. He returned a short while later and relieved the players of $500 in cash. Once he sobered up, he returned the money, but was still arrested by William M. Breakenridge, a deputy sheriff, then quickly set free.

The third incident is more speculative as to his involvement. In January of 1882, the Bisbee stage was robbed not far from the Clanton Ranch. The strong box carried $6,500 and the driver was threatened with death if he should reveal the identity of one of the robbers, indicating that he was well known in the area. The Los Angeles Times reported that man as Johnny Ringo, but the papers in Tombstone reported nothing. There was some speculation that Doc Holliday was involved, but nothing ever proven. It is unlikely that Johnny Ringo and Doc Holliday would have collaborated together considering the company each kept.

Johnny Ringo did confront Doc Holliday on the streets of Tombstone and offered to shoot it out with him. The men were disarmed and a few days later Ringo jumped bail for the robbery charge. In March he sent a message to the Earp brothers that he had no quarrel with them, Wyatt Earp suspected that Ringo was involved in Virgil's shooting in December 1881 and the message was received just hours before Morgan Earp was murdered. Leaving Wyatt no doubt in his mind that Johnny Ringo was party to the ambush.

Sometime after the Earps left Tombstone, Ringo returned to San Jose, visiting his family. He received a cool reception though and being rejected returned to Arizona in July 1882. Accounts say that he became despondent and drank heavily. He was found dead on July 13th; exactly three months after the Earps left Arizona. He was found not far from Rustler's Park, West Turkey Creek Canyon, a few miles from Tombstone. He was sitting against a large black oak tree, a Colt .45 in his right hand, and in his temple a bullet from that or a similar gun.

Ringo was found dead at a tree by teamster John Yoast. Yoast, who had known Ringo from Texas, immediately called for help. Soon several men arrived at the location. Ringo was found with his back leaning against a tree. In his right hand was clenched a .45 caliber Colt was clenched and he had a gunshot wound in his right temple. The bullet had exited out of the top of his head.  He was buried at the spot where he was found dead. The coroner's report commented that his death was "supposed" to have been by suicide. Others that had not seen the body thought he must have been murdered. There were some strange details concerning his death. He was found with his boots off, and strips of an undershirt were wrapped around his feet. The men that viewed the body concluded that he must have traveled a short distance in this footwear. They also noted that one of his cartridge belts was on upside down. There appeared to be a cut on his scalp with a small part of his hair gone. His horse was not at the scene, but it was found a couple weeks later, still saddled. 

As with many Old West outlaws, Johnny Ringo is larger in death than in life.  Not unlike the Earps and the gunfight which made them larger than life in death.  Still, visiting the gravesite of Ringo was an event for me.

Tomorrow a narrative of visiting 3 ghost towns.  Just one day more...