Category Archives: Erin’s Tinkerings

Erin’s time to share. Usually these are blog entries that don’t fit nicely into other categories.

The “Tucson Artifacts”

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Sit down and hang on because this is a roller coaster of a tale. It begins innocently enough. On September 13th, 1924 Charles E. Manier was out for a Sunday drive with his wife Bessie, daughter Ethel, and father J.E. Manier. As they tooled along Silverbell Road north of Tucson (coincidentally, not far from where we live) they espied an old limekiln in the hillside. Curious, they stopped to investigate. Lead Crosses While snooping around Charles noticed a metal object sticking out of the hillside. Charles and his father set upon the caliche (a soil layer of calcium carbonate, similar to concrete, that occurs naturally here) and were rewarded with a lead cross, 18 inches long and weighing 64 pounds.

The Maniers took the cross home, cleaned it up, and found a Latin inscription that was shortly thereafter translated by Frank Fowler, a University of Arizona professor, as “Calalus, the unknown land.” While at the University the cross was handled by multiple professors in several departments.

Speculation about the object’s origin ran wild. Could there have been a Roman presence in southern Arizona? Was this evidence of a lost tribe of Israel? Could this be the great find that finally put sleepy Tucson on the world map? We may laugh at those ideas now, but keep in mind this was the era of astonishing discoveries; the richly fabulous tomb of Tutankhamen was uncovered just two years earlier.

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Family-filled March

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After one last winter storm the second weekend of the month, March was warm and dry. Plants frozen back began to bud out, even some I thought for sure were goners put out new leaves. Resilient little buggers. Our Spring wildflower show wasn’t spectacular but it wasn’t half bad. Spring Wildflowers, Scorpionweed and California Poppy Our yard had a lot less diversity but Scorpionweeds bloomed in large numbers dotted with a few California poppies. The gold discs glowing amongst a bed of purple was quite stunning. A small native bunch grass carpeted our yard; it looked lush and inviting. We enlisted a cadre of desert cottontails to help with the “mowing.”

Lance’s parents were the first to try out our new al fresco dining area created by the back porch extension. The weather cooperated nicely and our luncheon was a success. After the construction work ended Lance and I were finally able to tackle completing our backyard landscaping plan. Out here it makes sense to get as much done as possible before the searing summer heat.

We were excited to finally plant seeds in our raised beds. We have been pleasantly surprised by the success of our smaller garden this winter; lettuce, cilantro, carrots, garlic, and onions sailed through undaunted by the cold temperatures. The morning after every freezing night I would peek out the kitchen window at the frost covered ground and say, “Well, there goes our garden.” Thankfully, I was wrong every single time. We haven’t purchased lettuce in months!

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And Then There Was One…

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We have some sad news to share—Rancho Soleil has one less inhabitant these days. What once was a lively two cat household is now a much quieter one cat residence. Rookie, a much loved feline family member who was with us for the past nine years, has gone on to greener pastures. Or fields of catnip brimming with mice or whatever it is that cats dream of.

Funny how attached one becomes. Especially when considering how annoying Rookie was. Like when he’d yowl at the top of his lungs in the middle of the night. Or when he’d curl up in bed with us and just as we were falling asleep he’d commence an incredibly loud bathing ritual that lasted until one of us kicked him off. Or the thousands of times he jumped on the bed in the night, landing often in Lance’s mid-section.

Throw in the general disobedience and disregard for household rules and it’s a wonder we loved him as much as we did. I recall the time he was on the roof of the small cottage we were renting. Not sure how he got up there but we had to get him down. As I stretched out my hand to pull him to safety he chose to leap off the roof, falling through the air with a bewildered look on his face. I’m not sure what he expected but thankfully he survived unharmed.

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Stormy Weather

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Two weeks ago we shared a few photos of what it looked like out here after a monsoon dumped an inch and a half of rain. We were excited and surprised to see our road turned into a river. When we moved here three years ago we asked our neighbors about the gullies and washes that crossed the two entrance roads. They assured us that in all the years they’d lived here (since the 1960s), they’d never had any trouble getting in or out. So we figured the result of that storm was a rare event.

Sunday afternoon a little after 3pm another massive storm dumped on us. It sheeted. It poured. It pounded. Lightning and thunder came in swift one-two punches. We dashed around the house unplugging things. And for the first time ever we had to calm one of our cats because he was panicked by the cacophony.

An hour later the intensity had moved north leaving behind a gentle sprinkle. As we opened all the windows to catch the lovely, cool creosote-scented breeze we heard a dull roar. Grabbing rain jackets and a camera we tromped out in the mud to look at our flowing road. Even after what we saw two weeks ago we were impressed. The entire street was filled at least three feet deep with brown, roiling water. Then we walked out back to check on Idle Hour Wash that crosses Sunset Road.

Wandering along we were stopped by an odd sight. The noisy end of a good-sized rattlesnake was hanging out of a large packrat midden. So that’s where snakes hide during a big storm! Either that or it was busy swallowing a tasty morsel. Who doesn’t like a comfy room and an in-room dinner?

The scene on Sunset was a violent tumult. The water was widening the arroyo, underscoring and collapsing the banks. Full grown Palo Verde trees fell in with a mighty splash that we could see but not hear. As before, vehicles lined the road waiting for the flood waters to subside. Thankfully no one attempted to cross. Once again we had to cancel our dinner plans.

Unfortunately, some folks driving on Silverbell Road were not as careful. About 6pm we heard a helicopter circling just to the east of us. Using our camera and binoculars we were able to watch part of the rescue operation. The helicopter hovered as a rescuer was lowered down with a basket. We couldn’t see the action on the ground but we did catch a glimpse of the rescuer clinging to the rope as the helicopter slowly moved to higher ground. Then the basket and the rescuer unhooked, the rope was reeled in and the chopper flew off. We later learned that three people were rescued from a vehicle that had become stuck in a flooded crossing. It was a 93-year-old woman who had to be airlifted. Thankfully, they all survived. They may not feel so lucky once they receive the bill for their rescue.

Years ago Arizona enacted something called the “Stupid Motorist Law.” Simply put, if you knowingly drive around barricades or warning signs into a flooded area and get stuck, the rescuing entity can charge you for their services. After all, swift water rescues are incredibly dangerous, time consuming, and expensive. I think lawmakers were also hoping it would scare people into making better decisions. Apparently the message didn’t sink in since this was not the only rescue in the Tucson area this past weekend.

By the way, a 300′ section of road was completely destroyed by the flash flood flowing down Idle Hour Wash and Silverbell is indefinitely closed. Pima County road crews will be awfully busy the next few days, since many roads, like the ones around here, will need to be cleared of debris and repaired.

Third Week in Oregon

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Things were warming up. Though the mornings still started off cloudy, cool, and grey—by mid-day the sun was in charge and the temperatures allowed for less clothing. The weather in Portland must’ve looked at the calendar and realized that the first day of summer was early this year. The difference was palpable.

On Saturday Lance went hiking with Michael, who still works at Digital Fusion the company Lance once contracted with. Their chosen trail led up to Indian Point which provided them with a stellar view of the Gorge. But as one might imagine, it was a bit of a climb to gain the necessary elevation. Needless to say, they earned their pint o’ brew that day.

Along with descriptions of the view and the various critters they encountered Lance recounted an exchange he and Michael had with a group of Boy Scouts. As they came off the trail Lance and Michael paused to chat with tail end of the group. When they asked the stragglers where they were headed with their backpacks, the first boy answered with a sigh, “To Hell.” The other scout chimed in, “And damnation.” Can’t you just picture those two red-faced, sweaty teenagers trudging up the hill? Hysterical!

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Male Rains

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We live in an arid land. Our beloved Sonoran Desert receives on average 10-12 inches of precipitation a year in a bi-annual pattern. The Tohono O’odham, the native people who have ancestral ties to this land going back several thousand years, characterize our rainy seasons as female and male. Our gentle, long lasting winter rains (when we get them) nurture seeds in preparation for the spring growing season. So it makes sense that they are referred to as female rains. The torrential, fast moving, and powerful storms that blow through during our summer monsoon season are called male rains. We’ll leave the reasoning for that up to you.

The entire Tucson area was walloped by one of these male rains yesterday. After several days of wistfully watching the mountains around us get rain, we finally received some, too. The blustering, lightning and thunder-heavy storm was over in less than an hour yet it packed a punch. Our rain gauge collected an inch and a half, others recorded over two inches.

The storm knocked out power to thousands, toppled trees, and flooded roads—thankfully our property came through relatively unscathed. Though we did have to cancel our dinner plans since our road became a river…

Last of 2011

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The last two months of 2011 zipped right on by since they were filled to the brim with friends and family.

  • The middle of November found us savoring delicious barbecue and fish cake (or more correctly a fish-shaped cake) as we celebrated Scott’s birthday.
  • We chatted the night away with our friends Aaron and Jenny who were visiting from Ohio.
  • We hosted our first Thanksgiving in this house, Rancho Soleil. The food was tasty, the company was delightful, and the games were hysterical. For those who attended I have two words for you: Charles. Volcano.
  • The day after we zipped down to the Portal area to spend time with some of my family: Grandma Eileen, Aunt Paula, Harry, Uncle Lance, and Aunt Sharon. We had a wonderful time sharing memories and eating way too much food.
  • Back in time to help celebrate Geoff’s birthday by sliding big balls at ten shapely white things. In other words, bowling. I always go for low score—that’s how you win, right?
  • Few days later was a sad pizza dinner—time to say goodbye to Aaron, Jenny, and their two boys, Nate and Sam. The pizza wasn’t sad, just the pizza eaters.
  • The first weekend of December Lance and I joined my sister Desirée and her husband Scott for dinner to help my Aunt Coralie celebrate her birthday. Afterward we had a Skip-Bo tournament that my sister handily won (I think she had a couple up her sleeve, if you know what I mean).
  • We enjoyed catching up over dinner with Lance’s sister Adria and her husband Joel.
  • Lisa and Gino arrived to warm and sunny Tucson from cold and gray Portland, Oregon for a long weekend of R & R…
    We hiked, toured the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, caught sunset at Gates Pass, devoured Mexican food at El Charro, wandered through the Tucson Museum of Art, browsed the 4th Ave Street Fair, grubbed on cowboy fare at El Corral, watched the gunfights in Tombstone, and dropped them off at the airport twice (canceled flight, long story).
  • Mingled with friends and colleagues at the annual Gathering of the Greens holiday party. Always a fun time!
  • Hung out with the Spoke6 crew at their white elephant holiday party. Ugly orange tie, anyone?
  • Attended Adria’s lovely Christmas Eve luncheon with Hank, his grandfather, and his mother (Adria’s husband Joel was out of town).
  • Spent Christmas and the day after in far southwestern New Mexico with some of my family. It was sunny and warm which made the recently fallen snow sparkle and shine.
  • We wrapped up the year at our house, accompanied by friends and family. Noshing yummy food, playing games, sharing stories around the bonfire, and watching fireworks—not a bad way to end the year.

To view all our other photos from the end of the year, see Fall Social Events, Lisa and Gino Visit, and Christmas 2011.