Elias's Second Christmas

Lots of pictures from Billings. I really am grateful for the technology that let's me be a part of his life from here in AZ. However, the new toys definitely were more fun than visiting with Grandma. Lots of excitement.

Christmas pictures with Santa and cousins

Making cookies

The boom box this Grandma gave him. 

This next picture was taken from a video showing the truck tires going around and Elias running it on his tongue. Never dull with little ones around.

Good friend, Jerin, brought Elias a present.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday. 2025 is rapidly approaching so I hope we're all ready for new adventures.

Christmas Happenings

 AJ, AZ   Our weather is certainly not winter weather. We have broken several high records by being 14 degrees above our average. We have had several days in the 80s and a few in the 70s. Nights are down in the upper 40's or low 50s. 

We had our yearly 4x4 parade through the park. There were about 300 of them that drove through. I think they had to split them into two groups because there were so many. After the parade is over, we had cookies, hot cocoa or apple cider up at the clubhouse.

Ginny and Jenny waiting for the parade to start

The following week, was our park parade of lit up golf carts, electric bikes, and scooters.

I was volunteering at the Christmas lights at the temple in Mesa, so Ginny and Wendy took pictures. Goodies were available once again up at the clubhouse.

Marilyn, Pat and I did a 2 1/2 hour shift at the temple lights. We were there to answer questions and to make sure there weren't any big problems. Other than a few rowdy teenagers and a cut finger, things went very smoothly. However, all that standing really did a number on my back. I really doubt I'll be able to do it again next year. But the lights are amazing and there were so many families there. Really fun watching all the little ones. 

Paul and I had a fantastic lunch at Vito's in Mesa. My Italian sausage sandwich was really good and Paul thoroughly enjoyed his pizza. One of the things we've noticed is that the restaurants are not as busy as they have been in the past. I think people are holding on tight to the purse strings because nobody knows for sure what the future is going to bring.

Friends, Tacey and Shane, sponsor a drive through donut and hot chocolate celebration at their house. They started it in 2019 during covid when people couldn't get together. Jim and I used to go every year. This year Wendy and I went up to be a part of the fun. Wendy immediately jumped in to help out and I did my job by visiting. 

 

Tonight we celebrate the birth of our Savior and the offer of an Eternal Life in His presence.

Bisbee Breakfast Club on Erie Street Next to the Pit

 I really need to get us out of Bisbee and back home before Christmas. Actually we got home before Thanksgiving. I'm just really slow about getting my blogs done. Anyhow, this is going to be a long post with lots of pictures. So enjoy.

After sleeping with ghosts wandering around the hotel, we woke hungry. That definitely means a trip to the Bisbee Breakfast Club on Erie Street. Everybody finds their way to this place. The food was really good with large portions and very reasonable prices.

The restaurant was opened in 2005 in the historic Rexall Pharmacy building.  They then expanded into the defunct glass factory next door. But there is sad news in their future. Their lease expires in September of 2025 and the landlord is not going to renew that lease because the age of the building makes it unsafe. The lease is held by Freeport McMoRan who also owns the mine.

 The manager of the BBC has said that regardless of what happens with their lease, the restaurant will remain in Bisbee.

Erie Street provides a glimpse of the past in a town frozen in time. The streets are lined with 1940s and 1950s vintage vehicles including a Greyhound bus.  It is one of the most photographed streets in Arizona. 

 

 

Erie Street sits right on the edge of the Lavender Pit. 

 

The Pit is a non-working copper mine and was named in honor of Harrison M. Lavender. The Pit covers an area of 300 acres and is 900 feet deep. The pit was opened in 1950 and mining operations ended in 1974.

 

 

There is also a WWII Memorial at the Pit viewing point. The monument is for 77 Bisbee area residents who lost their lives during WWII. 

Our last stop was at the Mining and Historical Museum.  It's a small but really interesting museum which is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.

We needed fuel and the woman at the gift shop told us about a Circle K that was on our way out of town. I have never been at a gas station that only had one pump before. A new experience for me. I enjoy the simple things in life. 😃

This shrine is a few miles north of Bisbee.

As we got closer to Tombstone, I mentioned to Pat and Marilyn that the largest rosebush in the world is in Tombstone. It is a white Lady Banksia. The original root came from Scotland in 1885. From the one trunk it has grown to cover 8,000 square feet.

They wanted to see it and we were in no hurry, so I dropped them off. There was no place to park and I had seen the roses with Jim several years ago. So I wandered around the town until they were ready to head out. 

The weather was perfect and there were still trees hanging onto their fall colored leaves. 

The rest of our journey back to Apache Junction was uneventful which is always a good thing. We are in the process of planning another trip in 2025. Good times ahead.