Vacation in Prescott

The Prescott Courthouse Square on a warm December afternoon. It was in the 60's

 We took a trip to Arizona to see the kids, check on the house and spend some family Christmas time together.While we were there, I snapped some pictures in Downtown Prescott and the Granite Dells. Here are a few of my favorites.

The north lawn of the courthouse and famous Bucky O'Neill statue.

Beautiful Victorians on Prescott's own Knob Hill, located in the historic district on Union Street.

Gurley Street, looking west, toward Thumb Butte. Traffic was heavy that day as Prescott was preparing for the annual Acker Music Festival. The bottom of this page: Prescott's famous Whiskey Row.

A scruffy Juniper clings to life among Granite outcroppings.

Volcanic "Dells Granite" are found only in the Prescott area.

Granite Mountain, in the distance, is framed by granite boulders.

Boulder Creek Lane meanders through the Granite Dells.

A pleasant view of Mingus Mountain (the black hills in the distance).

"Balancing Act"

This home, located in the Canyons subdivision, is nestled in the boulders of the Granite Dells.

Fall colors lingered well into December.

The next best thing to Sedona.

Movin' on Up

Welcome to our humble abode.

This cozy cottage doesn't offer quite enough room for the two of us, but is just right for one.

The 2nd bedroom looks better with the furnishings. When the kids moved out, all that was left were very pale pink walls, brown trim and neutral carpeting. We have started working on this one.

The master bedroom offers extra storage with the drawers that are built in. The paneled look won't stay.

Just another view of the MB.

The refrigerator was the first thing to go. The map on the wall is of the Dominican Republic, where one of the past tenants is from

The built-in stove didn't work well. There was hardly enough room for a turkey. So far it's been replaced with a no coil electric stove.

The obstruction is the Arctic entry. To keep the cold air out, we enter this door, close it and then open another to the outside. We have become used to it. To the left is the living area.

Bert Perkins, our agent, to the right. The seller's agent and home inspector are in this photo as well.

We have taken another big step in life. Last month we purchased an Alaskan home. December 2nd was moving day. Twenty below weather didn't hinder us. Like any Fairbanksan, we roughed it. We had already made a few sprints back and forth from our apartment on 22nd to our final dwelling on Bridget Avenue. With the trunk full, I placed myself in the 2 seat roadster with some belongings, and David gingerly topped me off with more. We briskly dashed up and down the stairs with arms full of personal goods.

The Elroy family helped us with their truck and trailor. Thank the Lord for a wonderful pastor who had no idea what he was getting into. We miraculosy moved a king sized pedestal bed up the narrow stairs and squished the matress up behind it. I suggested temporarily removing a piece of trim, but had no takers. "...unless that's what' holding up the place.". The trim stayed, although I don't know if that was why.

The place has its own charm, its own curb appeal. A combination of pale yellow siding and logs, the house is two stories, with an apartment in the daylight basement. We are on the top floor and there is an apartment in the middle as well. There is a cute, tiny cottage behind the main house. The idea of becoming owners of this 4-plex, is so that after the mortgage and other expenses are paid, our basic housing is covered.

Our apartment will require a serious amount of rennovation. We knew that from the time we wrote the offer. The other units are in better shape, but we wanted to be on the upper floor. The cabinets look ok, but they slope to the right and forward. It's a homey feel, but only one of the drawers works. The place was built around 1950. Logs will settle...

The pictures I've included here were taken the first day I saw it. Pardon the clutter, it adds more to the photos. I always seem to have dishes in the drainer anyway and some strays waiting for the next cycle. The four "kids" who lived here at the time were in a hubub, preparing for a wedding. Our real estate agent, the agent representing the sellers, and the home inspector were also there at the same time.

More photos will come as I show before and after results in the weeks ahead. David already started the bathroom and we have a wonderful new shower. A few new light fixtures have been added too.

Winter. Brrrrr.

Mt. McKinley from my window seat on our flight to Fairbanks, December 12, 2010. (We traveled to Arizona to visit the kids in early December.)

Escape to Winter. The temperature was around 30 below. This last December was our coldest on record in 30 years. We had a cold snap that lasted about 25 days.

Makes the window seat worthwhile.

I'm getting the hang of the moose picture thing. Moose get the munchies and tend to come into the city when temperatures drop. I had wanted to get closer, near the bumper of the Dodge in the foreground. I stopped and snapped this photo... just in case.

I continued onward, and I with my butter boots, slipped and fell on my butt! I giggled. Mr. Moose heard me and began to run away. I was lucky to capture this action shot.

The funny looking post is for car plug-ins. Most of the parking lots have them. The coolant in a vehicle can drop 35 degrees in one hour when it's 30 below. Employees in most locales will keep their cars plugged in all day.

This and the next two photos were taken Christmas Eve, one of the shortest days of the year.

The sun skirts the horizon and doesn't rise as high as we are used to in the lower 48. As a result, only the tops of the trees are lit by sunlight.

These photos were taken around 12:30 in the afternoon. We had about 3 hours and 42 minutes of direct daylight on Christmas Eve. Our shortest day of the year is December 21st, just the same as in the Lower 48. Sunrise on Winter Solstice (Dec 21) is 10:58 a.m., and Sunset is 2:40 p.m.