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Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Tuzigoot Monument

Thursday a.m.
I started this last night but didn’t get too far. It’s another bright blue sky here in Arizona but a little on the cold side. Had to turn the big heater on in the middle of the night and that was with the electric blanket on! By Sunday it is only going to be in the low 50s here during the day. We’ll be heading for Vegas on Monday.
Had a dream this morning. We were in a campground and some guy wanted to back his boat? out so Bill was moving the Alfa with the slides out!!!! I was freaking out. I should never go back to sleep once I wake up – the dreams are too weird.
We’ve watched a couple of Barcelona soccer games lately – two in three days and their great player Messi made six -6- goals – three in each game. He is amazing and so young (24) and so CUTE and not a prima donna.
Bill is in seventh heaven – while in Frys – grocery store – he went to the deli counter and found Boars Head Mortadella (the real Italian kind with pistachos), Prosciutto and Pastrami. Bought a pound of each thinly sliced and had the clerk package them in four ounce packs. Will freeze three packages each. He had himself a big mortadella sandwich when we got home. Also found some really good Italian bread that comes in a small package so he can eat it all before it goes bad.
Did you ever wonder why the coffee pot drips coffee when you pour it into your cup holding it over the counter but not when you pour it over the sink?
When I’m working on the laptop here in Alfie I sit on the bench seat instead of one of the chairs. Because the seat is low I tend to sit on my feet until they fall asleep. Ouch. I need to stop that – my knees really yell at me when I stand up. Where have the years gone? Will be 73 –I was going to say next week – but it is tomorrow!!!! Dang.
So back to yesterdays adventures.
From Montezuma Castle we set off for more ruins. Sedona and the Verde Valley have done a lot of road upgrading. They are really into traffic circles now and they are every where. Why do I bring that up? Well as we left the castle and headed back towards Cottonwood I made a mistake in giving directions to Bill at the traffic circle just before the I-17 on ramp. So we ended up taking a ride through the Camp Verde Indian Reservation on the Reservation Loop Road. Good thing it was a “loop” road or we’d probably still be out there driving around the desert. No, not really, but it was kind of funny. Got a few strange looks. Got back on the Interstate and set off for the Tuzigoot Ruins in Clarkdale, AZ. Tuzigoot means “crooked water” in Apache. We’ve been there before too but it was such a nice day……
Passed through Old Town Cottonwood on the way. This place is called “Ye Old Hippie Emporium” Tye dyed t-shirts and everything.
Just the town.
An old gas station. Check out the pumps and the car.
On the road to the Tuzigoot National Monument. Sure glad we have the “Old Farts Pass” it has saved us a lot of money over the years.  Just today at least $20.
First sight of the ruins up on top of the hill.
I forgot that the walk up to them is kind of steep. I really need to get more exercise! Some information about them.  The village was built between 1125 and 1400.

A typical room. They sure weren’t very big. Lots of hard work went into them.
Looking down into the valley at some of more of the ruins.
Some more information about the area and the people.
The valley – you can see forever.
Looking the other directions. That is Jerome over on the mountain. The ranger was saying there are 84 miles of mine tunnels un the Jerome area. 84 miles! Could go in there and never come out. When we lived in Vegas the man across the street had been born and raised in Jerome and he told us that there used to be men employed by the mining company whose job it was to find people lost in the mine.
More info about the dwelling.
Looking up at the highest room.
Inside this room.
Looking down at another section of the ruins mto the North.
Looking towards the Ranger Station and museum. To the South
Bill waiting for me. See the areas down the hill without green vegetation.
These areas are from the old mining process. This is where the “slurry” was pumped. Full of chemicals and almost 40 feet deep according to the Ranger. Ish.
So enjoyed the walk and the fresh air. And as always saw and learned something we didn't know before.
Today - don't know what we'll do but something will present itself.

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