Jerome is an interesting place... It's very much like what Mark had said in his recent post... The "new" folks don't carry the history of the place in their genes... and some of that history is lost in the process... and a LOT of what "NEW" people bring... is the same Failed Things they left the LAST place to escape! ... Talk about learning disabled...
... buuuuuut... all that aside... there's still plenty for somebody with their eyes and mind open to wonder about...
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| *Modern Ruins* |
Like... how most of the oldest is still there... but some of the "newer" is already dyin' off... ;)
I wonder; Will we some day hear 'em laughin' at the old timer clingin' to his ancient smart phone?
... and squallin'; "I don't need no gol' dang Neuron Activated Tooth Implanted bio-powered telepathic communicator!... ain't nobody gonna read MY thoughts!!!"
... and it's pretty obvious that vehicles have come a long way since the glory days of copper mining in the American West...
Our stop was probably about a week off in timing, the flowers are coming on fast... Spring is rapidly approaching in the Black Hills of Arizona...
Snow the other day and in the 80's the last couple... and now overcast again as we prepare to start moving north...
The flowers are filling the fruit trees, whatever sort they are. We sat under one last night just FILLED with bees working into the evening...
Found one early daffodil that beat the rest...
... and it looks like another week and the beds all over town will be full of color...
We're hoping we've timed it right to find at least a few of the springs flowers layin' around in that stark country of Death Valley...
Weatherman said it topped a Hundred there yesterday!
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| *Next Weeks Flowers in Jerome* |
Just up behind that Daffodil that has broke out into the sun, can you see that Vine? I guess it's a vine... though it's pretty freakin' huge!
I wonder how old the thing is? Took a while to get that thick and heavy...
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| *Jerome Grand Hotel* |
Standing above the whole place is the Jerome Grand Hotel, built by restoring what was once supposedly the finest hospital in Arizona...
They say they built it to withstand the concussion of 260,000 lbs of explosives goin' off in the mine just a little ways away across the mountain! I guess nobody ever considered setting off a few more smaller charges to go a little easier on local architecture! ;)
It's been a hard place on buildings, considering the number of times the same buildings have been burnt out and rebuilt... and trying to slide down the mountain; according to plaques and such around town... But that seems to have been the normal way in a lot of the old towns.
There was one we wanted to get into... 'cause the scent of the cooking was torturous to hungry folks... but the wait at the Jerome Palace was just a might too long for a hungry drifter to wait on a burger... no matter how good it smelled...
Off across the Northern Arizona High Desert the San Francisco Peaks towering over Flagstaff, 60 or 70 miles away were calling to us... we'll be passing them tomorrow...
So... I mentioned this on the bike blog... I can't help but repeat it here... I was trying to photograph a bit of "architecture" and a couple walked by...
I say that 'cause he glanced at me, then up at what I had my camera pointed at; then tipped his head to whisper something to the gal...
... then back up at what I was photographing and then back down to her to say something a bit more animated... and that got a good laugh out of both of 'em.
Now, I don't mind folks havin' a good laugh. Bein' able to provide that adds to my sense of self worth! ;) Not a problem...
But... Seriously??? I'm the source of your humor? Really??? ;)
Repeating what I said on my bike blog... "people who live in glass houses... rocks and all that stuff" :)
The last bit of wisdom I found in Jerome was gained when I failed to be able to push my self past a local lil' coffee stand sort of a shop... the scent coming out of there was NOT to be resisted! ;) While I was waiting for my Americano :) ... uh uh... don't say it! ;) I captured these two lil' signs inside...
I vow! Though it sounds like they were talkin' right directly 'bout me... They ain't never met me before in the place!
Jerome in Arizona, or any of the old towns scattered across the landscape can teach a fella quite a bit if he listens. There are still the whispers of the struggles of the folks who built the place... as well as the struggles of those there now... working to keep their own lives going... whether we think they're foolhardy, learning disabled, nit wits or not! ;)
Today will be spent putting things together to haul out in the morning bound for the river or there abouts west of Kingman. It's something over 400 miles to Death Valley from our camp in Cottonwood. We'll be taking two and maybe three days to cover the distance.
I've no idea of what sort of 21st century communications they've got there in the park area... so we'll be learning that together.
Poor Boy as ever... Loading up and Truckin'
Brian
3 comments:
Yea I could really get started with the purse carrying pierced ear tatooed goofy hairdo BOZO, but I won't. Just sorry to see you have them infesting that part of the country too. Bummer.
I love that town. My Dad grew up in Jerome, his dad was a copper miner there during the late 20s & early 30s.
You are so right, there are so many stories of struggle that remain among the ghosts of that town. I really enjoyed visiting with my Dad a few years ago when he was in his early 70s. He could point out the ruins of the segregated "Mexican school" in the ravine that he was forced to attend. Unfortunately that part of Jerome's history seems to be lost forever. But it's still a great place to visit.
Have fun! The weather looks good. We'll be headed up that way soon.
I just don't "get" the weird hair look, etc. To each his own I suppose but it does make one wonder why they do that. Maybe it is for attention but to me it seems to point to a deepseated mental issue. Oh well, takes all kinds my Mama said, guess she was right.
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