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Heritage Inn, Hospitality And History
June 27, 2017
— 1 Comment
rose garden
patio
patio
rose garden
The Heritage Inn in Snowflake, AZ is perfectly positioned in the middle of an historical neighborhood. Surrounded by restored buildings, the Inn stands out because of the flower gardens. The luscious rose collection welcomes guests at 161 Main Street. The ample shaded front porch is home to a couple of active humming bird feeders, vintage furniture, and charming outdoor art. One is instantly transported to a specific time. The decor throughout the inn reflects the historic legacy of this well restored home. Portraits of the original inhabitants and some traces of their story remind the visitor of the founding of this small town. We stayed in the Mary Maude Porter room, named for one of the first inhabitants of the home, which had been built in the 1890’s.
pioneer home
front porch of the inn
German baby for breakfast
Bob at breakfast
We went to Snowflake to escape the heat and go to a lavender farm that was having a festival. The heat followed us up the mountain, so the relief was not forthcoming from mother nature. We decided not to go out to the farm because it was just too hot to deliver what we wanted. Instead, we investigated the little town of Snowflake, then the adjacent town of Taylor, and checked in to the room a little early chill in the air conditioning. The weather was pleasant enough to take a stroll in the evening, and we walked around the museums and historic homes that were not open on Saturday. There is a good display in the small Heritage Park next to the inn that details the founding of the town and the families who developed area.
Our room had a French door that opened onto the patio, where a fountain decorated a lovely garden. Tables and chairs are placed for guests to use for relaxing, or for breakfast service. We chose to eat by the fountain in the morning, when the weather had cooled down a bit. Our fancy table setting and gourmet breakfast in the cool setting gave us what we had come to experience, a complete change of pace. When I travel I am looking or something different from day to day existence. The hosts of the Heritage Inn, JoAnne and Craig, give guests superior service in an elegant atmosphere of private, historical chic. We liked the feeling of elegant leisure, and plan to return when we know the weather will be cooler. Next time I will plan ahead and arrange to see the tour of the historical homes. The tiny town has much to offer the history buff, and the Heritage Inn offers superior accommodation from which to see it.
fountain patio
restored forge
history museum
#TeaTuesday Rooibos Jasmine
June 27, 2017
— 5 Comments
my front yard jasmine
my front yard jasmine
my front yard jasmine
I am drinking some iced rooibos tea lightly laced with natural jasmine flavor. Rooibos Jasmine tea is a floral tea for special occasions. I love it, but find it is a taste for which I have to be in the mood. The taste of jasmine is slightly lighter than the typical black jasmine tea. The caffeine free rooibos herb from South Africa has a toasty, nutty finish that also distinguishes it from the typical jasmine tea. I am enjoying it today because I am also enjoying the last of three jasmine varieties that bloom in my front yard over a period of about 2 months. This Asian Jasmine plant is close to the front door and the walkway, so visitors are wafted with the strong scent when they approach the entrance to our home. Come on in and try the jasmine tea.
The thirst quenching qualities of this delightful beverage are awesome. The lingering floral taste is refreshing and invigorating. I normally drink this tea hot because the aroma from the cup is a major part of the experience. The heat releases the smell for the drinker as well as anyone in the room at the time. It is never cloying or overbearing on the floral notes. The perfect amount of flavor picks up, but does not cover, the taste of the herb. Over ice the floral notes come across as much more muted, with less of an aroma. The jasmine hits you after you swallow the cold version of the drink.
I like almost every rooibos and honeybush tea blend based on the fact that the herbs themselves are healthy and delicious. This floral version is great for any time I feel particularly floral. It goes with sweets in my mind, but I suppose I could imagine it with savory foods like goat cheese. I drink it solo for the good feeling of the floral aromatherapy. Try it if you like a caffeine free flower shower in your tea time. It perks me up and makes me feel a little decadent when I taste it because the jasmine flavor is so rich and exotic.
Jasmine
#WeekendCoffeeShare Elevation
June 24, 2017
— 8 Comments
soda pop crash
soda on the road
Globe, AZ
If we were having coffee this morning I would have to serve you motel breakfast….I am on my third cup of coffee because I had to come to the lobby to make contact with the WiFi this morning. I don’t bother with the food at motel breakfast because powdered eggs and Danish pastry is not my style. In a couple of hours we will proceed to the Show Low, AZ farmer’s market when it opens at 9 am. I will find some tasty cuisine that suits my vegetarian fresh food habit.
Motel Coffee Today
We left the heat in Tucson for a couple of days of relief. The drive up here included two detours/delays caused by traffic accidents. In Oracle, AZ the road had been blocked to clear a crash, so we had to drive around the incident. The route took us through San Manuel. a deserted town that used to have an underground copper mine. These copper towns belong to the companies, so when the mine closes, the entire town closes. It is eerie to see the remains of what was once a center of industry. I was particularly struck by the “country club”, an 18 hole golf course that has been abandoned for about 10 years. Large dying trees and expanses of dust where there once were golf greens are a strange echo of the past. There is still an airport in San Manuel, which only existed so copper executives could fly in and out of the place. From that ghost town the winding roads we traveled took us through several copper mining towns with open pit mines still in operation. These isolated towns owned completely by copper companies are the present day versions of Tombstone and Bisbee. The abundance and wealth produced in them does not tarry very long in that place. Miners do dangerous hard work and have to live in a town where the company owns the only place they can even buy groceries.
When we started to leave Globe, AZ we were advised that the road to Show Low, our destination, had been closed to clear a crash. We decided to drive back to town and discover Globe rather than get stuck in a line of cars waiting for a wreck to be cleared. That was extra fun. We cruised the neighborhoods on our way to the old downtown. I loved the old homes and the old downtown is in good shape. There are chain restaurants and stores on the main hi way, but individual shops, galleries and eateries are thriving in the downtown. We ate a really good lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and lingered trying to wait out the problem on the road. It was a good call because we did have to wait about 20 minutes at the site of two semis that were scattered on the road and the mountain. It was not clear how it happened, but both large trucks were full of soda pop, which has been collected. We saw the giant tow truck pull the overturned semi back onto the road. The crew was expert, and still had hours of work ahead of them when they let our lane of cars drive through to Show Low. I was happy I had neither been in the soda pop truck or the cars stuck in the beginning of this wreck. Compared to what..right? A few minutes delay on a day with no plans is not a big deal.
We will drive to Snowflake, AZ later this morning to discover a new part of the White Mountains. The lavender festival awaits. I have read that the area contains sinkholes and unusual geological shapes. The sinkholes have been use by Native Americans as well as the Mormons for amphitheaters. The Petrified Forrest is close, but I refuse to go back down in elevation because the heat actually followed us up here. All the days last week and next week have been and will be a high of 85, which is dreamy . However, both of our days up here the temperature will reach 97….There is air conditioning, and we will use it. We are still very pleased to get out of Tucson and see all the amazing geology and botany on this drive. It is gorgeous, if a little bit too hot.
If we were having coffee at the Best Western Pony Paint Motel in Show Low, AZ, I would invite you to come along with us today. If you are too busy to tag along I will update you next weekend about the events of this weekend. My writing is going well. I am really enjoying the tea review posts more than I expected. I now have infinite material for my Tuesday posts. I will never run out of teas. I am listening to a book Bread, Wine, Chocolate, The Slow Loss of Foods We Love, which is fascinating. I am being influenced heavily by what I am learning about our lack of biodiversity. I recommend it to anyone who eats or drinks. We all have a part to play in saving biodiversity on earth. Some of us do it by careful consumption of the foods we want to save. The author’s detailed and accurate descriptions of flavors have inspired me to expand both my vocabulary and my sensitivity. This is helpful in developing my tea language. I am enjoying it.
Bread, Wine, Chocolate
If we are having motel coffee this morning I would promise a much more gourmet selection of digital beverages next week. Coffee is one of the subjects covered in this book. If you are a real coffee lover you might like to learn more about it by reading ( or listening to ) Simran Sethi’s discoveries, who traveled all over the world to research this book.
#WeekednCoffeeShare
Thanks for joining me this morning. Please visit our hostess, Emily, at Nerd in the Brain, for the full shebang. Visit with writers for around the world and keep up with our movable feast here. Join the party every weekend on twitter using the hashtag #WeekendCoffeeShare.
#TeaTuesday White Strawberry
June 20, 2017
— 2 Comments
White Strawberry Tea
This week I want to tell you all about a tea to which I have become very attached. I have been brewing up iced white strawberry tea this summer to beat the band…and the heat. The combination of teas, flowers, fruits and vanilla creates a lovely flavor profile that is complex and delightful in summer. White tea from China is mixed with roiboos tea, apple pieces, blueberries, hibiscus, natural strawberry flavor, strawberries, blue cornflowers, rose petals, and natural vanilla flavor is amazing on the taste buds. If you close your eyes and concentrate you can pick out some of the individual ingredients. The white tea itself has a natural mild melon taste. It is the most subtle of teas, and the least processed. It contains more antioxidants than black or green tea. I adore the flavor of it.
We are suffering in the great southwest from a severe heat wave. We have to drink copiously and frequently to avoid severe health problems. It is the most serious heat streak we have experienced in decades. One must continue to drink water along with the tea of choice to stay in balance. The choice of tea is also important, since caffeine has the effect of dehydrating the system. The white strawberry is an excellent choice since most of the ingredients contain no caffeine. The resulting mix is a beverage very low in caffeine and high in antioxidants and minerals. Roiboos tea is rich in minerals, and contains antiviral and anti inflammatory agents. The berries also provide antioxidants as well as color and flavor. This is a lovely tea to both smell and see before it is brewed. The scent is heavenly, and the flecks of blue cornflower and red rose petals add beautiful accent colors.
I have not tried this tea as a cocktail base, but can imagine a strawberry daiquiri style drink made with it. It would also be great with the addition of a whipped vodka shot, but then what isn’t? I just drink it all day as my go to chiller. I find myself brewing this favorite at least twice a week since the heat became so oppressive. It lifts my spirits, even without any additional spirits. I recommend it. I toast your good health on this first day of summer, gentle reader. Cheers! Stay hydrated, my friends.
white strawberry
#WeekendCoffeeShare Cannabis And Lavender
June 17, 2017
— 11 Comments
Red Rock Lavender Farm
If we were having coffee this weekend I would offer you a large helping of iced tea. The heat is scorching with no end in sight. The heat draws the moisture up from the south to create our monsoon season, but so far there is a tragic lack of moisture. We are baking in the desert. Stay in the air conditioned comfort and drink loads of tea to stay hydrated during your visit. I will send you off on your trip home with fresh watermelon juice, which I find is the most cooling beverage in the world. Relax and tell me about your week. Did your writing go well? How about life?
If we were guzzling iced tea together I would tell you how much fun I am having at my new job. I am now licensed as a dispensary agent by the state of Arizona. I work at a medical marijuana grow harvesting and trimming weed. I only work 12 hours a week in that capacity, but I am developing new ways to serve the patients. I want to create a cannabis catering department as well as an excursion department. I am new at this business, but have lots of experience in the travel industry. I believe the patients are a perfect group of people to put on a party bus for short trips.
The best part of my job is getting to know all my new colleagues. They know a lot about cannabis, but I have miles to go before I will understand all the various new concentrates being made, and the various strains being cultivated. I learn every time I go to work for my four hour shifts. It is surprising to me how much finesse is required to trim buds. Each variety has different qualities and must be handled differently. It takes focus, but we can still chat and listen to music as we work. The people with whom I work are very good natured (as you might expect). I plan to feature short educational segments on Wednesdays, #WeedWednesdays, featuring our expert grower. There is endless information as well as interest in this subject.
Cannabis
Big Farma
If we were on our third glass of iced tea by now I would tell you about our plan to escape to the White Mountains of Arizona next weekend. We are going to a lavender festival near the town of Snowflake. Just saying the word Snowflake is pretty exciting when it is 115 outside. We will drive up on Friday and stay in Show Low, AZ. On Saturday we will attend the Lavender Festival at Red Rock Farms. This event promises to be the exact opposite of burning up in the heat. We will romp through the fields of lavender on a pick your own adventure, then attend cooking demos and wine tastings at the farm. I can’t wait!!!! Saturday night we will check in to an historical bed and breakfast downtown Snowflake, which I will also like a lot. We have to drive home on Sunday, but we can linger in the mountains on the way back. We need to make the most of our “cool down” because the following week will be a furnace down here.
Thanks for joining me today. Use sunscreen on the way to your vehicle. You would not believe how quickly you can be burned to a crisp. Please visit our hostess Emily at Nerd in the Brain for more coffee shares. This movable feast takes place every weekend. Join us to read, comment, or submit your own digital beverage post.
#TeaTuesday Peppermint Butler
June 6, 2017
— 2 Comments
I have rediscovered Peppermint Butler tea this summer. I ordered it in the winter, enjoying it immensely as a cup of hot tea. It is mildly caffeinated, so I sometimes drank it instead of morning coffee for a change. It contains vanilla flavored Ceylon tea, vanilla flavored oolong tea , peppermint, and candy canes. Even though it has been in the tin for a long time, the mint flavor is still strong, probably because of the candy canes crushed in the mix. It is not overly sweet or too minty, but has a unique taste. It is my current favorite iced tea. Summer is intense in Arizona, so we need cool and refreshing beverages. This tea lifts my spirits as well as my taste buds.
I had no idea this tea had been named for a cartoon character until I started to write this review. This is one of Adagio’s signature blends, which I like to sample from time to time. They are more complex and exotic combinations, more expensive ingredients, with a slightly higher price point. I have never been disappointed with the quality of the signature blends. They pack a punch that makes them worth a few extra cents per cup. Peppermint Butler is an excellent example of that value for dollar. The 5 oz tin, which I purchased, is priced at about 38 cents a cup, very reasonable, especially in comparison to tea you purchase in a bottle, already brewed and shipped across the country. Adagio lets customers create their own custom signature blends. This lets you become a tea blend expert with the highest quality ingredients.
If you are looking for some new iced tea excitement this summer I highly recommend this blend. The creamy minty taste goes down well all day long. It compliments salad, chilled soup, and sandwiches very well. Today I will pair it will chilled corn vichyssoise for lunch. The crisp tea will be a nice contrast to the rich cool soup. Both have a richness that make them a good couple on a hot day.
Peppermint Butler Tea
#SelfCareSunday Define Indulgence
June 4, 2017
— 1 Comment
pool with rainbow
This Sunday I did some work very early in the day to free myself for the rest of the day, and into tomorrow. I have my big indulgence of the month scheduled for tomorrow morning, my facial. This is my biggest self indulgence, without which I believe I would feel deprived. I go to a fantastic esthetician I have trusted for many years. She is the bomb. When I worked at spas I indulged in body work, facials, and all kinds of treatments on a very regular basis. I no longer feel the need for the entire high maintenance line up, but my skin and my mental attitude really benefits from my facial.
One reason I reduced the time and money spent on spa and health endeavors was budget. However, once I noticed how much time was returned to my schedule for any activity I choose I think I reduced my consumption more just to regain the unscheduled time. If I had unlimited funds to spend on treatments I would add a few things, but would probably not want to devote as much time as I used to for that sort of thing. I would rather have time to go to the gym and the steam room regularly because that is essential to my wellbeing. I would probably also spend large chucks of time at hot springs. For now I am happy with my condo village’s pool and jacuzzi, which I access with only a short walk. When I get up before dawn and watch the day begin from the deep end all is right with the world.
I think it is important to indulge oneself in healthy ways. The real question is what is indulgence. I know I have redefined it for myself and am happier for it. I had a large carbon footprint and the “need” for all kinds of services when I was younger. Now I like a good walk in the botanical garden with my neighbor better than a class, and a long soak in my own tub on Sunday evening better than any spa ritual I have bought and paid for in the past. The kingdom of spa is within you.
What is your best and favorite indulgence? Have you changed the way you look at that over time? I think it is good to compare value for time/money with everything in existence in order to hone one’s own best ways to pamper and sooth body and soul.
#WeekendCoffeeShare Pool And Protest
June 3, 2017
— 6 Comments
pool with reflection
If we were having coffee this weekend in Tucson I would bring a pitcher of water and another of iced beverage of your choice out to the pool. The only place to be on a day when the temperature reaches 106 degrees is in the pool. I have all manner of flotation devices, and there is a table in the shade where we can sit for a chat after we get wet. If you feel energetic we could chat while we do some exercise in the water. I have taught swimming and water exercise for years, and although I am not currently certified in lifesaving I will keep you safe. Come on in. The water is perfect.
This week was relatively uneventful, if you exclude all the political action in Washington, DC. I do watch with interest while Micheal Bloomberg, the states, and cities step up to fight climate change. I am happy to see all the marchers for science but in Arizona this is not possible at the moment. We must protest fro the pool. I think the best way for me to contribute to the entire issue of environmental protection is to act personally. I think I am carbon conservative, but there are probably a few more items I could buy locally or go without for the good of the planet. Rather than review the international scene, although that is of interest, I am looking for ways I can reduce my personal consumption of water, gasoline, and electricity.
While I fill your ice water glass again please tell me about your writing projects and your week. Did you finish or start any new writing? I admire those of you who write long works of fiction. I may attempt it someday, inspired by your success. It takes discipline as well as talent to do a long write. I have written a few short pieces of fiction, but this week I created a poem in response to Sue Vincent’s photo prompt. It was about death, and was fully depressing like the previous week’s. I do wonder at my creative self when I come up with all this dark gloomy haunted stuff. I also wonder if that is a direction I should try to go for a longer story..haunted and creepy is a genre, after all. I also wrote about my ancestors and tea, so it was not all gloom and doom…except the ancestors are dead, of course. I wrote about some from the Byzantine Empire this week.
I think perhaps I am haunted by the politics playing out before me, but that does not matter. Creative responses to horror and terror have always been used to change things. Satirists are having a having a hay day with all the crazy times in which we live. I wish I could draw cartoons, but I think this talent will be for another lifetime. I will have to stick to poems to express my distaste, rage, or general revolt. How do you best protest, gentle reader?Do tell, what makes you revolt (silently or otherwise)?
If you are in the mood, feel free to cannonball before you go. Hydrate fully, and stay safe. Please join the coffee party on the weekend hosted by Emily at Nerd in the Brain. Contribute a post, or read, comment, and visit here.
Weekend-Coffee-Share-Pic
#WeekendCoffeeShare Gourmet Staycation In Tucson
May 28, 2017
— 3 Comments
Coronet cinnamon rolls
eggs Florentine
poached eggs on grits
Coronet cocktails
If we were having coffee this week in Tucson I would point out to you how dead the city is now. Obviously people leave to escape the heat. The snowbirds, the students, and everyone who can afford to go elsewhere for the summer have left the city. The businesses cut hours and do what they can to stay in business when their regular customers are basically all gone. If you were here now I would recommend you spend the night in a resort for less than half the winter rate, or dine at one of our fancier restaurants offering a summer special. For those of us who stay all year, this is a time to take advantage of the off peak bargains and less crowded streets. Everything is air conditioned, so you will not melt.
Please sit down and let me pour you some iced tea from the extensive collection. I have place an order for new teas, arriving any day, so I am taking inventory of all the teas I need to use in the order they were purchased. I have so many flavors, but this is a basic pleasure in our lives, as well as a healthy way to consume herbs and water. I get really excited about the prospect of new teas I have not tried. Next week my collection will have expanded to about 40 choices. I am drinking a honey bush mango with a fruity taste. What is your favorite kind of tea? I probably have it on hand. I hope you like the Allman Brothers Band. I am playing a tribute until further notice. I will turn down the volume because I want to listen to your stories. What is happening in your life and writing this week? I had an average writing week. I took one day off (yesterday) and produced nothing of great note. I wrote anther tea review, and am starting to like that segment. Are you trying any new ideas in your writing?
Coronet retro decor
Coronet retro decor
The Coronet retro decor
The Coronet
We enjoyed a superb brunch downtown yesterday in the spirit of off-peak excursions. We went to the Coronet, a restaurant we really enjoy but seldom frequent. We like the decor in a restored historical property. The service is always excellent, but with fewer customers it is even better now. The real reason we go is for the innovative menu and bar choices. Yesterday’s brunch was a perfect example. Bob loved his eggs Florentine with gravlax. I had a wonderful dish of poached eggs over grits served with black beans. Bob’s Bloody Mary had fabulous garnishes, including a picked tomatillo. That is the item I plan to knock off and use at home. I had never thought of doing that, but am a huge fan of the tomatillo, a green fruit that is NOT a tomato. We not only had the restaurant almost to ourselves, but the entire 4th Avenue shopping district was empty. We spent some time in a used book store, where I managed to buy just a single book. On the way home we stopped for ice cream at our favorite parlor, The Screamery. We each had full punch cards for a free scoop. We loved our dessert then took home a pint of blueberry cheesecake. All in all, it was a superb little holiday with all the gourmet trimmings. I am in the minority but I honestly love summer in Tucson. The hot ghost town suits me perfectly. You may want to jump in the pool before you head out. Stay hydrated. Take an iced tea with you. By any measure it is hot outside. You may want to stop and get some ice cream.
book shopping
ice cream
This movable digital beverage drinking party is hosted each week by Emily at Nerd in the Brain. Please join writers from around the world for a chat and a digital drink each weekend. Read, write, comment and share.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Frida And Diego At The Heard Museum
May 22, 2017
— 2 Comments
photo in exhibit
photo in exhibit
Frida and Leon Trotsky
In Arizona Frida Kahlo is a giant cultural icon, representing the art and rebellious spirit of the Mexican people. Her famous muralist husband, Diego Rivera, is less well known, or at least less of a modern figure here in the United States. He was very famous before they met, and she became famous after her death. They were highly influencial in the Mexican Revolution, Diego often painting large murals about the oppression of the masses. Frida had an affair with Leon Trotsky, who was in Mexico City after the Russians exiled him.
The prestigious Heard Museum is now showing an exhibit of their work, some original photos, and a wardrobe designed to show the way Frida distinctively dressed herself in indigenous hand woven garments. She changed classical art in Mexico by introducing the elements of folk art that she included in her clothing. She honored the colors, symbols, and methods used by Native Mexican tribes to bring new life and meaning to her paintings. Her political beliefs were expressed through her art.
This wonderful visiting exhibit is well worth the extra $7. It will be on display through 20 August. Prices go way down everything in the summer in Phoenix. The accommodations will be generously discounted when the heat rises. This makes it a perfect time for a bargain excision to the big city.
The permanent collection includes incredible Native American art. The book store and cafes are lovely. The gift shop is curated to offer the public super high quality work of Native artists. To look closely at the entire collection takes a few hours and some concentration. I am particularly fond of the kachina collection, full of detail and meaning. I recommend this museum to anyone of any age.
her wardrobe
exhibit at the Heard
the famous couple
mermaidcamp 