Eyes Wide Open ~ April 8th, 2013

By o'dark thirty and we're up, dressed and fed. Rod fixed breakfast and packed snacks to take with us. We have to be at the UCSF Transplant Center to start the day of interviews at 6:50am. We're a little worse for wear due to our sleepless night, but you can't let a little thing like that get in your way.

7:00am ~ The first stop is for a presentation to the group of us being evaluated today. It's primarily informational and a forum for any questions. There's a certain amount of comfort derived from running into one or more of your "teammates for the day" at each appointment. We are all in this together so we share a common bond.

9:30am ~ Meet with the hepatologist (liver specialist) who let's us know up front that a possible show stopper for being listed for a transplant is my run-in with breast cancer in 2011. They may request further information and evaluation from one of their oncologists.

10:30 ~ Meet with social worker who has a lot of questions for us and clarifies UCSF's stance on drugs and alcohol. Many patients needing transplants have abused or continue to abuse drugs and alcohol. So even though my liver problem is due to chronic disease and cancer the playing field needs to be level. If I'm listed, they can request a random drug test at any time and it must be done the same day. If we're in Tucson or Telluride and get a call, we have to find a local lab. If we're traveling where there is no cell service we need to let UCSF know ahead of time.

I haven't had a drink since 1990 but I need to avoid any alcohol which includes that used in cooking, mouthwash or cold medicine. I don't smoke but I need to stay away from any source of second hand smoke because it will register in my system. Though restaurants and venues in California are smoke free, in many other states there are no such laws. Casinos and penny slots are off my dance card.

12:00 ~ Meet with the financial person who goes over our insurance coverage. 

1:30 ~ Meet with one of the transplant surgeons. He doesn't mince words. At first we thought him a bit arrogant, but then realized he is on the front line of these surgeries and is a realist. Age can play a major role in success and recovery (I'm 68 and could be 70 by the time I reach the top of the list).

Northern California is one of the largest regions in UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) and I have type "O" blood, the most common. What this means is the pool of people in our region waiting for livers is huge. There is a 15 month to 2 year wait once you're on the list. He suggested we look into "Multiple Listing" which allows me to be listed in other regions such as Jacksonville, FL or Cleveland, OH with a smaller population base. If we take advantage of that option it would mean relocating for 6 months. Yikes!

If I have a liver transplant I will be on immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of my life. A body considers any transplant an "introduced species" and will try to reject it. Though there will be much tweaking and fine tuning of the drugs there are a host of potential side effects.

2:30 ~ An ultrasound is my last appointment. I've been fasting all day so by now I'm hungry, tired and cranky. The afternoon's saving grace is the amazing view from the 6th floor waiting room: Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Mt. Tamalpais (where I grew up).  

Room with a view 

 

 Urban Getaway

3:30 ~ We make our escape from UCSF, take off for a bite to eat and head back to the flat. The plan had been to spend another night in SF so we could play tourists for a day, but were exhausted. Time to head home and get a good nights sleep.

We met our host for the first time this afternoon and let him know we were prepared to give up the cost of the room for not staying a second night, but he insists on refunding it. We visited until about 6pm and then headed north.  Our first experience with airbnb (www.airbnb.com) was a positive one. It's a great way to meet new people wherever you're travelling.

It's been a long day

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Today was an eye opening experience: surreal, real, fascinating and scary. It was a lot to take in. Now it's a waiting game to see whether I get listed for a transplant or not. If not, we started exploring Plan B.

It's time for an adventure under the stars!

Off to San Francisco ~ April 7, 2013

We took off for San Francisco about 3:00pm Sunday. The marathon liver transplant evaluation at UCSF was to start at 6:50am Monday. A good night's sleep and not driving the morning commute to SF sounded like a good idea at the time. I had mentioned to the scheduling nurse at UCSF we were having a hard time finding a place to stay and she suggested we check out www.airbnb.com. As luck would have it the first listing I saw fit the bill and put us about 3 blocks from campus.

Our hosts wouldn't be back until 10pm so they left the key and house rules in the mailbox for us. This vintage upstairs flat (and I do mean up stairs) was warm and inviting.

Dining Room

Guest Room

 

We settled in and decided a walk was in order. Bundled up against the wind we took off down the hill. This is Farnsworth Lane, just down the street from our abode. Can you imagine the shape you'd be in walking this every day?

We strolled to the Panhandle, past what remains of Kezar Stadium and over to the Haight Ashbury district. I grew up in Mill Valley but had never been there. There's an incredible mix art and architectural on the streets.

Let there be light

 

Rod used to live in area during the 1970's and took great delight in regaling me with stories. This was a photographer's paradise, glad I had my IPhone.

 Jim

 

Joan

 

Jimi

 

We put in about 3 miles and on the way back stopped at Zazie's for dinner. It's a delightful little hole in the wall French restaurant. You get to the back patio through the kitchen. Our kind of place and the food was fabulous.

 

 

We toddled back up the hill after dinner and read for awhile. Lights out about 9:30 in hopes of a good night's sleep. Unfortunately high winds from an unexpected storm kept us awake most of the night. Oh Well!





Life is a Zip Line ~ April 7, 2013

We've been talking about selling my beloved 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee (the one you can hear coming a half mile away) and our 2000 Dutchmen Motorhome. The Jeep because it has 187,000 miles and the motorhome because it costs to much to run and repair. We've had a ball for 7 years but it's time to rethink the game plan.

What next? Well, there are no guarantees ~ I'm facing the possibility of a liver transplant in the next two years and we think it's high time to start working on the bucket list.

We had to go to Petaluma on Tuesday to pick up Rod's weed whacker in the truck so on a whim we headed to Petaluma's Auto Row. We looked at a few used Jeeps, but all were high mileage and I don't like the new design. Our last stop was Henry Curtis Ford where we get the motorhome serviced.
We met Edward and told him we were looking for a newer Jeep, low mileage, V6, tow package, etc. We saw one there, but again too many miles. He said they had a couple more at the SR store, and offered to drive us up to take a look. He ushers us into a used 2013 Ford Explorer and off we go to SR. We looked at the Jeeps but decided we liked the Explorer better. He let us drive it back, first Rod, then me. We fell Hook, Line and Sinker! It's comfortable, quiet, powerful (V6), gets good mileage, and is set up for Flex Fuel. It's built for back roads and bad weather (Hello Elko Jan 2014). We got a good deal, though still more than I've ever paid for a car! This is my Christmas and Birthday present for life. My goal is to outlive the 7 year warranty!

Ruby

There have been a lot of innovations since 1998, I used to be impressed by heated seats. This puppy is a computer on wheels, can you spell learning curve? We are actually in "novice mode" right now. Got to laugh!

We unpacked the motorhome Wednesday (I have a second household stacked in my studio) and Thursday we took it into Santa Rosa RV to see if they'd take it on consignment. We were hoping for $10K-13K, but he was offering $9K. The downside with consignment is that it might not sell and we didn't want it back.

What do we really want to do? We want to explore the National Parks, camp under the stars, and travel blue highways. We start thinking, always dangerous. A Forest River R-POD (like a full size tear drop) caught our eye. It's brand new and on sale. He said if we bought he'd give us $10,500 on the trade in. Life simplified - best of both worlds we can camp in one place and explore. We pick it up next week.

 Forest River R-Pod

We're going to take the Jeep down to the Car Mart at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds. My mechanic says it will probably sell quickly. There are a lot of motor heads in the neighborhood that would love this puppy.

White Fang the Elder looks like this

So we're off to San Francisco today for a couple of days. My big interview at UCSF Transplant Center is all day Monday, Tuesday is a play day. In a week or so we'll know what my options are and we can start planning some adventures. Thinking April would be a good time to check out the Mojave poppies, Las Vegas, Valley of Fire, Bryce Canyon and Zion.

Sheer Decadence ~ Mar 30, 2013

We watched a Bay Bridge Series game last night (Spring training games with SF Giants and Oakland A's) and when the commercial breaks came on we switched over the Food Network to catch Guy Fieri's "Diner, Drive-ins and Dives". We're  heading out on some road trips this Spring and thought we might do some homework.

He was in San Antonio, TX at the Magnolia Pancake Haus when we tuned in. They were making Bacon Waffles. Oh Baby! We looked at each other and knew we had to make some for breakfast. We had a little bacon left from when company came last weekend so no better time than now!

The photo is from the Magnolia Pancake Haus

 

Too Easy! You just cook up 5 or 6 slices of lean bacon until it's dark and crispy, crumble it into your batter and make your waffles as you always do. We covered ours with slices of fresh strawberries and a little syrup, but as you can see the options are endless. Enjoy!

As I was writing the blog, my neighbor Andrea called to chat and I told her about our discovery. She commented she best enjoy from afar: dangerous combo with questionable health consequences. We both laughed and decided once in a while might be acceptable.

So then I walk back into the house at Rod is watching a show on PBS called "Protect Your Memory". There are three main points: Skip Bad Fats, Knock out Free Radicals, and Exercise your Brain. Oh Boy, common sense rears up to slap you on the back of the head Gibbs Style. Time for a compromise.

Isabella Takes a Chance

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Life is short: take a chance, dance with abandon, jump for joy, follow your passions and decide it's okay to have something decadent like bacon waffles once in a great while.

Rainy Days ~ March 28, 2013

When it rains incessantly for most of a week, like it did in late November, we got to spend time inside with no promises to keep: making soup, reading, playing cribbage, and day dreaming. The sky rumbling through poetic changes of dark and light.

The deluges periodically gave way to mist or light showers and out we'd go in full combat rain gear. Children in adult suits: playing in puddles and getting dirty, channeling small rivers and directing runoff from the neighboring vineyard.

A couple of weeks ago I was over at my neighbor's helping her organize her new pantry. In the back of a cupboard we found a collection of wildflower seeds in small net bags that had been favors at her wedding up here in July 2005. Andrea doesn't believe in expiration dates so we cut open all the little bags and split the bounty. I brought about 4 cups home with no game plan.

The last couple of days we've had intermittent showers: perfect for settling road dust, treating the orchids to a rainwater shower and maybe sowing some seeds.

The weather held yesterday so Tractor Boy decided he was going to dig out all the papyrus grass (invasive species) and smooth out the slope off the driveway so we could see the gardens from the living room. I'm thinking perfect place to scatter wildflower seeds.

This morning, in a misting rain we raked this patch smooth, sprinkled seeds about and covered the area with compost. Time will tell, but in 4-6 weeks we should see some results.

Our Bartlett pear on the driveway just burst into bloom this morning, amazing what a little moisture and sunshine will bring.

Deja Vous ~ Mar 23, 2013

So you don't know what you don't know until something brings what you don't know to light. One thing for sure ~ life is full of surprises! My doc has been concerned about my low platelet count and a recent CT scan and biopsy revealed a walnut sized growth on my liver called an Hepatocellular Carcinoma. The good news is that it has nothing to do with the breast cancer journey of 2011.

The cause, more often then not, is the result of chronic infection of the liver. Most people don't know they have a problem until liver damage shows up decades later, during routine medical tests. In 1990 doctors at Kaiser were reviewing a sonogram of my right kidney and noticed shadows on my liver that didn't look normal. They kept digging and discovered I had two chronic conditions, a dastardly duo I've dubbed Bevis and Butthead.

First: a not so rare hereditary disorder called Hemochromastosis that causes your body to absorb too much iron from the food you eat. The excess iron is stored in organs, especially the liver and heart and can lead to health problems. It's treated by removing blood (phlebotomy) which signals your body create new blood and thus pull iron stores from organs. I've always had a fascination with all things rusty, just never knew it was in my genes!

Wagon Wheels

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Second: Hepatitis C (HCV) which is a viral infection that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. I am not in any of the usual risk groups so I have no idea how this bad boy hitched a ride on my cosmic wagon, but it is what it is. As with Hemochromatosis, most people infected with HCV have no symptoms.

Due to the location of the tumor, near the hepatic vein and artery, surgery to remove it and part of the upper right lobe of my liver may not be an option. The surgical team I met with at Kaiser in SF felt my best option was a liver transplant. Say What? Who wrote this script anyway?

Say What

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What came next? Got to make sure the patient is a good risk so I just finished the most thorough battery of tests known to mankind (I'm ready for my close ups Mr. Demille). There isn't a part of my body that hasn't seen light of day, so to speak. Bone, chest, liver, and heart scans, a myriad of blood tests, an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. These last few weeks have been a pain in the butt, but it's great to have an inventory of all the body parts that are healthy and working at my age.

Jump for Joy

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The Journey Begins: My case was submitted to the local Kaiser Transplant Committee and was approved on February 26th. All of my tests were forwarded to the UCSF Transplant Center. On April 8th we'll spend all day at UCSF for an in depth evaluation and meetings with a number of specialists. Sometime during the two weeks following we'll be contacted with their decision. If I do get listed, there is a 1.5 to 2 year waiting list. There are, however, options available to keep the tumor in check during that time. If I don't qualify for a transplant, we'll start researching Plan B.

I'm feeling fine and my take is, in the words of Ford Prefect from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "DON'T PANIC!" This a nine inning game and we just started spring training.
 

Dharma Light Bomb ~ Water Lily

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Needless to say, I'm once again calling all my spirit guides back from their reveries, retirement and galactic road trips to join me on this adventure. My darling husband has been my knight and my rock since we found out. Our friends and neighbors have stepped up to let us know they're ready to help with whatever we need. I'm one lucky cookie.

Once we find out my options and how short a leash I might be on, we hope to set off on a number of adventures over the next 15 months, take some time outs from all the homework that goes with this assignment. No sense in sitting around waiting, it's time to start working on the bucket list and the possibilities are endless.

Best Birthday Ever ~ March 17, 2013

Ken and Betty, pals from the Boise contingent are in town staying with our friend Carol for a few days. They're in California to screen private showings of their documentary film, Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor. See http://bravotheproject.com/. We decided to start the day off with what is now a tradition at our house when friends are in town ~ a designer pancake breakfast with all the trimmings.

Early afternoon Rod and I had a very special date at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone. If you've not been there, it must go on your Bucket List. Check out their website at www.osmosis.com. You start by changing into a comfortable robe and sipping enzyme tea in a soothing waterfall environment while your enzyme bath is prepared: a fragrant blend of finely ground cedar, rice bran, and plant enzymes imported from Japan. The attendant digs you a comfortable barcalounger shape in the sawdust mixture with support for neck, back and knees, then buries you up to your chest. She periodically brings cold wash clothes for your brow and drinking water during your session. Ahhhhh!

Once you brush off the sawdust and shower it's time to head upstairs for a long massage in a comfortable environment with music softly playing in the background. We were grinning from ear to ear we met downstairs: all our aches and pains had vanished, heads were clear, we kind of felt like de-boned chickens. Can you spell mellow?

Once home we changed clothes and headed down to Carol's house for a pot luck with Ken, Betty and our friend Bill. Hors d'oeuvres, lasagna, salad, blackberry pie with candles and vanilla ice cream. We spent hours around the table swapping stories, telling tales and laughing. We excused ourselves about 9pm and toddled home. Needless to say we slept like logs.

 

Birthday Bouquets from Rod and Carol and stunning greenish Calla Lilies from Mike and Susi next door.



 

A very special heart shaped rock that Ken and Betty brought back from New Brunswick for me. They didn't know it at the time but my Scottish ancestors landed there on their first stop in the new world. We're adding the Maritime Provinces of Canada to our Bucket List.

 

So there you go, best birthday ever celebrated with friends nearby and cards and wishes from around the world. Life is good and we have no promises to keep today, so it's time to get off our asses for a long walk. We have a new tool on our Iphones from Kaiser that tracks miles, time, calories and GPS map of where you've walked. Small and useful wonders.

A Thursday Treasure ~ Feb 21, 2013

 

Banish the hurry of your life

Unplug and open your eyes

Lichen growing on a fallen tree

Little things

 Lessons to the wise

 

“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.”

Henry David Thoreau

 



Just a Thought Series ~ Feb 13, 1970

The majesty of rock cliff bones

Rise above our heads

Sweet air

Muscles spring to life with the climb

Ascent and descent to the womb of the falls

Photo from symtrnr 1

Late morning at Tahquitz Falls

Warm smoothness

Of long washed granite

Carved by a constant flow

Within and without

Under the sun's warmth

Remember yourself

Be true to your free spirit

Imagination with meaning
Becomes reality

I knew nothing about the history of Tahquitz Falls or the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians when my friend took me to this magical place forty plus years ago and I wrote my thoughts. I found these words today on the Tahquitz Canyon website http://www.tahquitzcanyon.com. There is much to be learned from our ancestors, never forget we are all of the tribe Human. 

This is a place of contrasts;

it is a place of ancient and new,

a place of power.

Come with the right purpose

 and a clear mind to enjoy it beauty and mystery.

Just a Thought Series ~ Jan 1, 1981

The winter nesting continues as I scout the house drawer by drawer. A couple of days ago I found a few faded pages torn from a journal. I think my love of blue highways may have started with this trip to Colorado.

Goodbyes are difficult

No tears, but a knot within

I feel like I'm holding my breath

Watching you, watching me

As I drive away

Colorado Rocky Mountain Splendor

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As I head into the sunset
It hits me
My journal is blank and open to new chapters

The possibilities bring a smile

Hell Yes!

I am my own best educator

I need only to look inside and ask

What are you thinking?

Tell me how you feel?

The Power Within
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It's so much better

To experience reality

Than to live with the undefined fantasy

of perhaps

On the road again

God it's good to be traveling

It always puts things in perspective

A post script to this journal entry ~ Five months later I met the love of my life at the Fort Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic in Cazadero, CA and we continue to travel blue highways 31 years later.

Just a Thought Series ~ July 29, 1971

Having answers makes you wiser

Having questions makes you human
~

Perhaps it's time to do some thinking

But there are no thoughts 
It seems this free and open space 
Has allowed me to unplug

Spiritual Energy

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When this was written I was midway through a week long stay at a friend's farm near Cave Junction, OR. On this summer afternoon I sat naked and cross legged in an ocean of wildflowers with a journal and pen in hand. 

As we get caught up in life we tend to forget about the simple acts that help us to find the elusive compass point of center. Life is short, it's important take more time outs and unplug from it all. Some destinations may be in your own back yard or just up the road. 

 Richardson's Grove, CA

Marin Headlands

Beverly Beach Park, OR

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time cools, time clarifies; no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours. 

Mark Twain

This is the no excuses tour, time wasted is time lost forever. 

Shelley Macdonald

One Thin Dime ~ Jan 19, 2013

For years two delightful dogs shared our home and travels. We lost them both in 1989. Their names were Diamond Jim and Jessica P Out of the Mud Grows the Lotus. He was a Heinz 57 variety tricolor hound with a white diamond on his neck and she was a black Lab-Golden Retriever mix who couldn't resist a tennis ball or any body of water.

We used to purchase their canned food by the case. One day I picked up one of the cans and it felt unusually light. When I opened it up there was a promotional coupon and a little round plastic case with a $5 gold coin the size of a dime, sitting in blue velvet. We tucked the coin in the safe and never thought about again.

With Spring on the horizon this time of year becomes nesting season for me and I start cleaning out drawers and cupboards. Another impetus is that we're trying to lighten our material load. Like a lot of folks our age, we have simply accumulated too much stuff.

Last week I was looking for something in safe and we decided it might be interesting to find out the value of some of the contents: an old pocket watch, the gold coin, gold teeth, old rings and various coins. We took everything but the coins into Olde Towne Jewelers in Santa Rosa. None of it had sentimental value so we figured what the heck. Well, we came home with a check for $1,600. Rod took the coins into a coin shop the next day and came home with $575 in cash. The value on all of it was the melt weight not the items.

What about the $5 gold piece from the dog food can? It sold for $168. Who knew?

I guess the lesson here is to start looking through all the old coins, broken jewelry, and stuff you have tucked away. Our little bonanza is seed money for one of the items on our bucket list: perhaps a narrow gauge rail trip across the Southwest, some time in Maritime Provinces of Canada, or a month in New Zealand. Two things are for sure: life is short and the possibilities are endless.

Tombstone Road Trip ~ Tombstone to Home ~ Nov 11-13, 2012

Nov 11th ~ Breakfast with our same mates at the Bordello and then we're off on the journey home. We continue to make it up as we go: northwest on I10 then west on I8 towards Quartzite. When it's time for fuel (for the Honda and us) we picked a random off ramp and arrive in Tonapah, AZ (population 60). There was a little Mexican restaurant at the gas station so we decided to take a chance. Seems like the hole in the wall places have the best food. 

We're sitting across from two women, Sandy and Phyllis, who are on their way from the El Dorado to southern AZ for the winter. Sandy asked where we were from. When I said Sebastopol she got this big smile on her face and said "I grew up in Santa Rosa, my family owns Teevax Appliances". "Oh" I said "That's where we purchased our washer, dryer and dishwasher". She laughed and said "That was probably my brother who installed them". I no longer question these chance connections, they are a part of the fabric of my life and always entertaining.

Off again towards Quartzite and then north on Hwy 95 along the Colorado River and back to Laughlin for the night. We arrived in the afternoon and took a walk along the river. We had wanted to see Las Vegas, but we're going to save it for another trip so we can explore the area. Tomorrow we head for the California coast, one trip through the Central Valley is enough.

Nov 12th ~ The numbers game today ~ Hwy 95 to 40 to 58 to 101. The traffic is light and the weather clear. It's a long drive but not a boring one, We pick up Hwy 58 near Barstow, once past Bakersfield we find the proverbial long and winding road with a little bit of everything: oil, cotton, long horns, solar farms, rivers, large ranches and small towns: desert to golden oak covered hills.

Late afternoon just east of Paso Robles on Hwy 58

We're toast by the time we reach Paso Robles so we opt for an overnight at the Best Western and dinner at Bad Bubba's BBQ next door. A good call on all accounts.

Nov 13th ~ After breakfast we head west on Hwy 46 to Cambria and north on Hwy 1. The weather is clear and it's warm on the coast. Though I love exploring the desert and mountains it's a delight to again see the Pacific.

Elephant Seals ~ Another Roadside Attraction

A Constant Roadside Attraction

 Lunch View in Monterey and 70 degrees

Once we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge it was only an hour to home. We left everything in car, had a bowl of cereal for dinner and relished the thought of being in our own beds.

This was a great adventure. We travelled blue highways to new places and back in time. Tombstone's Archivist, Nancy Sosa, got me totally hooked on what she calls the "love of the chase". My next adventure is looking further into family history. It seems "characters were indeed welcome" in my family tree.

Tombstone Road Trip ~ Tombstone Day Two ~ Nov 10, 2012

We're off to explore today. We headed up Hwy 80 to catch Hwy 82 West but missed the turn off. An oops of good fortune, as we got to chase some morning rainbows and discovered A Gallery of Dreams in St. David, just south of Benson (http://www.agalleryofdreams.com). 

There was a small art show out front and we met two gentlemen educating visitors about the Buffalo Soldiers. The gallery is home base to Tim Trask, an incredible sculptor, who is working on a clay model of what will be two life size bronze statues to commemorate the history and service of Buffalo Soldiers. We donated $20 to the project and were able to add two chunks of clay onto the forms he would use to cast the sculptures.

Next stop was the Fort Huachuca Museum to find out more about the Buffalo Soldiers (http://huachucamuseum.com/). It's a great little museum, very informative, but totally off the beaten track. It was hard to find tucked in the back corner of an active military base. Looking into their storied history was an amazing journey.

Mr. Trask's sculptures will reside in Tombstone instead of Fort Huachuca where the soldiers were stationed. Three blocks of Tombstone's Allen Street are permanently blocked off to traffic and over a million people visit there each year. Having the statues in Tombstone will provide an incredible teaching and learning opportunity. From the Civil War through modern times the Buffalo Soldiers served with honor on many fronts.

Next stop is Kartchner Caverns just southwest of Benson. The caverns were unknown until 1974, when cavers Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts found a narrow crack in the bottom of a sinkhole. They followed a source of warm, moist air toward what ended up being more than 2.5 miles of pristine cave passages. Hoping to protect the cave they kept the location a secret for fourteen years.

Working with the Kartchner family they decided that the best way to achieve the goal of protection was through development as a tour cave and they approached Arizona State Parks. In 1985, then-Governor Bruce Babbitt secretly left the state capitol with two bodyguards and spent three hours crawling through the cave's tight passages to reach the cave's showcase chambers.  The discovery of the cave was finally made public in 1988 when the landowners sold the area to the state for development as a park. The state spent $28 million on a high-tech system of air-lock doors, misting machines and other gadgetry designed to preserve the cave. Put this stop on your bucket list. For more information go to http://www.explorethecaverns.com

We emerged from the caves in late afternoon for the short return trip to Tombstone. Time for a walk about before sunset and a light dinner before heading back to the Bordello.

Dinner View

The Heart of the Matter ~ to be continued

Tombstone Road Trip ~ Tombstone Day One ~ Nov 9, 2012

  

Guests gather in the dining room about 7:30 for coffee, conversation and a delicious homemade breakfast. Each morning we meet a different group of travellers: from a bike tour groups to travelers like us exploring the region.

First thing we decided to check out was Boot Hill, a graveyard rich with the town's storied characters. Most of the graves are from the early 1880's. It's a great place to wander about with a camera and look into history. We found out later in the day, however, that all who are purported to be buried there are not. It seems that history sometimes takes a back seat to a good story. Boot Hill Cemetery was closed in 1884 when the new City Cemetery was opened on Allen Street to provide a last resting place for the "proper" residents of town. 



FYI: Lester Moore was a Wells Fargo agent from Naco, AZ. In the movie Tombstone, when the Earps arrive in Tombstone 1881, they ride past Boot Hill Cemetery. Plainly visible is this tombstone, one most famous epitaphs ever written. The problem is that Lester Moore wasn't killed until 1884 ~ Think they call that a continuity error.

George Johnson made the mistake of purchasing a stolen horse and was hanged by mistake: an "oops" moment if I ever heard of one.

 One thing for sure though, the view of the Dragoon Mountains from Boot Hill is spectacular.

We came back up to town in the late morning to find town archivist Nancy Sosa and do research on my great grandfather Stanley Chipman Bagg. She and her assistant Jessica spent three hours with us going through old books and ledgers, city council minutes and photographs, making copies for us along the way. We knew he had started the Tombstone Prospector and bought out the Tombstone Epitaph, but had no idea he had owned a retail business, Bagg and Barrow, or that he had been so deeply involved in town politics.  She did some further microfiche sleuthing after we left and sent us more information including the masthead from the Prospector with his name on it. More on his colorful story later.

Nancy is the one who told us not believe everything you read. She is this field for the love of the chase and finding the truth. She does a lot of research for writers and historians, but there are two subjects she won't touch: Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Too many people have their own versions of history on these two and once in the bully pulpit they won't back down. She said she'd been to research conferences and wondered if presenters should be checked for side arms at the door. We had so much fun we took Nancy to lunch.

Off to Bisbee, another historic mining town, about 25 miles south on Hwy 80, to meet up with Auntie Betty. We did a little exploring, some window shopping and stopped for ice cream before parting ways. 

The drive back from Bisbee was gorgeous: storm clouds, sun, wind, red dirt, and mesquite. We had dinner with my aunt and uncle at the Crystal Palace and then dropped them off for the evening. They head home tomorrow and had to be up at o'dark thirty. We're here another night and have a map of places to explore tomorrow.