Here I am!

Pamela Lee
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Here I am!

Post by Pamela Lee »

Wow - what a lovely refurb to the site in the years I've been gone. I haven't been all over the site yet, but look forward to browsing and discovering.

I don't know if anyone here will remember me but I am very pleased to see names I remember from years gone by - Reptilist, SteveS, Space Cowboy, and I'm sure there are others that I haven't noticed yet..

The Mr and I used to do a lot of roaming in the Anza Borrego Desert area as we have a little place in Ocotillo Wells and have been going to Borrego Springs for many years.

Life has a way of sending you down different paths than you had mapped out for yourself sometimes and that is pretty much what has happened to us.

I am retired now from almost 24 yrs at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego and we have moved to a small farm community in AZ for our golden years.

I look forward to getting back to being a contributing member of the forum and learning all the ins and outs of the new format. What little I've seen so far it is great.

Pamela Lee
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roc2rol
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Location: Dutch's Ditch, AZ

Re: Here I am!

Post by roc2rol »

Welcome Back to DUSA

I’m not the official greeter
but like to point out the
Rock Hounding & Lapidary
as a new feature.
And if you get half a notion
take picture of a rock and post it.
We like that &
Eventually that idea will catch on :roll:
Enjoy
Ed
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Space Cowboy
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Re: Here I am!

Post by Space Cowboy »

Pam,

You have to tell us about this little community you've moved to. We own some land outside of Wikieup, and some land over at Woodward, so if you're anywhere near those, I'd be intrigued to hear about your insights and adventures. Actually, I'd be interested in anything you might want to share.

Space Cowboy
Pamela Lee
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Re: Here I am!

Post by Pamela Lee »

Hi Space Cowboy...first I need an answer about something. Was it you that years ago posted a tale about exploring the old highway out around Inkopah grade? Wife was pregnant w twins - and was not very amused?
I think of that story every time I drive Inkopah and laugh like a loon. If it wasn't you, I apologize, but whoever it was the story has lived in my heart. But I need a refresher on the details.

Several years before I planned to retire the Mr and I started looking for a place where we could settle down. We really liked NM and spent some time over there looking at different places and pretty much settled on Deming. We could afford it, the community seemed to be growing, but the Mr found several things about the politics of NM that he didn't like and we pretty much defaulted to AZ. Friends from La Mesa CA had moved over here and they really liked it.

So I started looking here in AZ. Started as close to our friends as we could afford but just couldn't find anything that met our list of needs and wants. Nothing S of 8, nothing up N due to the cold months. Researched crime rates, COL, everything I could think to research.

Of course if the Mr had his way we'd be living right next door to Sheriff Joe of Maricopa County - but I was pretty sure we couldn't afford that. We wanted at least semi rural, but not real far from a big city. We made several trips over here looking around and the first town on our list got black checked when I found out how much the town relied on prisons for it's economic base. Yes, I know...the inmates are locked up. But when their families move to the town it really puts a strain on the economics of the town. Do you have any idea how many prisons are in Florence AZ? There is a prison right across the barbwire topped chainlink fence at the Sonic Drive In. I reckon so if anyone goes over the fence they can stop for a cherry limeade on their way to the highway.

I'd found a house that looked like it would fit our needs (no stairs for these old bones) and our wants (No HOA, room for the 5th wheel) but by time I could get in touch w a realtor it was in escrow. It was in a small town that we'd driven around in and thought we'd enjoy living in.

I wore out several realtors who just didn't have the patience needed to work with me but then I found just exactly someone who fit my high maintenance home search.

One day at work she emailed me pictures of a house and said "how about this one?" It was the house we'd try to buy - which was now in foreclosure! W/i an hour she emailed me the offer, I signed where I needed to, offered a bit above asking (Kim said there were 3 offers on it, and she'd heard 2 were at asking price.) and said the magic word - Cash.

Fanny Mae basically handed us the keys.

So here we are in our 4brm, 3 bath, great room, formal dining room, RV gate (the Mr put in a concrete parking pad) house. Original part of the house was built in 1948, same year I was born, and still has original plaster walls. Not a straight line in this house, but friends, it has character.

In the older part of town where the words "irrigation system" doesn't mean "Oh how nice there are already sprinklers put in." as was my belief. I have since come to learn about flood irrigation and irrigation valves and the Irrigation district and why my yard is below street level and surrounded by a earthen berm.

And that is the short version of how we wound up in Coolidge AZ in a 3K sq ft house on almost 1/2A corner lot for less than $80K. Not saying we haven't put a lot into fixing it up, but it has good bones and we paid out of pocket for independent house inspection before final papers were signed.

We are an hr S of Phoenix, an hr N of Tucson and about 25 min from Casa Grande. The Casa Grande Ruins Nat'l Mon is just down the street from us. Heck everything here is just down the street from us.

Thanks for welcoming me back - I've missed being here.

TTFN--P.
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roc2rol
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Re: Here I am!

Post by roc2rol »

If you need cabinet work
my brother a master cabinet maker
just the guy to get advice from

and if you have a need for high quality wood cutting tools
(say for a 10" blade for a tables saw or such... )

Cherokee Saw & Tool in Coolidge
are the best-- the guys are masters
bar none
look them up

roc
Pamela Lee
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Re: Here I am!

Post by Pamela Lee »

I've actually seen the Cherokee Tool Bldg! Once I figure out how to post a picture I'll be sure and post some of our rocks.
We were members of BRAG (Borrego Rock and Gem) for several years before moving over here. Haven't stopped working on the house long enough to try to find a group here.
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roc2rol
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Re: Here I am!

Post by roc2rol »

your right smack dab in the middle
of some great rock hounding areas
with Tucson so close
you’ll become regular at the Annual Rock & Gem shows

Not sure if Coolidge/Florence have a lapidary club
but I can highly recommend Apache Junction Rock club
http://www.ajrockclub.com/
great folks
Although during summer everyone is pretty well shut down
Pamela Lee
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Re: Here I am!

Post by Pamela Lee »

One of the reason the Mr was so enamored of Deming NM was the Rockhound State Park there where collecting is allowed. We'll probably take our 5th wheel over there this fall for some camping and collecting. As his health has continued to be affected by his diabetes he can't hike and walk like we used to do, and I miss it. Although since falling and cracking my hip 2 yrs ago I can't do what I used to do in the hiking dept either.
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roc2rol
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Re: Here I am!

Post by roc2rol »

There is an area called
Fourth of July Buttes
(you may have heard of it)
its off of I-10 on I -85
real easy to drive
nice maintained dirt road
truck recommended though

http://www.desertusa.com/mb3/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2671

anyway the collection area
is real easy walking- desert beautiful scenery
fabulous banded white agates & mosses
its pretty well known area
and is heavily picked over
but with monsoon rains
incredible new rocks crop up
are ready for the pickings
fall time activity

as you can tell I got rocks in my head :lol:
and this is slow the season Ha Ha
WICKENBURG WILL
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Re: Here I am!

Post by WICKENBURG WILL »

Howdy folks. I just got back online today. See some of the old crowd is still here.
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