Memorial Day 2018, the Battle of San Pasqual

May 28, 2018

As many Arizonans travel to San Diego for the Memorial Day weekend, I’m reminded of the trek of US Army General Stephen Watts Kearny. General Kearny departed for San Diego from New Mexico in November of 1846, passing through the “Copper Basin” area of Arizona along the Gila River Trail, wherein now lies his namesake […]

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Rabbit Hole: Woman in Levi’s

May 13, 2018

On yet another trip down the rabbit hole yesterday, I encountered a lady who my friends in education would enjoy: Eulalia Bourne, 1895-1984, Arizona pioneer teacher. Other sources can better tell her story. But the highlights include working her way through the University of Arizona and graduating summa cum laude, in spite of apparently having […]

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A Thin Thread of Blue-Green Waters

May 10, 2018

Before western “civilization” industrialized the transportation of water to our normally-arid region, indigenous peoples in these dry lands lived where nature chose to hydrate the landscape. In one very special case, the terrain was shaped by ocean sedimentation, upheaval, and erosion to form an almost inaccessible canyon-channel with sufficient elevation change to form magical waterfalls […]

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The Pants Tree

April 19, 2018

While going down an unrelated rabbit hole, I stumbled upon a post at The History Tourist that included an entertaining image and story of life in the Arizona Territory, reproduced from a display at the Arizona State Capitol. The display reads, PANTS TREE One Phoenix City Ordinance declared it a misdemeanor for a Native American […]

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Quote of the Day: Smart, stupid

January 23, 2018

“We will never invent a computer that is as smart as people are stupid.” James Nicholson, 1921-2006, nuclear engineer and British car aficionado.

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Scottsdale’s newest Master Pilots

November 18, 2017

Three members of the Scottsdale “Thunderbird Field” Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association  were dubbed “Master Pilots” this week by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) Safety Team. Bernie Gross, Stew Bloemer, and Arv Schultz received their awards from FAAST members Ernie Copeland and Tina Buskirk who work at the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) […]

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Knights of the Round Engine Table

November 10, 2017

I have been privileged over the last couple of years to have coffee and breakfast several times with the “Knights of the Round Engine Table.” They meet in the Silver Wings Bar at the Best Western Thunderbird Suites, across from the construction where Scottsdale Airport Terminal used to be. The Knights’ moniker derives from the glass-topped […]

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The Easter Lily Cactus

October 18, 2017

Went out for an early morning bike ride, and took this shot of one of my favorite views: the little camelhead on the hill overlooking Tempe Town Lake, with Four Peaks in the background. When I got home, I was greeted with three blooms on the “Easter Lily” (echinopsis oxygona) cactus on the front patio. […]

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Quote of the Day: Thinking you know

September 24, 2017

“I neither know nor think that I know.” Socrates, 469-399 BC, Greek Athenian philosopher and ethicist who helped establish Western Philosophy; founder of the Socratic method of asking questions of the students. (Via Jeremy Olshan at Market Watch)

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An Eclipse of Two Stars

August 23, 2017

It is my custom to geographically limit the topics for ScottsdaleTrails to within a day’s drive. However, I occasionally make exception…in this case because the trip began and ended in Scottsdale. And it’s technically a day’s drive, even though it’s a long one.   By astronomical and cartographic coincidence, I was driving southward early Monday […]

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