Scottsdale Trails

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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