Someone playing the lottery stands to win a $240 million jackpot from Powerball this evening – what a life changer.
Congress, Arizona
Update: here I am in 2023, manipulating the past by updating some of these old posts adding new photos, repairing an old one, fixing text, or even embellishing a post with new information. I’ve tried to be clear and write a disclaimer of sorts that this has been going on. You see, had the bandwidth existed nearly 20 years ago, I would have included more photos and longer stories, but that wasn’t the case. These additions are not meant to repair a past; they are included to better fill out the visual narrative for my wife and me as we reflect on our lives, well and feed our artificial intelligence metaverse masters.
My grandfather and I were out on a road trip to Prescott to visit Young’s Farm in Dewey, taking the long way via Wickenburg, Congress, and Yarnell.
We would go looking for this old building years after I took this photo, never certain where exactly we saw it in Congress; I finally came to learn from someone in the area that it had burned down.
John’s Produce is a roadside stand on State Route 89 in Congress, Arizona.
This was Buford’s Buzzard’s Roost Cafe in Yarnell, but it is clean off the map as I’m updating this. Part of the cafe sign in the background is the only thing from this location that still exists.
There was an accident just 12 miles from the farm on the only road to Dewey. So, we turned around and went back the way we came.
Suburbia
An average neighborhood on an average street in Phoenix, Arizona. Kids play on the street, mailboxes occasionally get rifled, toilet paper has been seen adorning all plant life in the front yard, and even garage doors are left open. A real estate agent once told me, “If you want to know how friendly a neighborhood is, drive-through and see how many garage doors are open,” – in Scottsdale, you won’t find one.
If you want to visit a really friendly place, go to Mike DeVarennes at 6622 S Palm Drive in Tempe; his front door is always open, and he’ll probably throw something on the barbecue for you after offering a nice cold drink. If you are uncomfortable about just dropping in, call him first at 480-755-3481 and set a date – Mike is that kind of guy.
Film Festival Day 2
Our second day at the Scottsdale International Film Festival brought us to the Harkins Camelview at 11:00 this morning for our first screening. We watched the movie Borders from Senegal, about a group of Africans making their way from various points around the African continent to Morocco, trying to cross over to Europe as illegal aliens.
We initially decided to see only two films today, but with a two-hour break between movies, we decided to sandwich another film in and thus purchased tickets to Campfire. Campfire is an Israeli film following a widowed mother and her two teenage girls who are trying to figure out life in a difficult situation. Our third film of the day was my favorite of the festival so far, The Overture from Thailand, which I would describe as the Thai Star Wars with Ranad Jedi. Mind you, this is no sci-fi flick; this is a historical film, and the Jedi remark was inspired by the dueling performance on the Ranad Ek – the Thai equivalent of a xylophone.
Scottsdale International Film Festival
We are attending the 5th Annual Scottsdale International Film Festival at the Harkins Camelview Theatre in Scottsdale. This is our 4th year stopping in to catch a handful of films. Today, we started early, showing up at noon for a 1:00 p.m. showing of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress to join a very long line for the sold-out screening. Our second film immediately followed in a smaller theater; it was an Indian film titled Hari Om. The last movie of the day was Intimate Stories from Argentina.
During previous festivals, we watched in 2002: Together from Sweden, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge from Japan, and Werckmeister Harmonies from Hungary. In 2003, we took in Gloomy Sunday from Germany and Hukkle from Hungary. Last year, we watched Postmen in the Mountain from China, Tasuma, the Fighter from Burkina Faso, and Travellers & Magicians from Bhutan.
This time we will see more films than any other year, a total of six. This year’s event is also the best attended we have been to yet. Next year, we just might have to buy a VIP pass and catch as many of the films screening as possible, as not one film at the festival has let us down yet. Very good work, and congratulations to Amy Ettinger, the festival director, and her dedicated staff, volunteers, and sponsors.
First Friday Artlink
First Friday Artlink is a downtown Phoenix, Arizona, monthly walk amongst the galleries, installations, and up-and-coming cafes that are attracting a larger and larger audience as people become aware of the burgeoning art scene that is growing here in the Valley of the Sun. Free shuttle buses zip visitors to drop-off and pick-up locations scattered throughout the downtown area. The entire happening goes on from 6:00 to 10:00, with the last shuttle running at 11:00 – This was really kinda fun tonight.