Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Southwest Campfire Gathering Late July

Well the genealogy thread got me looking back again, this thread needs bumping so here you go, it's only relevant as it's the area we are going to.

I misremembered a bit, in 1942 when dad was 11, they lost the rented farms in Pima and Ashurst during the depression, they were leased land, my grandmother say's my greatgrandfather was bad with money and my grandfather tried to save both farms with his one and they lost both. They moved to Globe and granddad worked in the mines for a few years before trying the mexico gig. Also they had finally gotten electricity in the Adobe house in Pima, but it was a few lines to bulbs in each room for light. There was a big hay barn and the women washed cloths in a tub, they bucketed water indoors from a storage tank, wood stove for cooking, ice box, in the summer the boys slept out on the screen porch and the girls got the bedrooms.

Reread my uncle's memoirs.

The old adobe Pima house, was still standing in 2013, everything else was gone.



Granddad with my aunt and uncle before my dad was born, horse drawn combine, about 1929.

Them Powells may be nice, upright and hard working folks, but this has been a fuzzy looking bunch.

Criminals... can't have anyone finger'n ya to the coppers...

Kent

Kent, thanks for the old pictures. I plan on being there, and might be having a couple more with me. Time will tell. miles

Good to know this, Miles, and those you have brought along in the past have been very good guys that just added to the enjoyment. Always welcome.

Sorry - I can't post any old photos of family - they all were so ugly that the camera broke the first time they tried to use it.

My Great Grandfathers house burned sometime in the past and the two story house that was built to replace it, where my Grandfather also lived after my Great Grandfather died, burned when I was 3 months old, so all of the really old pictures were lost. miles

Looks like there was a little rain, more to the east and west, but at least a couple 10ths. We need it bad.

Kent

Some clouds boiled up down this way - mid to late afternoon it looked ready to rain - but only some very light sprinkles for a few seconds at a time. There may have been some rain at higher elevation east of here in that part of the Coronado. It's time - way dry.

Now it shows 1.5 inches of rain on the mountain.

Kent

Thanks for the cite, bud.

Now shows 2.35 inches. A good start.

Well, after all this time avoiding covid, we've got it. 12 days ago Cheryl became sick with fever and bad stuff for 3 days. I didn't credit it to covid, she has had a reoccurring boil or cyst on her back come back after years of being gone. Then she was at my daughter's watching the grandkids during the week as my daughter had seminars the State was paying her to speak at. She slipped on the stairs and hurt her back and knee. A day later she was down with a fever. I figured it was an infection from the boil or the fall. She slept for 3 days and couldn't eat, I didn't give credit to covid as there was no lung issues. Fever, bad body aches, chills, sweats, tiredness, couldn't eat. Just made sense she had an infection. Amoxicillin, nyquil, tylenol, ivermectin, she started recovering after 3 days. She thinks she must have gotten it at Target, taking the grandkids shopping.

We were the last in all my family to get it, even my 91 year old dad got it a month ago, it was not good but he's fairly recovered as best can be hoped.

I'm on day 4 and finally got some half way restful sleep last night, I credit ivermectin to having very little lung issues. Other wise I can't eat, fever dreams, body aches, eyes, fingers, teeth, wiped out energy wise.

I had really tried to have Cheryl not get it, when she was 4 they lived in Chicago, she was always sick with asthma, she had 4 older siblings that had to take turns on a hand pump to keep her alive, and they admit to times of wishing she was dead. She went into a coma, after a couple weeks she said she died, she was floating out of her body, a beautiful white light came and pushed her back in, it said something but she was 4. The doctor said she would die in Chicago so they moved back to arizona.

She pulled through fine from covid.

Life is just one disaster after another it seems, my grandmother said it was a bunch of crap with a little happiness every once in awhile. She was right. We have been going through a rough time as my daughter was forced to divorce her husband, he was constantly cheating on her, 11 times he admitted, claimed it was from drinking but wouldn't quit or agree to counseling. Worst thing is the depression my daughter is still in and how it changed the grandkids, they built this shell around themselves, wouldn't let anyone else in. You could be talking to them and they are holding each other not listening, in some strange silent communication. I've been chipping at the shell and knocked some of it off, have a long ways to go yet.

My troubles aren't as bad as some I'm sure and worse than others, we aren't looking for sympathy we've been through much worse losses, we just shrug off this chit and start back up on the important stuff.

I'm just laying here sick and venting, my sister who heals with prayer is doing her best right now, she is a marvel.

Good thing is I should be well recovered by the time of the event and will see you all then.

Kent

Dang, Kent. I hope things get better soon...and especially for those kids. Take good care of yourself.

Kent - sorry that Cheryl and you are having to deal with the misery of Covid effects and that your lovely daughter and the kids are going through what, to me, seems like a marital/family tragedy. In knowing about her very successful career as a educator, the lovely growth and development of the kids (and cool photos), and their sojourn with you and Cheryl while waiting to occupy their new home - it seemed that all was going so very well.

It's good to know that you are both getting past the crud and will be in good shape for the gathering in July, but no doubt the situation with your daughter and the children will be heavy on your minds and hearts - at least until their lives stabilize and the youngsters can again be the grand kids you have enjoyed so much.

Please let Maddy and me know if there is anything we can do to be of help.

Kent, my friend, Prayers offered up for you and your family. miles

Kent, get well soon. you are tougher than that virus.

As for us, it is clear that we cannot make it. My work injury had not been successfully resolved and I ran out of money. I apologize for the late response but I was hoping for a better outcome.

I'm over the worse.

Anyway I can set up a camp early for those that want it, there is plenty of dispersed camping sites close to Paul's, and just a quick move on the day Paul's opens.

Kent

Kent - glad you are feeling better. Hope that Cheryl is too.

To all - as for arriving early, I am working on having our group site reserved from Wednesday through Sunday. If this works out (I'm almost certain that it will - "charm", you know) I will plan to get to the site by Wed noon or before and, of course, any of our participants are welcome by then as well. I will know about this soon.

There are quite a few other campgrounds up there for individuals by reservation - but most are small (built over 50 years ago) - and they are very popular in summer - hard to book. As Kent noted, there is supposed to be "dispersed camping" in some areas, but I did not notice any of that when we went up to do the search for a camp and the folks in the Ranger District office have not been encouraging about such camping.

The good things about this site I have grabbed is that it is a beautiful spot (tall pines/pond) - not worn out by every weekend campers - distance from other camps and privacy for our gang, room to spread out, space to shoot (very difficult to find that up in those campgrounds), etc.

The challenges are that we will probably need to get a porta potty in there (more on that later) and need to bring our water and/or go to a nearby campground to refill. Other than that, we will need the usual tables, pop ups, cooking gear, big tarp to hang, etc. This group does all of that very well and I am working on the list.