Visiting Willcox, Arizona + a few updates

This week we’ll visit the tiny desert town of Willcox, Arizona, and I’ll share a few updates since I haven’t done a Weekend Coffee Share (hosted by Natalie the Explorer) post in a couple of weeks. So come on in, grab a drink, put your feet up on the coffee table, and let’s chat. [Update: there’s no Weekend Coffee Share this week. Oh, well–enjoy the visit to Willcox anyway.]

Weekly weather whining

I whine so much about weather on here, I’ve decided to make it an official feature, at least during the inferno months. I’m happy to report our summer temperatures have been a little more bearable the last few days, and for the next few days we’re supposed to enjoy what passes for a cooling trend in these parts.

The high is supposed to go back up to 107F by Tuesday, but I’m going to enjoy the break while I can.

Willcox

Willcox started as a railroad town and a cow town and was also the birthplace of Western star Rex Allen. Now it’s part of Arizona’s emerging wine country, but none of that is why we went there. We went there because it’s the nearest town to Chiricahua National Monument–and because it’s about 2000 feet higher than Tucson so a little bit less miserably hot (and it was 113F in Tucson last weekend).

Downtown Willcox feels like a midcentury time capsule.

Miniature trains in Willcox

They had miniature trains on display, decorated by local groups.

I Googled them after I got home. Turns out there are 12 of them, and they’re part of an Art and Heritage Trail. More information about the project is available in the Arizona Range News. I wish I’d found all of them.

More public art in Willcox

How many kidlit characters can you identify?

Planters made from old tires:

I *love* the rattlesnake!

Historic Railroad Park

Rex Allen Memorial

Across from the Rex Allen Museum in Historic Railroad Park, you’ll find this statue of ol’ Rex and the accompanying plaque:

The sun was too bright to allow a good pic of the plaque, but here’s the first sentence:

“Born December 31, 1920 to Horace and Faye Allen in Willcox, Rex Elvie Allen was cross-eyed at birth.”

Kinda glad I didn’t grow up in Willcox. If I had–and if I ever become a famous author–they’d probably kick off my memorial plaque by mentioning I’m knock-kneed. Sheesh, people, be kinder to your local legends!

Weird Willcox

In my experience, every small town offers some feature that makes you mutter, “WTF.” Willcox has a few, starting with memorializing their favorite son as cross-eyed.

But it gets even weirder.

Exhibit A: This tile on the Willcox version of a Walk of Fame. Most of the tiles included handprints or short messages, but the ordinary is not good enough for Marshal Bo.

That is possibly the most Arizona thing I’ve ever seen.

Wait, no, the most Arizona thing I’ve ever seen would be the string of shotgun shell Christmas lights we found at a Flagstaff Wal-Mart a few years ago. But Marshall Bo’s tile is a close second.

And finally, I’ll end my travelogue with the best thing I saw in Willcox:

Unfortunately the antique shop in question wasn’t open, so I couldn’t interview the absolute marketing genius who created this display. Whoever it is deserves to be famous. This. Is. Wonderful.

There’s more info about (and pictures of) Willcox in this post on the Just West of My Heart blog.

A few updates

I’ve been busy with a few other things besides taking pictures of weird stuff in Willcox:

• I co-hosted the Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop in August. I wrote about finding balance as an author. Post is here.
• I finished a new short story called “The Fourth Man” and submitted it to the Arizona Mystery Writers annual contest.
• I laid under my ceiling fan, clicked my bare heels together, and chanted, “There’s no time like October.” It didn’t work; it’s still summer.

The Memery

My regular readers are already aware of this fact.

I want to be friends with whoever has that purple marker.

Or, “May cause bursts of creativity.” Or, “May cause increased energy.”

C’mon, throw me a bone here.

And finally:

That’s it for me this week. Tune in next week for a visit to Chiricahua National Monument, complete with pictures of coatimundi. Baby coatimundi. Total cuteness overload.

What’s happening in your corner of the world?