Perspective

Early residents here didn't bother putting street numbers on their houses. Mail delivery was not available (we all rented boxes at the local post office). Street signs were rare and subject to prankster removal. Visitors were met in town. You knew your parcel number for county tax purposes, but house numbers were superfluous.

So it felt strange to attach a set of numbers to the pillar at the end of the lane that leads to my house. My realtors didn't ask me to do it, but I know it will make it easier for people who want to "drive by" and look at the house. That's Black Mountain behind the house (off to left.)


Shifting your view a bit to the right, this is the local library, privately owned and operated by volunteers. They are currently undergoing a major expansion which will triple their capacity with an emphasis on services to young people, including computer services. Memberships are optional, no one is turned away. The building below and to the right is a pleasant bed and breakfast, conveniently located for overflowing company. The small town of Cave Creek is just beyond and below the library. From my back door, you can walk or ride to restaurants, shopping, galleries, post office, library, fitness center, museum etc.

This is a view from house looking back toward the sign post. Before moving to Arizona nearly thirty-five years ago I thought pictures like this were found only in the pages of Az Highways. This shot was taken with an inexpensive digital camera. The clouds really looked like that and the prickly pear pads really are purple. Christmas cactus, fairy duster and brittle bush were blooming, although camera doesn't show the detail well. It rained shortly before this was taken, over an inch and so everything was celebrating and showing off a bit.

I don't really mind leaving the desert so long as I know that places like this may continue to exist. Finding the right buyer who values the land is a challenge; many newcomers scrape the land to make room for swim pools, tennis courts, horse facilities and other amenities that could be found anywhere. If they studied the land a while, they would see the natural beauty and be less willing to destroy it.