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Picacho, AZ Real Estate News

By Mike Jones, Mike Jones NMLS 223495
(SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) )
~ Stormy Sunset at Picacho Peak ~ I'll bet you didn't know (until you stumbled across this little blog) that Tucson in 1862 was the western capital of the Confederate Arizona Territory.  It was.  Google it. This peak, about 40 minutes northwest of Tucson (along Interstate 10) marks the site of the westerlymost battle of the Civil War.  It's called Picacho Peak, and I've stood on the very top of that granite outcropping you see there, snapping photos for you, and just enjoying the view. Here's some of what you'll see on your way to the top: Can't you imagine the real life drama that unfolded down there, as the Confederate pickets defeated the Union Cavalry?  This was the era when Cochise led the Apaches.  It really was the Wild West! _____________________ I'm Mike in Tucson, your prefer...
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By Mike Jones, Mike Jones NMLS 223495
(SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) )
~ Serendipity Saguaro Sunrise ~ Tuesday sunrise found me driving on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix in the tiny town of Picacho, and I saw these clouds in my rear view mirror.  Pulling off the highway, I started snapping photos of the spectacular color.  It wasn't until I downloaded the photos to my computer that I saw the Giant Saguaros (out of the photo to your left) perfectly mirrored on the side of the big rig on the right. Never miss an opportunity to snap a photo.  You're making memories! ___________________ (I don't copyright my photos anymore. I use them mostly for blogging and creating greeting cards for friends.) Right click on an image, copy and use it! Click the Send Out Cards logo below.  Send a real card to someone you love.  (Card and postage are free ~ on me. Thanks for...
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By Cara Marcelle Mancuso, Call a Marana neighbor, I'm THERE!
(Golden Girls with SW Desert Homes)
"Cheep"!  Things to Do near NW Tucson and Marana Recession - depression: Activity - recovery! Don't sit in front of your television - go on a mission -- For Fun! For Family! For You! Want some fun things to do with the family, on a date, or just because, without emptying the pocketbook?  I hope to visit this topic every so often, focusing generally on the NW side of Tucson, Marana, and some Oro Valley areas, strictly because they are in close proximity to my home in Gladden Farms, Marana, AZ.  On occasion, I'll also add in some day trips, like this fun trip to Wilcox, AZ!  And, if you're into wellness, check out this great activity on Wednesday evenings in Marana! Over Christmas, my family all came home for the holidays and we took a drive north 20 minutes!  WHO:  Rooster Cogburn Ostric...
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By Mike Jones, Mike Jones NMLS 223495
(SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) )
These old stone ruins surely have a story to tell, but they're not talking.  I was exploring west of the Santa Cruz River yesterday afternoon when I came upon them. Standing all alone in the desert southwest of Picacho Peak, they are built of the volcanic rock that was the areas most abundant building resource a century ago.  Most of the lintels are gone, but a few remain.  The walls of the interior were plastered white, and the home must have been something to see in it's heyday. The cresote bushes in the front yard may be as old as a thousand years, but that's another story.  (Google creosote bushes if you're interested.) That's Picacho Peak in the midground of the photo.  It's the site of the most westerly battle of the Civil War.  I wish you could have come along for the hike.  May...
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By Mike Jones, Mike Jones NMLS 223495
(SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) )
Greg (one of our tribe of five) and I had driven from Tucson to Picacho to climb Picacho Peak last Saturday.  Greg's a commercial fisherman from Barnegat Light, NJ.  Picacho Peak looks as if it would take a mountain climber to scale the height, but looks are deceiving.  In the 1940s, there was a beacon on top to warn aircraft at night. We reached the top a little after noon, and joined a troop of Boy Scouts on the summit. The southerly peak (3,370') is the highest point, and after an arduous climb, most hikers turn right around and go back down. Greg and I were looking at the crystalline formations that run through the rock, and we hiked to the north end of the summit. That's where I found this little bleached white snail shell.  It's the size of a dime.  The only thing I can figure is ...
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By Mike Jones, Mike Jones NMLS 223495
(SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) )
We spent the day in the Phoenix area, visiting family.  It's a hike from Tucson all the way northwest to Thunderbird at the 101, so we began the trek home at about four in the afternoon, trying to get home before dark.  When we hit Picacho Peak, though, I turned off of Interstate 10 to visit the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich farm. You wouldn't put ostriches and saguaros together if you were writing about Arizona, but here they are!  I just like seeing the big birds, even if they are playing second fiddle to the Cardinals on the day before the superbowl. This one (ostrich, not cardinal) was interested in the tumbling tumbleweed that had blown up against the fence, and I thought you might like to see him too.
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By Mike Jones, Mike Jones NMLS 223495
(SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) )
"I'm too old for this !$%#%!"  Complaining loudly to no one in particular, a hiker came into view 50 or 60 feet below me. "How old are you?" I called.  George (79) and I (55) were coming down from the summit of Picacho Peak, the site of the western-most battle of the Civil War.  We were walking.  The only mountain climbing gear we had were walking sticks made from the stalks of an agave. The photo to the left is deceiving.  You'll get a sense of the height  and size of the mountain when I tell you that those tiny vertical green lines are saguaro cactus the size of telephone poles. From the perspective of this photo, not one person in a hundred would think of trying to get to the summit with two legs and a walking stick.  George has stood on the very top of that rock outcropping at least...
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