Tombstone Photos

Tombstone, Arizona may be known as the wildest of the Wild West, but today it is a fun place to visit.

I first visited Tombstone in the late 1980s and had a great time there. That is why I, without hesitation, immediately jumped in an paid for the clampout when the Lost Dutchman Chapter's website opened to registration a few months ago.

Tombstone didn't disappoint this year. It may be more touristy these days, but much can be learned there as well having a great meal, enjoying adult beverages at several saloons and shopping.

I took a stagecoach tour of the town and one thing I learned was that the courthouse has gallows on the premises. So those convicted didn't have to go very far to get hanged. Another tidbit: several shootings took place inside the Bird Cage Theater.

Below are some photos of Tombstone that I took over the weekend (photos 5 and 6 are inside of Big Nose Kate's Saloon):

A Pleasant Veterans Day

Above, the U.S. and Gadsden flags were up today. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Veterans Day today was rather relaxing and educational.

Before heading for our usual coffee gathering at Denny's in the Flying J, I put the flagpole and flags outside in honor of our veterans.

Then, after that, I headed down to the Flying J. We were there a while longer than usual as the five of us were discussing some interesting topics that included hunting, deer attacks, rabbits, antique barbed wire, cattle in Six Mile Canyon and other parts of Cibola National Forest, weather, horses, cattle branding, rustling, and land boundaries and surveying. Being a "city-slicker", there was much that I learned today. I found it all fascinating.

Above, yes, those are golf balls serving as 4-wheel drive shift knobs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During the topic of rustling, I mentioned some history of the western San Fernando Valley. I told the group of the hanging tree in Calabasas and the story of Sadring Ave.*, which was once the route that condemned criminals were taken to be hanged. The hanging tree existed until 1995.

After coffee, I headed home and relaxed for a while and listened to Rush Limbaugh (he was actually working today).

Before the show was over, I decided to head down to the Flying J in the Jeep to top off the gas tank. I put gas in yesterday, but didn't fill it up as the credit card slots on the gas pumps weren't working right. So I just put in four gallons. Regardless, it is great that I no longer have to put up with the ridiculous gasoline prices in California (around $4.00/gallon) and just paid $2.509 with my Good Sam discount.

Above, fueling up at the Flying J. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Then, I drove around in the Jeep for a bit. I went over by the entrance gate and corral at Six Mile Canyon. While driving, I studied the antique barbed wire fencing along the way. Whomever has the land adjacent to Cibola National Forest for cattle grazing, they need to do some fence mending as part of the fencing was down.

Speaking of fencing and cattle, some years back, someone stole long sections of barbed wire fencing along Six Mile Canyon Road and cattle ended up invading out community. This was told during our morning coffee gathering. No wonder there are cattle guards at the entrance (from I-40) to our community and at the I-40 on/off ramps.

All in all, an enjoyable day.

*As told to me by an XSNGH of E Clampus Vitus.

Iran's "Old Ygor" Survives Hanging

Above, a publicity still of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff from "Son of Frankenstein."

Sometimes life imitates art.

The Washington Times reported:

A death row prisoner in Iran is to be hanged for a second time once he regains strength after he survived an earlier attempt. 

Alireza M, 37, was “put to death” at Bojnourd prison last Wednesday for drugs, but when his family went to collect his body at the morgue the next day, they noticed he was still breathing, the Daily Mail reported.

This reminds me of the Ygor character played by Bela Lugosi in Son of Frankenstein (1939) and reprised in Ghost of Frankenstein (1942). Ygor was a blacksmith in the village of Frankenstein who was hanged for grave-robbing ("Because I stole bodies, dey said," said Ygor in Son of Frankenstein). Ygor survived the hanging, but with a broken and deformed neck and was refused a burial. His "lifeless" body was thrown into the ruins of Henry Frankenstein's laboratory instead.

The Iranian in question may not be so lucky.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/16/iranian-prisoner-will-be-hanged-again-after-he-sur/#ixzz2hupgTuTH
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