BEET HARVEST & OTHER HAPPENINGS

HALLOWEEN IN SONOITA

We celebrated Halloween in a little western town south of Tucson called Sonoita, with lunch at the famous Steak Out Restaurant(see photos), right next to the Sonoita Mercantile. People come from far and wide to dine here. Some of the area residents are pictured as they were having lunch next to us. We had a delicious meal of the famous Sonoita steak and baked potatoes, with lots of fresh salad!

The place actually reminds me of Cartwright many long years ago, when there was still an active mercantile and bar on main street. Even the people looked somewhat the same! The difference is that Sonoita is about 50 miles from the nearest town and has been able to servive with some basic services and tourism. It is surrounded by large ranches, and some smaller ranchettes occupied by people who like the picturesqe countryside near some high mountains. Several wineries have sprung up nearby because the climate is good for growing grapes, at about 4500 feet elevation.

BEET HARVEST

Unfortunately, beet harvest is still proceeding slowly, with roughly 350 acres still to be dug. Because of all the rain the fields are muddy, causing the machinery to keep breaking down. It was beautiful there today Mavis and Dad said, so as soon as they get the digger repaired they can go back to their 24-hour days of lifting beets! They were up in the middle of the night last night moving machinery from a field south of the farm to the Berry farm over in the valley. Ordinarily, Will runs the digger at night and Luke in the daytime, each with a different crew of truck drivers.

Mavis said she had lots of dressed up visitors trick or treating last night, all cutely dressed up for the occasion. Some of them even came from north of Cartwright (the Paulsons).

Dad saw the doctor last week for his bladder cancer, and got a good report, thank goodness. Hope that keeps up. He had a bit of a crisis though--because his electric razor quit and he couldn't shave until Mavis took him to town for a new razor! She found him one day sound asleep in a chair at the counter where he eats his meals.

Dad and Mavis went to church in Cartwright this morning, where Dad said there was a nice crowd. He says the problem with the beet harvest is just a farmers plight! And, he says he is doing okay for an old man, and can't complain!

Cheers,

Bill and Marie