Category: Trella Diaries

Sunday March 16th
Before we had breakfast cleared away Uncle Allen started bringing out genealogy materials. Tuthill lines- how did he determine ours?? After lunch Donna, Mike and Tim 10 Kristi 6 arrived. Mike gave me a lesson in finance and how the 18.5% interest effects treasury notes- bond sales, etc. Sure wish I had it on tape- could sell it to a magazine. Not too encouraging for Kent Schuck’s situation. Helen over just after Mike’s left and we went to Alphie’s for dinner. This is the Sunday night schedule for Helen and Ruth and Allen. Ellen does it to give Ruth a relief from cooking.

Saturday March 15th
Wilda, Jackye and I left the ranch in Jackye’s new Cadillac at 6 just getting daylight. At California line 105 Mi at 8 breakfast at Blythe & by 10:00 at my 180 could see Mt. Jacinto and Bear Mountain snow covered. At 10:14 off I-10 on Route 111 to Indio. Stopped at Neel’s Nursery in Palm Springs. Beautiful layout and I couldn’t resist a 12-inch clay pot at $3.50 for Aunt Ruth. Got marigolds to put in it. Got Kalenchoes & Violet’s for Jackye and Wilda and two small clay pots for me. At Hadley’s at 12:00- Mile 240 and used my $100 bill from News Life to buy dates, nuts, mints, trail mix- two big bags of stuff! Wind strong through the pass before Hadleys and sand blowing. Mts. gloriously green. Jackye negotiated freeways easily and at Mile 307 turned on 17th Street in Santa Ana. Arrived Uncle Allen’s at 2:20-1:20 their time. He showed Jackye & Wilda music boxes and player piano and took them to shop with his Edison machines, collection of sheet music, morning glory horns, etc. They left about 4:15 after Aunt Ruth’s snack. Helen came before they left and stayed for supper. We talked and talked before bed about 10.

Friday March 14th High 78 low 52
Got to Wilda’s too late for breakfast with them so took orange juice to Jackyes. We had a list of things to get done today and did them. To Los Caballeros Ranch to make reservations for noon buffet and then headed for the Box on the scenic loop. Passed area that had burned. Saw a group of javelinas on a grassy spot on a mountain slope. The Box is a canyon on the Hassayampa River. Walls 500 feet high. Water perfect for thrilling canoeing. Lunch was exciting among the very rich. People lounging by pool playing backgammon. The buffet had guacamole, mushrooms, bean sprouts and soy sauce, chicken salad, ham, turkey, roast beef, Cod, macaroni and cheese, cottage cheese, and a 10 ft table of desserts we didn’t even touch except for a torte carrot cake and brownies. I counted 50 dishes and may have been more. $6 each! Typed for two hours and then went to Wilda’s. Kent came in from Wyoming really down. 14 houses up there not sold. Bank calling in his loans as prime rate went to 18.5% and his acct lost his plane ticket and had to buy another. Wilda, Bill and I went to the Bar H for supper and I had another chimichanga even better than the first.

Thursday March 13th
Jackye took me to Roz Stroupes Real Estate Office to see if any good buys available in land. Had four and a half acres at $42,500- city water and sewer. On top of two knobs one block from Main Street Route 60. Sub-divide and sell each of three lots 15,000 to $17,000. Other Lots selling for same already developed so I didn’t think much of deal. Jackye took me to Kent’s condo a duplex it sells for $84,000 and they have 2 not sold. Gorgeous view and nice layout. Stopped at gallery & Jackye bought “Shoefly” Shute artist autographed his picture in this month’s Arizona Highways. Jackye has his first oil hanging in her living room.

Wednesday March 12th
Slept till 8:30- bath- washed hair and breakfast at Wilda’s at 9:30. Jackye over and suggested another try to Castle Hot Springs. Put clothes in Wilda’s washer, loaded up my camera and binoculars and off we went to Morristown. Up route 74 to Castle Hot Springs Road. Stop for pics of Saguaros. Beautiful spot. Birds. Weathered wood. Green grass. Jackye says remember you’re seeing it at its very best. Road narrowed as we got into mountains. Crossed washes running with water. Clouds and blue sky. Picacho Peak square against the sky. At the place we were blocked by too much water in ‘78 with Don there was only a trickle, but the road followed the stream bed for 3/4 mile- very rugged. Roads to ranches branch off and the children living there go to Champe School. 10 children in the 8th grade in one room one teacher. Stopped at “Intersection” and Champie & Castle Hot Springs Roads at Castle Creek and picnicked at the edge of water which rolled by with good velocity. The buildings at Castle Hot Springs being used by Arizona University students and are off limits. The grounds have palm trees, putting greens and blooming African daisies. Rode on to Black Canyon Road is closed. Back to intersection and up to Champie School. When we came back to Castle Creek an Indian in a sawed-off Valiant was stuck in the water. Jackie pushed him out with four-wheel drive. Trip of 75 miles took six hours.

Tuesday March 11th
[ no entry]

Monday March 10th
Jackye and I spent the day in the Suburban on the mountain roads out of Wickenburg on Constellation Road.

Sunday March 9th
Jackye had pancakes, bacon and fresh orange juice with oranges and tangerines that Bill and Bob picked. The girls put on their leotards and entertained us with gymnastics on their front lawn. Bob, Dave and I walked out looking for “Little Grand Canyon” & joined Kathi at the Saguaro for pictures. They hated to leave “Camelot”- Kathi said she felt like she was visiting the Ewings of “Dallas” TV family. After they got to Walt’s about 3:30 Kathi called saying her film hadn’t been winding so she had no pictures.
Jackye, Ramie and friend Frask and I went to the “Little Grand Canyon” to see coyotes den. Missed it AM by only 100 feet. To bed early.
Went to the calf roping on Constellation Drive. A team tries to rope a calf over the head and by the two hind legs- draw the rope tight and face each other in 30 seconds. Not many could but Jackye says the rodeo riders start in contests like these. Kermit was helping herd the calves.

Saturday March 8th
Breakfast with Wilda and then walked down to the highway. About a mile. Waiting at Bill who was fishing. Kathi said they would arrive from at 10:30 but they arrived 11:30- 10:30 their time. So good to see them and the kids were so well behaved. Enjoy the trampoline, the pigs and a hike back of the horse corrals. Bob was beside himself discovering things. Jackye fixed quarter-pound hamburgers, salad, potato salad and baked beans for dinner served in her kitchen. Showed slides at Wilda’s of trip to Reno last fall. Kathi and Bob slept in the California king size bed in the bunkhouse and Kristi & I on the sofa bed and Dave on the floor. The twins Ray, Gill and Keith left early for Blythe where the boys rode in a rodeo, but Bobby was around and took Kristi in town for ice cream.
Just before dusk went up to Alamo Road and gathered cholla.

Friday March 7th 52 minutes to Chicago 23000 ft temperature 25° on 707 3 hours and 15 minutes to Phoenix from Chicago 35,000 ft
Never sleep well when I have to wake up to an alarm. Up at 4:45 breakfast with Howard and told him of the thrilling performance of Nikolai Massenkof last night. At the shop at 6:05 and realized I didn’t know where the keys to my bags were! Called Howard but he didn’t find it. I drove Kenny’s car to airport and we are airborne at 8:12 on a 8:05 flight TWA 237. The airport is a mess. Hazy. Kenny said news report that Jack Keggan was killed last night. Auto accident. Poor John and Marge. Flying in over Lake Michigan ice floes look like clouds on the lake. Frieghter plowing through them. Boarding 747 at 8:35 local time for 8:55 flight. There can’t be this many people going to Phoenix. 36 rows 9 seats across 351 seats! I’m at the back edge of the wing again. No one in center section of five seats!
9:08 Chicago time airborn after miles of taxiing, grunts, groans and grinds. Immediately into foggy clouds
10:08 cloud cover gone flat lands- farms immediately give way to desert. Is it the Platte River snaking across to the West? The clouds stopped abruptly the line marked by a few little puffs
12:04 Bill & WIlda met me and we stopped at Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant for Chimichangas. Jackye waiting for us at ranch. Didn’t have keys for my bags so boys, J&W came to my cabin to open them with paper clips.