Martin: A few days of this so far.
Clear blue skies + friends + mountain biking = perfect morning!
Larry with a big smile!
Me with a big smile.
Bob & I with big smiles.
Bob NOT smiling. :-(
Near the end of our ride Bob crashed and hit the ground and a big rock...hard. He's ok but a little sore after cleaning up his wounds.
This afternoon mom, Bob and I toured the "Mystery Castle".
It's a strange castle (built from 1930 to 1945) by a man for his daughter (who he hadn't seen since she was 3 years old). After his death the daughter and her mother learned of this castle he had built, moved from Seattle to see it and decided to live there. The daughter resided in the castle for 65 years until her death.
Rocks, dead saguaro spines, old car parts, glass, metal, railroad scraps and more all mortared together to create this place. A bit more of the story is that this father and husband from Seattle had been diagnosed with Tuberculosis, kept it a secret from his family and fled to Arizona (never to see them again). He was told he had six months to live but instead lived 15 years. It was during these years he built this home for his daughter (but never told her or his wife where he was). Odd!
Here's the kitchen.
Here's the view from the kitchen. The view was fantastic, the house was interesting but as mom put it..."not very cozy".
Until Mary Lou died in 2009, she gave tours of the home (her source of income). Now the home is privately owned and operated as a tourist attraction.
No electricity, 13 fireplaces, a bar, a chapel, a playhouse, many patios/balconies & a pool that was under construction when the man died. All on 40 acres in South Mountain. The house is filled with interesting things including Mary Lou's cat that still lives in the home.
You had a very interesting day....hope Bob is OK....I agree with your mother...the castle didn't seem to be cozy...interesting that the cat still lives there.
ReplyDeleteMartin - The sky doesn't look good.