Vintage Vacations...Oatman, AZ on Route 66!

Vintage Vacation...Oatman, Arizona!

Arizona's desert landscape...

My dad and his wife Geri love to spend the winters in Bullhead Arizona...along with everyone from "Beautiful British Columbia" and other cold states and provinces.  He knows of my love of mining towns and told me about Oatman, located in the hills outside Bullhead.  He never mentioned that it was at the end of a 14 mile dirt road...but that's another story.  He also never mentioned that we could also access this town on Route 66 out of Kingman...so we drove from Vegas to Laughlin and across the river to Bullhead.  Actually, it was more fun to take the scenic route...bumping along through the desert.

Roadside Memorial..."Thumper!"

Arizona seems to have more of these than any other state I've visited.

Shopping for Souvenirs...lol!

On our drives, George likes to collect large rocks for his flower beds.  He also purchased a large rusty water pump...from the "Mantiques" department of a local Oatman shop.

The first sign of "Danger!"

Rush Hour...

When we finally reached the junction with Route 66...mercifully paved...we got caught in noon rush hour traffic.  The town is full of burros...descendants of the miners' animals.  When the mines closed the animals were left to their own devices. The local burros are "wild"...but you wouldn't know it.  They all have names and are petted and fed by locals and tourists.  The town wouldn't exist without them.  Every store sells Burro Chow...some kind of hay cookies.  Several smaller burros had stickers on their foreheads...saying something like "I am a baby...do not feed me."

Welcoming Committee!

What happens if you open your window to take a picture...lol!



Oatman is proud of its connection to the "Mother Road."

Sign at the entrance to town tells of its mining history and the burros' place in that history.

They are protected by Federal law as "Living Symbols of the Old West."

My new friend took a bite out of my little brown bag containing vintage cookie cutters.

I didn't know that Burro Chow was sold in identical little brown bags

Random Oatman Architecture...

Inside the Oatman Hotel

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard slept here on their honeymoon.

They were married in Kingman.

The Oatman Hotel Restaurant...

The walls  and ceilings are completely covered with thousands of signed $1 bills!

Lunch! 

Yummiest patty melt and their special "Burros Ears" giant potato chips.

Seriously...some were about a foot long!

A little after-lunch exploration.

The sign says it all...he's mine!

George is losing a lot of weight...but still wears his "fat pants"...lol!

Random rusty artifacts.

On our way back to Vegas via 66 to Kingman.

One more cool sighting on the Mother Road.

In some ways, Oatman reminded me of Radiator Springs in the movie "Cars"...before the characters took renewed pride in their little town. 

Thank you for joining me

on this Vintage Vacation

PS...here are some vintage Route 66 graphics...enjoy!

Halloween Greetings!

Halloween Greetings from Zetta's Aprons!

Sweet Kitty Alice!

"Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty,

Little Ball of Fur..."

The Real Kitty Alice!

"Evil Kitty, Hissy Fitty

Lucy-fur!"

Happy Halloween!

You know there can never be too many pictures of cats on the interwebs...lol!

 

Happy Halloween!

I'm out the door...Vegas bound!

(That's where the truly scary things are...)

Lost Halloween Rituals...Romance!

Will I see my true love's face?

 

One of my favorite places to visit in the Las Vegas area is the Clark County Museum in Henderson.  Located on the old Boulder Highway, it's not too far from our condo.  The museum's curator, Mark Hall-Patton is often seen on the reality television show "Pawn Stars."  I love this museum...they have created a street of heritage houses...each from a different decade and featuring different aspects of Nevada and Las Vegas history.  I will do another post sometime on those houses.  Each is fully furnished for the time period and often by the original owner's possessions!  There is even a historic Vegas wedding chapel!  This morning I received their email newsletter and found an article called "Halloween Rituals to Find a Husband."  This was an aspect of Halloween I knew very little about.

 

Does it count if you stand in front of your true love's  picture?

 

The author asks "But what about the Halloween traditions and beliefs that today's trick-or-treaters have forgotten all about?"  A lot of traditions were focused on the future and the living...instead of the dead.  One of the reasons that "fortune telling" was so popular at parties.  Many of the rituals had to do with helping a young woman identify her future husband...giving her hope that someday...by next Halloween perhaps...she would be happily married.  For example, in 18th-century Ireland, a matchmaking cook might hide a ring in the mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping that whoever found it might also find true love.

 

Popping Hazelnuts...

 

In Scotland, a fortune teller might instruct a young woman to name a hazelnut for each of her suitors, then toss the nuts into the fire.  If the nut popped or exploded...he was not the one for her. But the one that burned steadily to ashes would be the future husband...the one whose love burns true and steady, I suppose.  In some versions...the opposite was true.  Another legend says that if a young woman eats a sugary concoction of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg on Halloween night, she will dream of her future husband.

 

Apple Peel Test....

 

Apples appear a lot in old Halloween traditions and rituals.  In Christianity, apples are portrayed as the symbol of sex in the Garden of Eden.  Young women tossed apple peels over their shoulders, hoping the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands initials.

 

Apple Bobbing...

 

Apple bobbing is a very old Halloween tradition...but one we still follow.  Boys and girls duck inside the tub to catch the apple as it floats away from them.  It takes a certain amount of skill to get a grip on the apple...whether with your teeth or by suction.  At many parties, the first successful apple bobber would be the first down the aisle.

 

The Apple and the Candle...

 

An old custom the was meant to be fun...but was kind of dangerous...involved hanging a stick from the ceiling.  On one end of the stick was an apple...while on the other a lighted candle.  The stick was twirled rapidly and let go to unwind.  With one's hands tied behind their back, the object was to try to bite the apple without getting burned.  Most of the time the participants went home with scorched and blackened faces.  This was considered hilarious! 

 

Another apple ritual or "spell" says that the girl should cut an apple into two pieces in such a way the the seed part resembles a pentacle.  She would throw one of the pieces over her left shoulder, walk backwards towards the mirror without looking back, while she eats the rest of the apple with one hand, and combing her hair with the other before the mirror.  Then she should look back to see the face of her future spouse.

 

The Candle and the Mirror...

 

There seemed to be a lot of variations of the "see my love's face in the mirror" ritual.  The young lady stands in front of a mirror in a darkened room on Halloween, holding a candle.  When she peers over her shoulder, she should see the face of her true love.

 

Candle Twirling Test...

 

I hadn't come across any info on this particular test of love...but apparently if the twisted candle stays lit, Girlie, you will be!  Whatever that means...lol!  I had a lot of fun learning about some old Halloween traditions that have passed into oblivion.  Thanks to the Clark County Museum for the interesting topic!  It might be fun to experiment with a couple of these...but maybe not the "apple and candle" test...yikes!

 

Best Halloween Witches Wishes!



 



 





 



 

Burlap and Lace...Repurposed Wreath for Missy!

Surprise Housewarming Gift...

Burlap, Lace, and Old Silverware.

Coffee Filter Flowers.

 

Missy doesn't know she's getting this...unless she reads the blog...which I hope she does.   There was a wreath she liked at Morgan's Emporium in Idaho Falls...but I thought I could make her one just using what I had on hand.  I've been trying to do that more...see if I can do the project without heading to Hobby Lobby or Michaels.  Missy recently sold her home and is renting until they either build or buy another home suitable for her large family...six daughters who all want their own space.  

The silver knife, fork and spoon used to be a windchime on my front porch.

The burlap wreath was my Fourth of July Circus wreath.

The old lace is from Grandma Patta.

 

I am hoping this will go well with the old coat rack she just repurposed.  Her dad is currently remodeling Grandpa Tad's old house and has rescued a few old doors for Missy and our niece Jenny to DIY.  I've seen some wonderful hall tree ideas on Pinterest...I notice they've pinned a few!  I hope George can take it to her when he drives up that way for a job they're doing nearby.

 



Coat rack was once the top of antique oak dresser mirror.

Great job, Missy!

 

The Last of the Halloween Decor... 

I put some of my vintage Halloween cutouts on my office door.

Quick pennant garland from leftover fabric scraps.

 

My Favorite Tree... 

This maple is a blaze of color.

It starts out gold...then orange...then red.

There are even burgandy leaves.

I also wanted to show you George's new pergola.

It still needs to be stained, but will look cute with a swing next spring.

 

I think I am done with Halloween crafting.

Time for Christmas!

Only 3 weeks until I start decorating...

 

 

 

 



Kim and Viv Inspired Canned Pumpkin!

Canned Pumpkins!

Pumpkin Labels work great for Halloween, Fall, and Thanksgiving crafting.

 

I have come to the conclusion that many of my fellow bloggers are creative geniuses!  I am a writer...and I love it when I read a clever turn of phrase.  I may groan at puns...but many are so clever!   When two of my favorite bloggers featured "canned pumpkins" I just had to let everyone know how clever I think they are.  I am a fan of vintage labels...especially those from fruit crates.  I enjoyed looking for vintage food packaging labels for a "grocery store" project for my littlest Grand's Christmas.  But I never considered the lowly can label as craft-worthy until now.

 

Viv's Pumpkin Cans...

Viv Out on a Whim

Kim's Canned Pumpkin.

Musings From Kim K

Love those cute felted pumpkin heads she found at Target. 

 

My Canned Pumpkin...

I think it looks quite elegant...or black and orange shabby.

 

The other day I opened a can of cranberries for a crockpot pork loin recipe I make almost every week.  I was about to toss the can when the little creativity devil angel that sits on my shoulder whispered..."Hey, you can make one of those canned pumpkins from that!"  So I googled "Pumpkin Can Labels" and found my favorite.  When printed...it was exactly the right size for the cranberry can.  I didn't even bother to remove the old label I just used my glue gun to apply the pumpkin label.  I turned the empty can upside down first...to make a flat surface.   A bit of Halloween garland was glued on next...then the 97 cent Walmart pumpkin.  They got more in stock...yay!  I tied a bit of black and orange ribbon to the stem...and it was done.  Less than five minutes to put together.

My Favorite Label...the colors are perfect for Halloween!

 

I am making a few more...they are so fast and easy.  The chili bean cans I opened last night are taller than cranberry cans...so I needed to add a bit of black border to top and bottom.  Thank you Viv and Kim for the inspiration...and for sharing your creativity with us!

 

More Random Halloween Crafting and Decorating

 

Mini Halloween Frames....6 inches tall.

Inspired by....

...this frame from Traditions.

I love this online holiday store!

Traditions Holiday Store

This year's Happy Halloween Hallway vignette.

My Halloween Mantel.

"Spooky"burlap pennant garland made by my sweet niece Savannah!

I just love it!

 

Keep those Halloween Craft Ideas Coming!

 

A Few Pumpkin Labels...

Enjoy!