Monthly Archives: November 2017

Marching bands

Posted on November 19, 2017 by JohnMatel

Marching bands are a big deal in Arizona, at least among my relatives who live in Phoenix. Arizona HS have these bands and the compete statewide. The coordination is amazing. These things have their roots in military formation and you … Continue reading →

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Four Peaks Brewery in Phoenix

Posted on November 19, 2017 by JohnMatel

Today’s entry in the beer tour. Chrissy and I went to Four Peaks Brewery in Phoenix. I got my picture. Chrissy looks better, so I put hers first. Enjoying beer garden experiences, especially outdoor ones, is one of the important … Continue reading →

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San Tan Flats

Posted on November 18, 2017 by JohnMatel

Weather in Arizona was very much like weather in Virginia at the same time. It rained – pretty hard – as we left Phoenix. The night before, we had supper at San Tan Flats. It was a very 1970s type … Continue reading →

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Saguaro National Park near Tucson Arizona

Posted on November 18, 2017 by JohnMatel

Think of forests and most of the time the picture that comes to mind is shady galleries of spreading branches. But the sunny saguaro lands also are forests. One of the thickest of these is on the land of the … Continue reading →

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Tuscon beer

Posted on November 18, 2017 by JohnMatel

In keeping with my beer tour activities, we stopped off at Thunder Canyon Brewery in Tucson. They have an IPA called “Sky Island”. It tasted good, but the taste came second to the name in my book. Anyway, the photos … Continue reading →

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Maricopa Agriculture Center

Posted on November 18, 2017 by JohnMatel

Visited the MAC (Maricopa Agriculture Center) day. We saw some tractors that run on GPS. People could ride in the driverless vehicles to show how it was done. Another interesting thing was a mechanical cotton picker. This is not a … Continue reading →

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Bisbee, Arizona

Posted on November 16, 2017 by JohnMatel

We came here to look at TNC lands with Apache pines. I will write about that in a few hours. But meanwhile we enjoyed some nice things in southern Arizona. We drove through Bisbee, Arizona. It used to be a … Continue reading →

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Visiting Elise & Carl

Posted on November 15, 2017 by JohnMatel

Visited cousins Elise and Carl in Marana, Arizona. We had a really good meal at Wild Garlic Grill.

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November on the farms

Posted on November 13, 2017 by JohnMatel

The weather man promised sun and pleasant weather by the middle of the day. He was mistaken. It was wet and muddy at the farms. I walked through the longleaf. Most survived the fire and they are thriving. I noticed … Continue reading →

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Fulbright at Brazilian Embassy

Posted on November 7, 2017 by JohnMatel

Went to the Brazilian Embassy for the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright program in Brazil. I was glad to be invited, even though I have been away for a few years. I am a true believer in education exchanges and … Continue reading →

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