Statin Takers Can't Enjoy Citrus Source of Vitamin C.

If you take a daily statin for high cholesterol, it's not recommended you chow on gorgeous grapefruit like you see here.  Some enzyme in the citrus interferes with the way the drug is metabolized, and the results are not salutary.  Too bad: these big, juicy, tasty, plump citrus beauties grow free and wild in our back yard.  You're welcome to have a taste, but only if your primary care physician gives you the pink light.

R.I.P., Joseph Nelson White Hoyt.

My Uncle Joe Hoyt passed away the other day at the age of 88. He was at his home in Chillicothe, Ohio, surrounded by his loving family and Joe's adored pets. His departure leaves a very big whole in a lot of hearts, most certainly including mine.

Uncle Joe was a giant of a man. WWII vet, OSU grad, life-long farmer, dad, granddad, uncle, inspiration, mentor, hard-ass, friend.

Joe rode Indian motorcycles, drove a '32 Ford coupe, played boogie-woogie on the upright like nobody's business. He was a crazy-man when it came to sports, never missed cheering on the home team (Chillicothe Cavaliers) especially when a Hoyt kid was in the game.

Big Joe (because my brother, JNH II, is little Joe), saved my life once.  No, he really did.  I was out at Glenallan Farm "helping" Joe and the men fill a silo.  Somehow I'd ended up inside as chopped corn stalks -- silage -- was being blown into the silo.  The stuff came faster than I could climb up and out.

I started to get buried by silage.  Really. I can remember to this moment how hard it was to breath, how freaked out I'd become.  I've never been in an avalanche, thank God, but this silage experience must be as terrifyingly dangerous.

I screamed at the top of my lungs.  Unc Joe grabbed me by the collar and yanked hard: out of the mess I popped. The silage stopped and Joe slid me through one of those tiny doors where kids like me were meant to escape.

Joe was my Dad "Chesty" Hoyt's youngest sibling.  An era has ended, and that makes me sad. But his kids Eric, Cash, Betsy, Nelson, Pete, and wife of 55 years, Annie, remind me that Uncle Joe lived a full, rich life.

Joe Hoyt left behind a legacy of respect for others, hard work, love, joy and plain old mischievous fun. How can we NOT be happy about that. 

Desert Caballeros Western Museum: All Welcome.

Desert Caballeros is Open for Business to Everyone. We saw the sign yesterday when Poppina and I visited the Cowgirl Up! exhibit, hung only a few days ago.  I asked the docent on duty at the Museum what the sign meant, and when it appeared.  She wasn't sure, but she and I agreed that this most magnificent cultural facility welcomed every visitor, and did not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, body fat index, years of education, HDL levels, blue state or red ….. everyone is welcome here.

'67 Camaro Beater Seeks Good Home.

Regular readers of the Poppy Blog know I enjoy pedaling around on my Giant Cypress.  Slow, steady, and with an eye for random adventure.

I am rarely disappointed.  Something unexpected always grabs my attention, and I'm generally compelled to check it out.

Here's yesterday's haul: what's left of a once proud 1967 Camaro.  The hulk catches its breath on a collector's trailer, ready for a ground-up resto, and  oh, what a story I'd bet these hot wheels could tell.

For me, I'm satisfied with the colors and contrasts, and the memory of a Camaro which I almost bought in Denver way back when I was a young officer assigned to Lowry Air Force Base.

I'll have a Sex Panther on Tap.

I'm not much of a beer drinker any more, and I don't think I would have enjoyed "double chocolate porter"  back in the day.

But someone quaffs this stuff down 'cause I found an empty, crushed can in the road as I was picking up litter the other day.

Can't you just see ads for Sex Panther running on Fox during Super Bowl?  

A young man might be careful ordering a glass on tap -- his date might look for the exit and beat a hasty retreat.

Some marketing genius figured this stuff was funny, provocative, appealing to young men. Or, maybe it's just an in-your-face goof -- the only "product" being the crushed can itself.  

Anyone ever swill this strange brew?

1990 Volvo 940 Looks Better than New.

She's a dreamboat, cherry and all-original.

Barely 37,000 on the odo. Leather seats show nary a crack. Not a speck of rust - a real Arizona car if there ever was one.  

Oh, sure, the Volvo 940 takes high test, and doesn't do better than 20-or-so mpg, but her handling is sweet. And when hat turbo boost kicks in, neck-snapping takes place that belies a 4-banger under the hood.

Yup. The car is cherry.  Clear coat and the wax job make this 4-door look showroom-fresh.

KC Detailing did the work.  Paint on the rear deck had begun to oxidize -- now, when you put your hands on the car, they slip right off.  Seriously.  The surface is smooth and sleek: unbelievable.

Team Roping Capital of the World.

Overnight it seems to me, little, old western town Wickenburg, AZ , has changed its stripes.

From Dude Ranch Capital of the World in the '30's and '40's ... to ground zero for Addiction Treatment and Recovery in the '70's and '80's …. to Team Roping Capital of the World now …. we've seen it all.

Team Ropers = Big Bucks for the town.

"Figure 900 ropers spending $100/day per cowboy, and you get some sense of the economic impact to Wickenburg," explains our plumber friend Mike.

I've pedaled to a couple of cowpoke venues. Let me tell you: Impressive Horsemanship, remarkably skilled rope work. Not to mention stamina.

No one wanted to trade me a quarter horse for the Giant Cyprus, sorry to say. 

Stylin' Some Nebraska Corn Cob Hats.

Dateline:  Lincoln, NE - breaking news.  Corn Cob Head Hats on sale at BP station near Cornhusker Stadium.  La Nancita snapped a trying-it-on foto of Old Poppy and some of his young pals.  What do you think?  I'd say we're stylin'.

Sonoran Eucalyptus, 100+ Years Old?

Listen closely: this exquisite Eucalyptus will tell you its life story.

How a seed came to be carried in the beak of a Mexican barn swallow, then dropped at what a century-plus ago was Vulture Peak Mine.

Despite persistent dryness, steady winds from the SW, and hungry critters looking to gorge on eucalyptus seeds and shoots; despite all odds this beauty grew and prospered.

Despite Campers and Highwaymen and Firewood. Developers and Condos and Corrals. Despite a hundred years of threats to its survival, this gorgeous giant continues its reach, ever-heavenward.  

New RoadID Safety Wrist ID.

I've been looking at ads for RoadID's for years. Finally decided to order one -- not that I'm fearful of collapsing, anonymously,  in the AZ sun,  miles from home.  But as an inexpensive insurance policy.  You know, just in case……

The company is in Kentucky. Their quality of products -- and customer service !! -- is unusual in this day and age of impersonal retail.  I mean it's worth the purchase just to deal with their people.

You get six lines of copy -- they like you to include the year of your birth, blood type, and two telephone numbers.  You know, just in case …

Here's the site link.  http://www.roadid.com/Common/Default.aspx

If you decide to buy, be sure to ask for Karuva. 

'55 Ford with Tear Drop Camper in Tow.

How cool is this?!@

Classic two-door Ford wagon, no rust, new paint job, not quite cherry, but who cares?

In tow: tear drop camper, similar vintage to the Ford, and pretty sweet in its own right.

The rig is domiciled in Washington State.  Owner is a member of a classic travel trailer club called "Tear Jerkers."

I learned all this today along Tegner Avenue in Wickenburg, where the rig was parked in front of the Catholic Church.  You might have picked up on that.

Safe Camel Rides, $7.00 for Adults.

Yes, Virginia , there is a Santa Claus.  And out in front of the Tractor Supply store on Hwy. 60, there was a real, live Camel.  And it came from Nickerson, KS, all the way to Wickenburg, AZ.  

The dude behind the hump was one of a group of seven friends, most of whom paid their money, and takes their chances.  And while I didn't witness imminent danger, I heard an lot of yee-haw commotion coming from the enthusiastic crowd.

And, moi? No chance of a ride for me.  Dismounted the Giant just long enough to take a foto to  share with Blog followers:  there are dromedaries in the AZ desert.  And they come all the way from KS to strut their camel stuff. 

Bedoian Bistro - Food, Java, Staff, Service.

Best coffee in Wickenburg?

Chewy ginger snaps? Cinnamon Rolls? Spinach Feta quiche? Don't forget home-made hummus!

Lots of questions, only one answer: Bedoian's Bistro on E. Wickenburg Way.  The old Pony Espresso, better now by a length than before.

With a little help from Friends and Family, owner Emily Bedoian runs a consistently great show. Food is sublime, as mentioned.  The staff of young professionals, shown above, puts service first, gets your order right, remembers names and preferred drink and food dishes of the regulars (of which I consider myself very regular :)

Every tenth java drink is on the house (excellent customer relations), the tip jar is always stuffed full of gratitude, and the smiles, cheerful attitude, and good vibes and karma make this an A+,  must-stop place.  Have fun!