SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE MOUNTAINS

Monday, April 9 - Once settled into our campsite, we loaded into the car with Duane & Louise and headed up into The WEAVER Mountains. How neat is that to be in our “namesake” mountains.

Our first stop was Frog Rock. This one weighs probably 60 tons and stands (or squats) more than 16 feet tall. This rook was painted green like a frog. I guess one shouldn't be painting the mountain boulders, but it was pretty neat!

Our next stop was at the top of the mountain in Yarnell, AZ. The Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains. This was a very moving experience, especially having just completed the Easter weekend. It is the fourteen stages of the cross situated in a shaded grotto of oak trees and huge granite boulders.

A visit to the Shrine starts at the foot of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Happy Homes.

A beautiful rustic path beckons you to walk with Jesus through His last days on earth.

Beautiful white stone statues depict Christ at the Last Supper, His footsteps along the Way of the Cross, and his condemnation to death to His placement in the tomb. At each station, you gain a better understanding of the great sacrifice He made for all mankind.

The pilgrimage begins at the table of His Last Supper, where He spent His last joyful moments.

A plaque on each of the crosses describes the event that occurred.

The setting for each cross in a beautiful setting. At each of the crosses, there is a seat among the stones for prayer.

Our first glimpse into what was ahead.

His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Crucifixion. The rock appears to have blood on it.

What a beautiful, break-taking setting.

Jesus taken from the cross.

He is Risen…He is Risen indeed!

The bronze sculpture above is the risen Christ. Background…the tomb.

View from the top.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

The Shrine is free (donations are encouraged). It is located in Yarnell, AZ, just a half mile off Highway 89 and is open during daylight hours. The Shrine has never been financially supported by any Christian Denomination and relies on the generosity of its visitors and volunteer for maintenance and growth.

This is one of the emotional-draining sites we have visited. We went from sadness of the arrest to rejoicing at the Risen Savior, a beautiful reminder that our Lord did, indeed, rise from the dead and lives on in each of us forever. DO NOT miss this aspiring experience.

After stopping at the pull-outs going down the mountain for pictures, we returned to the North Ranch, our park for the week.

Paul, Louise, Duane.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

OFF TO CONGRESS, ARIZONA

Monday, April 9 - We pulled out of Apache Junction this morning and headed northwest to Congress, AZ.

We had an interesting experience on our drive up to Congress. We passed a sign warning us to be on the lookout for wild burros. Yeah, right! What are the chances of seeing a burro? Two minutes down the road Paul says, “look” and there stood TWO burros. How cool is that!

We are at the Escapee's North Ranch Park, site 110. Our site is roomy with a picnic table. A very nice campground.

Site 110
 

Looking to our right.

To our left.

We are parked next door to our friends, Duane & Louise. They are the reason we stopped here. They are a great couple, good friends, and fun to spend time with.

Since we didn't' get to play pickleball in Mission this year, we headed up to the INDOOR Pickleball court for a couple games of Pickleball. We forgot the camera so will have pictures soon of this indoor facility. Those unfamiliar with the game, it is played on a miniature tennis court using large ping pong style paddles. A great game for we seniors.....LOL

We finished the evening by taking Bella, our cat, on a walk through the Saguaro Park located right here in the park and right across the street from our site.

What a beautiful job the park residents have done with this garden. Dozens of cacti planted in their natural desert environment.

Those are the Weaver Mountains in the background.

They even have name plaques by each plant.

How appropriate…an Easter cactus.

Red Sage.

In the garden is, Methuselah, one of the oldest Saguaro Cactus in Arizona. They have determined that this cactus has been here since around 1600.

Many birds still call it home.

Bella enjoyed her walk, and we are sure we'll be returning there daily while here in the North Ranch.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

 

ORGAN STOP PIZZA…A MUST STOP

Friday, April 6 – Before we share our super visit with our nephew and niece, it is our prayer that all our family and friends experience a Blessed Easter Sunday. He is Risen…He is Risen Indeed!

We heard so much about Organ Stop Pizza that we arranged to meet Paul's nephew, Dave and his wife Tracy, for dinner. We stopped at their home in Mesa to visit for several hours and get re-acquainted with their lives here in Arizona. The last time we saw Dave & Tracy was back in Barberton, Ohio, four years ago, before they moved here.

We then headed to Organ Stop Pizza.

This is a pretty unique pizza parlor. Seating is at long tables you share with other patrons or at smaller tables along the sides or in the balcony.

The pianist put on an amazing show . Paul is surprised there is no charge other than if you decide to eat. Amazing in these times!

The Mighty Wurlitzer is an old time silent motion picture theater “unit orchestra.” Due to monetary constraints of motion picture theaters, they were unable to afford full orchestras.

These instruments were designed so one person could produce the sounds of the entire orchestra. Rather than the customary liturgical sounds found in church instruments, the pipe organs were designed with imitative orchestral tones in mind.

The drum section.

Accordion sounds come out here.

The organ console are actual specifications are extensive to say the least. Here are the numbers:

• 4 manuals – 61 keys each
• pedalboard – 32 keys
• 422 stoptabs (red denote reeds, amber for strings, ivory for flues)
• 113 combination action pistons and toe studs
• 5 expression pedals: Foundation, Main, Solo, General, and Crescendo
• 5 toe levers controlling traps and reversible stops
• 2 drawers housing 327 switches controlling various selective stops, sound effects, theatrical lighting and effects, and other console functions

During the late teens and early twenties, nearly every theatre installed pipe organs. Though they were manufactured by many companies, the Wurlitzer was considered by far the best.

The pipes are behind these glass panels.

Organ Stop's Wurlitzer organ was built for the Denver Theatre in 1927. The organ was used regularly until the depression. With the advent of talking pictures, the organ was silences and rarely heard. Organ Stop purchased the instrument in the early 1970's and undertook the mammoth task of rebuilding the instrument. The resulting 23 rank organ was installed in the original facility in 1975. 

The regulator takes the raw, static wind produced by the blowers, and regulates it to a precise pressure for the pipework it feeds.

The building's design is expressly for the enjoyment of the patrons, with the organ installed in four chambers at one end of the restaurant. Forty-three foot ceilings provide unparalleled acoustic. The console is presented on an 8000 pound rotating hydraulic elevator that raises out of the floor at the beginning of each musical set.

Some of the wonderful songs Lew played were Battle Hymn of the Republic, America, This is my Country, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Phantom of the Opera, and many, many other favorites. Before the first set ends, the Organist does a sing along with the crowd. Here is an example of a couple of the songs we sang along with.

This one was a crowd pleaser.

As we are singing the last song, Lew, the Organist, fades away.
Going.

Going.

Gone.

The pizza is terrific and reasonably priced. For example our large pepperoni and mushroom pizza cost about $15 and large drinks were $1.50 each. Remember, there is no cost for the show, and you can remain in the restaurant for as many shows as you please.

We enjoyed our evening with Dave and Tracy and ended up pleasantly surprised when their daughter, Brittany, and Tracy's parents joined us.

L-R Marsha, Paul, Brittany, Dave, Tracy

We then drove the short distance to Tracy's parents house  for dessert and further visiting. We will be enjoying Easter Sunday with this family this coming weekend.

We drove just a short way down the road to watch the moon rise over the Superstition Mountains. WOW!

Finally.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!