Fairs and fares

This is the lovely season when southern Arizona presents us with numerous outdoor fairs and community events. November and December usually bring the beautiful sunny weather loved by the crowds.

Weekend before last, we chose to drive 20 miles north of Benson on gravel roads to the remote community of Cascabel. Their community fair is legendary and we had never been.

Live music, homemade soups and burritos for lunch, a tour of the pottery studio, and many interesting booths and displays. It was a beautiful day and we're so glad we went.

On our way through Benson that morning, actually during the monthly breakfast at the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), we heard about a local event called Christmas on Main Street. We checked it out and I spotted our good friend, Anita, who dances with the Tucson Prunes.
http://www.tucsonprunes.com/

Anita (center, in red) was one of the featured performers, as they saluted our military veterans on Pearl Harbor Day. So good to catch a performance!

The following weekend, we were in Benson again (it's a trend!) when Sam spotted Amtrak pulling into town. The passenger train stops only once a day, and Sam is a fan. 

Sam also realized that Google Maps had no photos of trains at the Benson train stop, and was determined to rectify that oversight. The conductor was friendly and posed for a photo.

Another outdoor activity this time of year are the periodic gatherings of cowboys on neighboring Double X Ranch; they do roundups and branding. (Unlike our Pumpkin Patch Ranch, they actually have cows!) Last weekend they were looking for lost cattle.

Today on the PPR, Sam's outdoor activity involved harvesting a couple dozen jalapenos from his sole pepper plant and roasting them on the rotisserie. Talk about a great smell!

In other food related news, we finally found a good recipe for fried green tomatoes. These were crispy, flavorful . . . and devoured in one evening! Because leftovers just don't taste the same, do they?

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your holiday is meaningful, restful and fun.