Homer'sWorld

2012-01-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

I started (twice) to write a whiney post about cooking for my mother, but what's the point? She is getting more and more difficult to cook for, and I expect things will just get worse. Remind me of this in 30 years or so, and I will not be a brat about whatever is put on my plate.

2012-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

The doctor's office called and told me 1). I had a cholesterol count of 256 and 2). I needed to lose 20 ;pounds. So I will not be enjoying anymore delicious cookies, cheese, and pudding for the next six months. And will be dragging my behind to the gym in the early morning. Yeah for me!

I really like this song.

When I see the list of the popular songs, I'm like "Who are these folks?" Also, when the list of Oscar-nominated movies came out, I recollected that I had only seen one movie in the theatre in the last year, Super 8, with Evan in Flagstaff. Movies in the movie theatre are pricey and people have such poor manners in the theater, that it seems pointless to go.

Our esteemed governor, Jan Brewer pointed her finger at the president yesterday and then made a big fuss when he walked away from her. Really? Didn't she watch Howdy Doody and learn that it isn't polite to wag your finger at another person? I made the mistake of reading the comments on the Arizona Daily Star website. I saw that racism is alive and thriving, at least among anonymous commenters on online newspaper websites. Apparently there are a lot of white folks in Arizona that are still really pissed off that a non-white person is president.

Lol, a comment on the Washington Post website "She was on an airport tarmack, they should have taken her away for drug and alcohol testing."

2012-01-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

Mary "May" Chandler was born in 1871 in Iowa, the daughter of William Chandler and Maria Hulick. She was my grandfather's first cousin once removed (she was his mother's first cousin). She had a tough childhood, her father abandoning the family and her mother dying young. Mary was the oldest and had to care for her younger siblings.

Although she spent little time in Traverse City, living in Chicago and Springfield, Missouri during her adult life, she kept in contact with her relatives there. She was married three times: 1) William Shannon, 2). Harry Van Camp, and 3). John Walter Kastler.

Mary (Chandler)(Shannon)(Van Camp) Kastler.

We have a few pictures of her and my mother remembers meeting her in 1946, the 100th anniversary of Traverse City. Mary came to the festivities and visited with my mother's family. My mother's middle name is Mary, and the older Mary thought she was named after her (she wasn't, but no one corrected her).She sent my mother a quilt, the pattern "Grandmother's Flower Garden." It was a popular pattern. My mother still owns the quilt.

A big mystery in my family history research was "What happened to Mary?" A few years back I was able to identify her second husband and then her third husband. Her last name was pronounced "Kessler" and it was only after discovering her cousin Caroline Mahan in the 1910 census, that I was able to find out the correct spelling of her last husband's name.A couple of days ago I was finally able to learn her date of death- 1959, and place of burial. It is always satisfying solving a family history mystery.

2012-01-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Patrick joined Mummy and I on a walk at Sweetwater Wetlands. The number of ducks is increasing, and we saw one or two hawks/kestrals/falcons.

Patrick and Mummy.

As we walked around, we discussed recent events in Arizona. I was wondering whether the State Legislature would continue its vendetta against Tucson and Pima County. That appears to be the case, with idiotic Rep. Terri Proud introducing a bill that would allow tiny communities to veto county bonds. Last week Ms. Proud sponsored a bill that would require schools to teach the Bible (but not the Koran) so students would understand its "literary" aspects.

These ducks vote Democratic.

Luckily, idiotic Proud is not running for re-election.

Homer and Mummy, photographed by Patrick.

After dropping Patrick off and receiving a bunch of fresh Patrick-grown parsley, I took Mummy to lunch at Rosa's, then to a knitting/weaving/spinning store, then to a quilting store, and then home.

Tiny was ready to give smooches.

Later we went to the grocery store and I spent a ridiculous amount of money. Buying fancy gluten-free foods is pricey. I made parsley pesto and I had Mummy taste a little bit. Like all things new, she hated it. I've been reading about food choices among elderly people. It is apparently common for them to restrict their diet to a handful of foods (which my mother's mother did, resulting in malnutrition). My mother would live on potatoes, cheese, eggs, bananas, blueberries, and milk if given the choice. Unfortunately for her, I like to try new recipes.

2012-01-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

The first phase of work is almost done at the old fort site. Today Pat, who does environmental testing, accidentally found a small pit while collecting a sample. Allen then excavated the small pit.

Allen and the pit.

It contained a shaped sherd, probably a jar cover, and a large stone core, raw material used to make stone tools.

Core and cover. The white thingy marks the location of the soil sample.

We then moved to the north part of the site and quickly found the stone foundation of the guard house for the fort, completed in 1873.

Foundation.

The guard house was 52 ft square when built, later an exercise yard was added to the west end of the building. It had dirt floors, except in the four cells, which had stone floors to keep prisoners from burrowing out. The building was used to house soldiers who had broken rules. On one occasion a group of Apache scouts were imprisoned there.

Close up.

The foundations are made from rocks mortared together with a crude concrete.To the east we found another burned pit structure, this one with areas of plaster still intact on the walls and floors. I wonder what we will find tomorrow?

2012-01-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

In the morning, the backhoe uncovered a lizard, which had been hibernating in its underground home. I put it inside a paper sack and by the afternoon it was warm enough to start moving around. It sat in my palm for a few more minutes, before scurrying away to a safe place.

Lizard.

In the afternoon, we removed smelly dirt from the old driveway at the fort site, and beneath it we found a pit structure, perhaps 1,000-years-old.

The white paint line marks its approximate outline.

Burned posts ringed the edge of the house. Archaeologists like burned houses because they often contain the items that the people were unable to gather as they fled.

Burned posts.

The backhoe clipped an upside-down bowl in the center of the house. I had Allen uncover part of it to locate the floor level.

Tyler is mapping the site with the GPS device.

It looks like a plain ware bowl.

Close up of bowl.

After the environmental testing is completed, we will excavate a unit around the pot to collect more information about the house.

2012-01-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Out at the old fort we are removing soil that has oil and metal filings in it, preparing this portion for use as a cultural park. Dan strips off the soil and soon we start finding archaeological features, from the fort and the tuberculosis sanitarium that followed, as well as prehistoric features.

The area north of two of the Officer's Quarters contains small ditches and numerous planting holes, just to the north of an adobe wall.

Planting pits.

In another area nearby, we found a pair of wagon ruts that probably date to the fort period, from 1873 through 1891.

Wagon wheel ruts.

In another area, Allen found a metate and a pestle. Somebody in the prehistoric period cached the two items, and for some reason never returned to re-use them.

Metate and pestle.

One unexpected find was a tarantula, about three inches across, which popped out of a hole as Dan was stripping away dirt. Allen found a safe place for it to hide inside.

Tarantula (click on picture for a closer view).

2012-01-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Forest and I traveled north on Thursday afternoon, in Flagstaff Evan awaited us for an adventure.

On the way.

We had some pizza and beer and went on a late-night hike.

Evan and Forest.

Once again I saw no elk.

Late night exposure.

The next morning we crammed into Evan's truck and went to see some sites.

We are pouty.

At one point we climbed way up and I took a photo.

When I climbed down I had a perilous moment.

Forest realized his dreams of becoming a cheerleader.

Mascot for the Tumbleweeds.

We climbed in the Focus and headed east on I-40.

The scenery was pretty.

That night we went to Little Anita's in Albuquerque. The food was grody. Forest developed unfortunate symptoms. While I attended a conference on Saturday, he and Evan had a harrowing adventure involving the car, ice, and a truck from Georgia.

That night we went to a diner.

I had a grilled cheese, onion rings, and a shake.

Forest was still feeling a bit off.

He also had a milkshake.

The next morning I returned to the conference. Evan and Forest went hiking in the Sandias.

Mountain climber Evan.

The scenery was pretty.

Sandias.

My talk was the last one of the conference and I did a great job. We left Albuquerque at 4:00 PM.

Driving west on I-40.

I arrived home at 2:00 AM and was out at the work site at 8:30. I am a tad groggy as I type this.

2012-01-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Forrest is here for a week visiting. I made him hash browns and cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast. He says I make them just like him (that's because I learned how to from him).

And cats.

Tomorrow we going to FLagstaff and he and Evan are going to play instruments and then we are off to Albuquerque, where I have a conference to attend and they get to go hiking.

2012-01-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Little Tiny had a genital operation and won't be able to many tinier Tinies, a first for my neighbors, who have never fixed any of their dogs.

She always runs up to fence when she sees me.

I finished my PowerPoint presentation for the conference and wrote some feature descriptions. I then went to Swade Barbershop and got my hairz trimmed.

After.

The Arizona State Legislature is now in session and I can hardly wait to see how the Republicans will punish Tucson. In their last session they took a sewage plant away from the county and gave it to a small community. A sewage plant that all of the residents of Pima County paid for (millions of dollars) and is given free to a Republican stronghold.

And they tried to force the City of Tucson to change how we do city elections, unhappy that Republicans only hold one or two city positions. That didn't succeed.

The most egregious was to ban Ethnic Studies in Tucson's school district. Our current Attorney General and the his replacement as Superintendent of Public Education are racist scum (that gets you elected in this state). So they convinced the State Legislature to ban a successful program that has helped many Mexican-American high schoolers get an education, writing a law that specifically targeted Tucson. The Tucson Unified School District is now being told that it will loose 10 to 15 million dollars a month unless it gets rid of the program. Of course the fucking Republican politicians in this state hate education with a passion, since most of them are fundamentalist Christians or Mormons, who would prefer that tax payer dollars be spent on religious schools, where children can be taught that the earth is 6,000-years-old and electricity is magic.

Personally, I hope I never meet Tom Horne- I'd kick that piece of shit right in his racist ass.

2012-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Patrick and I played Scrabble last night.

I know all of the two letter words.

As we played we talked about things.

I had camera envy.

His nice next door neighbors were having a Wayne's World 2 viewing party. I saw the end of the film and understand why it did not win any Oscars.

2012-01-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

This morning I trimmed my beard and I look 3 years and 2 months younger.

I need a haircut.

Suddenly I will be out at the old Fort site next week, I wonder whether we will find anything.

Forrest is coming to town next Tuesday. On Thursday we will drive up to Flagstaff, where he and Evan will play music. On Friday the three of us will go to Albuquerque for the weekend. I wonder what kind of trouble we will get into?

2012-01-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

I left Mummy at home to watch over the cats and drove north to Flagstaff.

Evening approaches.

We made a lemon cake for New Year's Eve.

It was delicious.

We went for a walk in the woods, looking at the remnants of pit structures. Some were excavated in the 1930s or 1940s and never back-filled.

Evan stands in a pit structure.

There were many sherds that we looked back and returned to the ground.

Black on white ceramics.

It was a lovely weekend, spent with my man. I even managed to get up right before midnight on New Year's Eve.

Besties.

2011-12-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

We went for a walk on Holiday Day. Out in the Sonoran Desert.

Tucson Mountains to the east.

I lost count of how many varieties of cactus there were.

Mean cholla.

Evan thought we might find an archaeology site, but I told him that this area had few.

Disappointed.

Later that day he drove north to see his family and I sat in front of my computer re-assembling the fragments of the Ransom family, looking at old census and marriage records. I typed so much that my shoulder aches. I discovered that Vesta lived to be 105.

Back to work for a few days before I head north to Flagstaff to spend the weekend.

2011-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

The birds at Sweetwater Wetlands looked cold, the ducks huddling close together.At home most of my potted plants are inside.

American coot.

We had Holiday Supper (mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, baked beans) and Mama had butterscotch pudding. I suggested she open a present and she wanted to open them all. Mummy was very pleased with her gifts.

Evan was surprised that Santa remembered to bring him beer.

Of course I didn't put tags on everything, so there were a few mixed up presents.

Mummy got four knitting books.

Afterward, we dressed up in our tophats and went to Richard's and Roger's Holiday Party. The butterscotch pudding was a success, Richard's mother Elvy went back for seconds.

Evan and bow tie.

I did not win the dollar game, which was a major set back financially. I would have enjoyed spending that $36 on things.

This morning I fried up the leftover mashed potatoes, made some caramel bananas, and some gluten-free pancakes. My mother was having very low blood sugar (staggering around drunk-like), so that was a good thing for her to eat.

It was a lovely Holiday.

2011-12-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Evan and I motored over to Patrick's casa.

Nothing says Xmas like Lust in the Dust.

We admired his festive Holiday Tree and Patrick received a suitable ornament.

Farmer Santa.

We drank some beers in front of the fireplace and then decided to play a game.

We played Risk (the old fashioned version).

My sweater still smells like Patrick's cigar.

Our host.

Evan had only played Risk once before. This did not prevent him from ultimately winning.

Kim Jong-Evan.

Horace was even friendly for a while, before retiring to his bed in front of the fireplace. He is slightly spoiled.

Horace.

Of course, I am an expert at spoiling pets (as I type this Joey is sitting on my lap getting warm).

2011-12-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

19th Century Traverse City hotties. I purchase old photographs from my hometown on Ebay. Many do not have names on the back, but in two cases I was able to identify who the people were.

So today's poll, who is the best looking fellow? Vote in the Comments!

Man A.

Man B.

Man C.

Man D.

2011-12-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

The week before Holiday is quiet at work. I am the only person in my room at work. Something walks past my window and I grab my camera for a quick picture.

Coyote.

I finished Holiday shopping and tonight I made cards for the people who have sent them to me and a few relatives.

Holiday cards 2011, will you get one?

Mummy is watching Downtown Abbey, Season 1 (she really likes it). In contrast, I am watching the first season of Mission Impossible. For the most part, it is pretty awesome. Interesting to see what the role of women was supposed to be in the mid-1960s.

2011-12-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

I dropped off extra tiles at the Habitat for Humanity store and saw a rocking chair. I took Mummy to see it and asked her if she thought it was nice to sit in. She has troubles getting off of the couch, and a chair with arms is better. So I went back and bought it.

Mummy knits in the rocking chair.

The Holiday Tree doesn't smell very piney, I suppose that happens when they cut them down a month or so ago.

The ornaments look pretty.

Yesterday we went on a walk at Sweetwater Wetlands.

I am scruffy.

There are a bazillion ducks there right now.

Northern Shoveler.

I even got a picture of Mummy without her looking like a deer-in-headlight.

Mummy.

In other news, a distant relative asked what information I have on the Ransom family. So I spent some time reviewing the text and adding new information that is now available online. One of my distant relatives was a palm-reader in Los Angeles in 1900. Another was killed by his stepfather, who hit him on the head with a hammer. A third was struck and killed by lightning, while a fourth was electrocuted while wiring a house. Most lived fairly unexciting lives.

2011-12-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

I made vegetarian Shepard's Pie, salad, and banana cream pie for supper. Dan, Cathy, Donna, and Mummy attended supper.

Supper table.

Afterward, we decorated the Holiday Tree. It was a lot of fun.

The Holiday Tree.

Mummy had a really nice time, we talked about cats (a lot).

Mummy, Donna, Cathy, and Dan.

I had a really nice time too, it was a lovely night.

2011-12-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

In the Spring of 2013 I may be helping teach an archaeology field school at a Spanish Mission site south of Tucson. So yesterday we went down to walk around the site.The mountains were coated with snow, so pretty.

Mountains.

While we were standing at the edge of the terrace, the Santa Cruz River decided to start flowing. We wondered whether we would be able to drive across it again (we were able to).

Santa Cruz River.

We saw three pieces of Chinese porcelain on the ground surface. The porcelain was shipped by galleons from Canton, China to Manila, Philippines, then to Acapulco, Mexico, and then by freight wagon or mule pack trains to the northern settlements. It was a high status luxury good, helping to brighten the lives of the priests at the far away mission.

Blue on white porcelain.

The Mexican food we had for lunch did not brighten my life. Instead I came home and threw up. I had recovered sufficiently to practice making macaroons, which I will take to the company cookie exchange tomorrow.

2011-12-13T16:57:00.002-08:00

Crazy rainy days. For the last 24 hours it has been almost continuously raining.

Pretty rainbow.

I had to work outside yesterday morning and got soaked. There was even more water today, and the drive to work was at times stressful, since the water was over the tops of the curbs.

Splashing to work.

A lovely vermillion flycatcher has been hanging out on the fence outside my window. I enjoyed watching him (the boys are prettier, of course) flitting about looking for delicious flying insects to eat.

Vermillion flycatcher.

Another view.

I hope he sticks around for a while.

2011-12-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

I waited patiently on Friday night for the train to pass by.

The trains in Flagstaff are very long.

There was snow on the ground and it looked colder than it was. In Flagstaff, people were wandering around shopping and I finished buying Mummy some presents. We drove by a photo mural by Chip Thomas. His ephemeral works of art are beautiful.

Baby.

Evan drove most of the weekend, and today I convinced him that macaroni and cheese made with Velveeta was delicious.

The lady at the knitting store asked him about his wife, while I stood there. Sigh.

I had brought along my large wicker wreath and we went out in the woods to cut pieces of pine and juniper.

Evan procures.

There were elusive elk prints everywhere, and we saw a long-eared jackrabbit scamper away. At one point a pair of hawks flew high overhead, calling.

Hawk.

There was enough snow to make a snow angel (or perhaps, a snow demon in my case).

I am graceful.

I wonder what the hawk thought as it watched me flounder in the snow.

Angel.

That afternoon we completed the wreath, using old large holiday bulbs to add a splash of color.

It is hanging above the fireplace now.

2011-12-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Brian Brown is the head of the National Organization for Marriage- a Catholic/Mormon front group that has channeled large amounts of money to the various anti-gay politicians and ballot measures. So of course the obvious Republican candidate for him to support would be Mitt Romney, who has been married to the same woman for 42 years.

HAHAHAHAHA

Instead, he's a big supporter of that total slut Newt Gingrich, attending a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser. That's correct, Gingrich, the man whose cock accidentally ends up inside the vaginas of staff members while he is married to some other woman. Married three times, had an affair while he was leading the impeachment of Bill Clinton for having extra-marital sex.

I suppose the Amway family or the Catholic Bishops told him it was alright to support the man-slut instead of the long-time married man. Can't see the Mormon donors to NOM being very happy about this.

2011-12-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

A whole weekend without the Internet. So that's what it was like to live in 1993 again. I read journal articles and books, played Age of Empire, dragged Mummy around to stores, cooked.

We went to Michael's and I bought craft kits to take to my local elementary school. I live in a very poor neighborhood and I know that many children would not have any presents on Holiday.

Crafty gifts.

When I brought in all of bags of kits, the woman behind the counter said to me, "Oh you are our Santa every year."

2011-12-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

Purple.

It's a rainy December morning and the flowers outside are happy.

Pansy.

Puff wanted to go outside, he's meows plaintively until I take him out. He is very curious, and doesn't pose well for pictures.

Homer and Puff.

All of the rain is making the wildflowers Evan and I planted in the front yard sprout like crazy. Around February or March I'll have some purple there as well.

2011-11-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

At work I am analyzing the ceramics from my last excavation. We dug eight outhouse pits in 8-inch-thick levels, bagging the artifacts from each level separately. The artifacts were then washed, dried, labeled, and rebagged, boxed by material type and feature.

I start by laying all of the ceramics for each level on their bag. I fit all the conjoining pieces together and masking tape them. I label the masking tape with the bag number, and then check for matches between the levels. As noted in an earlier post, items can be found up to two feet apart because things sink in the soupy outhouse fill.

Feature 170 reconstructible vessels (click picture for closer view).

I am able to reconstruct many vessels, and this helps me understand the socio-economic status of the household (the more highly decorated, the more expensive) and the date when the outhouse was filled, using the maker's marks on the back and various collector's guides.

Green transferprinted chamber pot and blue transferprinted wash basin.

This particular outhouse contains about half inexpensive whiteware dishes, including a few thick "restaurant" type dishes. The rest are decorated in a variety of patterns.

Unusual Chinese teapot.

There are six dishes from a matching blue transferprint pattern of flowers and foliage, and another three dishes from a separate pattern, with red flowers overpainted in blue, yellow, and green.

Matching pattern.

I enter the data into a computer database and I am making a table listing all of the reconstructible vessels and maker's marks. I then remove the masking tape and put the pieces back in the bags. A few of the more interesting pieces will be photographed for the report.

2011-11-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

An unidentified family, photographed at J. P. Rhodes studio in Phoenix.

The father is really handsome (click on photo for a closer view).

On the 1900 census, James P. Rhodes was the 17-year-old son of Albert Rhodes. James was born in May 1883 in New York, and worked as a laborer. He probably took over his father's business, and this suggests the photo was taken after 1900.

I'm donating it to the Arizona Historical Society. When I go, I'll check the Photographers in Arizona, 1850-1920 book to see what else I can find out about the studio.

2011-11-26T17:07:00.000-08:00

We drove south to Bisbee. I made the wrong left turn and we did not stop at the San Pedro House on the way there, and I wished I hadn't had that Diet Coke because I felt as if I was going to explode. My mother helpfully told me that they make Depends for men now.

After eating picnic lunch in the car instead of at the delightful San Pedro House, we wandered up the Main Street in Bisbee, stopping at various antique stores.

I told Evan to pray that my mother didn't break anything.

I purchased a photograph taken in Phoenix about 100 years ago. A handsome man, his wife, and two children. I am going to give it to the historical society.

I should have bought these.

I abstained from other purchases because I had to pay annoying bills and that means no play money for a couple of weeks. I whined to Evan about how expensive gluten-free products are. He comforted me.

Mummy and Evan at Bisbee.

When we got home I discovered a strangely super high water bill and then the washing machine is acting broken on the "Easy" cycle. Again, Evan comforted me. He is a very good boyfriend.

2011-11-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving today, on Friday, instead of yesterday. But first we went on a walk at Sweetwater Wetlands.

Evan, Mummy, and I.

There were lots of mallards and Northern shovelers, as well as widgeons and buffleheads.

Ducks.

Mummy is already walking better after being here for a couple of weeks.

Evan and Mummy.

As we were leaving we saw an enormous hawk land on the top of a power pole. It was HUGE.

Big hawk. Or as Mel pointed out, it is actually a Golden Eagle.

At home it was time to cook. For Thanksgiving lunch I made:

- mashed parsnips-potatoes
- gluten free cornbread stuffing (with onion, apple, fresh sage and rosemary)
- cranberry-mango-walnut relish
- spicy green beans (Evan and I canned these)
- gluten-free Bisquick biscuits

Mummy and Evan at the table.

I put on the Thanksgiving tablecloth and the 1909 wedding china.

It was very pretty.

Everything was really good, and I did not over-eat and I am not feeling gross afterward.

2011-11-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

So Maggie Gallagher, one of the con artists behind the National Organization for Marriage, made a video in which she shakes her jowls while blathering on about how you tell your friends and family members that homo marriage is evil, rudely making Thanksgiving dinner a hellish event. You can watch it on YouTube, especially useful as an appetite suppressant before the big holiday meal.

Personally, I didn't bother to watch because I can't stand her voice. I did run through it with the sound off, mainly because I was transfixed by her hairdont.

What. The. Fuck. Happened.

Did her hair stylist kill themselves halfway through the hair cut? The asymetrical look is just ugly with a capital U.G.L.Y. I guess that sorta matches her soul.

Here's another screen shot from a video in which she whines that Herman Cain isn't a good man because he doesn't hate gay people enough.

Not a MILF.

Maybe she cut off her ear and is covering it up? Maybe a horn is pushing out the left side of her skull? Or maybe she doesn't dare go to a gay stylist because you never know what they would do with a pair of scissors. If I cared enough about this former slut I might send her an email telling her to drag her diabetic butt to a different stylist, but then, their is only so much you do with what her god gave her.

Anyhows, I won't be lecturing my friends and families about gay marriage at Thanksgiving. Mainly because I will be too busy eating mashed taters.

2011-11-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

Back in late September we found a mysterious feature out at the dig site. An almost complete circle of bricks with a brickedopening. There was evidence for intense heat. I thought it might have been a small bread oven. Dan thought it had been used to melt lead to make bullets.

Mystery feature.

Last week I laid out all of the ceramics from one of the two oldest outhouse pits, one that was depicted on the 1883 fire insurance map. I put the pieces out by level, use masking tape to put together the broken pieces from the level, label these pieces, and then make mends across the levels. Because outhouse waste is pretty liquified, it is common to find matching pieces up to two feet apart.

As I was mending the pieces of a small, hand-painted dish, I noticed that it had a date, 1883, on its back. I realized that it also had the initials NG (or GN) on it. And then I realized that the next small dish had the same thing, as did several others, some with the year 1884.

Signed piece.

Eureka, this explained the presence of a piece of kiln furniture in another outhouse. The little brick feature was being used to fire these hand-painted dishes.

Back in the Victorian era, especially between 1875 and 1900, there was a china painting craze in the United States and Europe. Women could purchase blank pieces of ceramics and paint flowers, scenes, people, basically whatever they wanted.

Illustration from China Painting book, 1880s.

Middle and upper class women had more leisure time in the late 19th century. Servants did a lot of the hard work and labor saving devices, such as cook stoves, freed up time for women to do other things. China painting was touted as an educational, artistic, time-consuming, and potentially money making pursuit.

The dishes.

NG (or GN) painted at least six dishes in 1883 and 1884, and somehow they broke and ended up in the outhouse. Whoever she was (china painting was a mostly female hobby), was a pretty good painter, able to handle a number of different subjects.

White flowers on red background.

It is rare to find artifacts that you can conclusively say were made by the same person. Occasionally, workshops of artisans are excavated (usually out east at Colonial sites). This may be the first example in Arizona.

Reeds and flying birds.

I like finding artifacts that tell a story, and these dishes do just that.

Blue flowers on white background.

Sometimes I think I am the luckiest person in the world, digging up interesting things, learning about them, and then sharing the information with the world.

2011-11-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

In Flagstaff, Evan took me twice to go see elk.

Evan as a 1970s cop.

We looked everywhere.

I even looked inside a tree.

And of course, we didn't find any.

I did see some elk poop.

We came across a few prehistoric sites in the middle of nowheres.

We carefully put the sherds back after looking at them.

It was a very lovely weekend, even though I didn't see a single elk.

2011-11-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

My father's stepfather, who died in 1971, made this bolo tie, using a Petoskey stone that he shaped and polished.

All dressed up an off to work I go.

2011-11-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

Every artifact, prehistoric or historic, has the potential to tell a story. One of my duties as an archaeologist is to identify and interpret the artifacts discarded or lost on the sites that I work at.

During my last dig, Allen and I were finishing digging out the dirt at the base of an outhouse pit. Down at the very bottom, hidden in the poopy green dirt, was a weird hard rubber item. It was roughly a rectangle with rounded corners, and in cross-section it was S-shaped. We puzzled over what it was, guessing that maybe it had something to do with undertaker who lived at the house.

Top view

Side view

Fast forward to yesterday, when my boss sent me an article about a historic cemetery in Virginia to look at (I am busy collecting information on one of Tucson's abandoned cemeteries). One of the photographs in the article was of a hard rubber artifact found in the burial of a 54-year-old woman. It was identical to the artifact we found, it turns out the item was a pessary.

A pessary is a medical device used by doctors on women who suffer from a prolapsed uterus. Basically, their uterus end up outside their body (I wouldn't advice doing a Google image search on this). This problem was somewhat common in the 19^th century due to the large number of children a woman might have, as well as the wearing of corsets, which exerted pressure on the internal organs. The pessary was inserted into a woman’s vagina and manipulated until it was in the correct position, “the object of the pessary is to sustain the uterus in its normal position without fixing [the pessary in a permanent position]…” If used correctly, it prevented the uterus from descending outside of the body.

Smith-Hodge pessary, from a 1903 textbook (see page 198).

The introduction of a foreign item into the human body could cause health problems due to lack of cleanliness and the 1903 gynecological textbook states that the woman using the device should regularly douche. This may explain why we found so many douche kits at the site- there were perhaps 20 or 30 of them. Another item we found, which we thought was a baby pacifier, may very well be an anal pessary.

Isn't archaeology exciting? I learned a new word and briefly explored 19th century gynecology, all in the name of science.

2011-11-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

Mummy arrived safely from Michigan, and then it rained all day today. She is in the living room knitting. We did the usual, went to the library and the grocery store. I made Spanish Rice for lunch. It will take me a while to figure out the routine again.

Thanksgiving is coming up. Really, my least favorite holiday. Very meat-focused and now that Mummy has celiac disease, no wheat- so no pies, cakes, stuffing. Sigh.

I like turkeys, live ones. Some day I will live someplace in the country with Evan and we will have a pet turkey or two wandering around. Also a couple of goats. Some day. I think we will live in New England or upstate New York, just close enough to civilization, but far enough away.

2011-11-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

So pleased to see that the voters in my hometown, Traverse City, Michigan, voted 2,818 to 1,661 to retain the ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Traverse City commissioners passed the ordinance last year, and a pair of Christian freaks, one of whom (Matthew Schoech) I went to school with, raised enough signatures to put the ordinance up for a vote. And sixty percent of the people who voted basically told this fundamentalist to fuck off.

And in Arizona, racist state Senator Russell Pearce was recalled. I guess the voters in Mesa were tired of his shenanigans.

And in other news, the State Superintendent of Public Education apologized for basically comparing gays to Nazis. I called his office the day after that happened and spent a long time explaining to his staff person why that was inappropriate. I guess enough people called that he was forced to apologize and perhaps do something to combat bullying of LGBT kids.

2011-11-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

All Souls Procession, 2011.

We were deceased Victorian gentlemen. Our guests enjoyed samosas, cheesecake, and gingerbread cookies.

Deceased gentlemen and Puff.

Joey came and climbed onto laps. She and Puff liked the attention.

Joey and Reuben.

Brian came down from Phoenix, but all of the pictures I took had extra eyes and otehr nonsence. Jon brought along his buddy Clint.

Clint and Jon.

At the Procession, we ran into Rich.

Moi and Richard.

Most of my pictures were blurry.

Procession.

Most attendees had better makeup skills than either Evan or myself.

Better makeup.

I was most impressed by this mask made from a large mammal pelvis. Vert uncomfortable, I imagine.

Pelvis face.

It is 9:50 PM and my feet hurt and I have had a few gin and tonics. Time for bed.

2011-11-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

A day of busy business.

We purchased decorations and top hats. We made two batches of gingerbread for Day of the Dead-themed cookies.

Evan rolls dough.

We went to the Presidio Park.

Evan touches a cock.

We then went out to the Sonoran Desert.

Evan imitates a saguaro.

We made an altar for the All Souls Procession cocktail party.

The photo of the left is from Nelson Chatterton's 1890s funeral.

After a supper of mac & cheese and tahini veggies, we decorated cookies.

Cookies.

More cookies.

R.I.P. Sam and Donny.

2011-11-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Time Machine worked.

Victorian Tucsonans.

2011-10-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

I sat on the front porch with Amanda handing out candy.

The kids came in groups, shepherded by parents.

An hour an a half to hand out half a grocery sack of candy. Lots of rotten teeth.

2011-10-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

All Soul's Day Procession is a week from today. Evan is coming down, along with Brian, Craig, and Jesse from Phoenix. Evan and I are probably walking as deceased Victorian gentlemen.

This video shows portions of the parade and the show afterwards.

2011-10-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

I escorted Mark and Patrick to Richard's estate for the pumpkin carving party.

Handsome host Richard.

The macaroni and cheese I made was really, really good. The Romanian Apple Cake was more of a bread pudding, but it was also praised.

The carvers set to work.

I was creative this year and brought along some decorative gourds to enhance my pumpkin.

Completed pumpkins.

Roger and I discussed our ideas on the perfect house. We are directly opposed in that regard, I like having a formal dining room. We did not come to blows.

Roger's pumpkin had many teeth.

I admired Ray's Amish beard. I discussed how envious I was of Cobban's visit to Prague.

My pumpkin has big ears.

I called Evan while sitting next to the pool.

The lights make pretty patterns.

Later, Patrick burned things and I became coated with smoke. I did not mind.

Pyro-Patrick.

I had left-over cake for breakfast. Today I may go shopping for a top hat. I have to say, my life is pretty darn excellent.

2011-10-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

Halloween Macaroni and Cheese!

I'm going to a pumpkin carving party tonight with Patrick.

2011-10-27T15:52:00.001-07:00

I really need a tophat.

2011-10-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Pat Buchanan has written a book in which he whines about how people of European origin will soon be in the minority in the United States.

I've been reading through old microfilmed newspapers at the U of Arizona library (I know, my life is exciting). On the way to and from the library I get to observe the students. The future of America is made up of people of many ethnicities, skin color, modes of dress, and so on. Pat Buchanan's dreaded future is already here. And they are spending hours studying, attending college, preparing themselves for life.

It must be awful to be filled with that much fear of the future. You know, it sucks to be an old racist white man. The train has already left the station and one day one or more of his grandchildren or great grandchildren are going to make a baby with one of those other races. I hope he lives long enough to see it.

2011-10-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Halloween Cake Poll

I'm going to Richard's pumpkin carving party on Friday night and of course I have to make a cake. VOTE on which one I should take along:

A). butternut squash cake

B). coconut cake

C. pumpkin spice cake

D. Romanian apple cake

I'll probably do a lemon cream cheese frosting.

2011-10-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

We had a late supper on Friday night and slept in on Saturday. Then we got busy and went to Mesquite Valley Nursery and bought pretty flowers and herbs, planted them, had leftovers for lunch, went to Native Seed Search where Evan bought a bunch of seeds for his garden, and made pumpkin pie from scratch (except the crust, Joy of Cooking recipe). Not all in this order.

Blurry pumpkin pie.

Doug is in town doing a National Park event and he came over and we went to Rosa's for supper. We all had our usual. Afterward, I made whipper cream and we all had some pie.

Doug, with Joey and Puff.

Evan and I watched the original War of the Worlds and enjoyed it. This morning we made ghosts for my front porch.

Evan and Puff are scared!!!

Another lovely weekend.

2011-10-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to the Farmer's Market in a while, but stocked up today.

- two eggplants

- three yellow tomatoes

- four big beefsteak tomatoes

- a small pumpkin

- half of a butternut squash

- red potatoes

- yellow potatoes

I had a yellow tomato and mozzarella cheese sandwich for supper. I'll be making potato salad with the red potatoes. And a scratch pumpkin pie. Eggplants will probably end up as eggplant mozzarella. Have to feed Evan a nice supper after he gets here tomorrow night.

2011-10-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2011-10-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

When I arrived in Flagstaff, Evan had got me some flowers!

Orange is one of my favorite colors.

Friday night we watched Raiders of the Lost Ark and I assure you that I do not go around smashing Egyptian tombs.

The next day we were busy- running around to some stores. Bought a couple of Holiday gifts. Then back to Evan's place where we went on a hike and were unsuccessful at seeing elk.

No elk!

We made hummus, tabouli, and spinakopita.

Spinakopita.

Later, my stomach really hurted and then this morning I had some undesirable things happen. As it turned out, the organic curried lentil soup that I thought was vegetarian wasn't and my body reacted in a horrible way. Lesson learned.

We made salsa with Evans red and green tomatoes, but I forgot to take pictures. Now I am back home and it is too quiet.

2011-10-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Puff does not want his picture taken.

He has been super needy lately, often waking me up in the middle of the night wanting to be petted or held. I am already having 4:00 AM insomnia. It makes me just a bit grumpy and I tell him he's going to be spanked, but of course that never happens.

What usually happens is I ignore Puff and then he goes and finds Joey and picks on her, so then Joey comes and wants me to put my arm around her, because that makes her feel safe.

Is it any wonder it is 8:11 and I am still groggy?

2011-10-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

Whenever Tiny sees me she runs to the fence and holds her little legs up so I can pick her up and hold her. She is so happy to see me. Some mornings we sit in my car and she sniffs me for cats and then licks the side of my face.

Tiny slobbery kisses.

She really is the sweetest doggy ever.

2011-10-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Patrick won first place in the moustache category in the 2011 National Beard and Moustache Championship held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Los Angeles Times covered the event.

Patrick. And his winning moustache (courtesy accessAtlanta.

Last year he told me some of the secrets of his moustache. I am sworn to secrecy.

2011-10-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend cleaning my house. It was disgusting. Cat hair and dust in unexpected places. I finished five of the seven rooms. It was a lousy time.

For my birthday Tom sent me a book on cocktails and someone sent my a Martha Stewart book on wreaths. I am pleased with both. I think Evan and I will make some cocktails and do craft activities. That will be our Radical Homosexual Agenda.

At work I am finishing up the clearance letter, telling the City the archaeology has been completed for my last project. I am also completing the report on the previous project, which took place within the boundaries of an abandoned cemetery. As a side project I am compiling a list of people buried in that cemetery. It is a Poltergeist situation, where several thousand bodies were left in place and then houses were built on top.

Mummy arrives on November 12th. She is looking forward to spending the winter here, although she has already warned me that she is getting old (she is 79 1/2). I intend on getting her walking around and getting more exercise.

And that's the way it is.

2011-10-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Evan made me this glass iris for my birthday.

Home-made presents are awesome.

2011-10-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well my buddy Donny killed himself, going out in a particularly vulgar way that endangered other people's lives. He was always a drama queen.

We had many chats on Facebook and at one time he planned to visit Tucson. I always felt he had a brilliant mind, similar to my friend Sam who died last year. He also seemed to be living a sped up version of life, so honestly I can't say I was surprised to learn about what happened.

I wish things had turned out differently for Donny.

2011-10-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 17. Last day of fieldwork, the crew spent the day excavating two outhouse pits to their base.

Allen and Tyler's outhouse on the left, Chris and Barry's on the right.

We excavate the outhouses in eight-inch-deep levels, excavating half of the pit then drawing the profile (showing soil layers and artifacts) before doing the other half.

Chris excavating.

All of the soil is screened through 1/4-inch mesh and we collect the artifacts and put them into buckets, sorting them at the end of the level.

Adam and Barry screening.

It got really hectic at times because we were finding so many artifacts towards the base of both outhouses. The people using them threw a lot of trash down into the pits back in the early 1900s. Among these were bottles whose paper labels were sometimes partially legible.

Raspberry preserves from England.

In one level in Chris and Barry's outhouse we found 39 unbroken bottles.

Most are for medicine or alcohol.

My favorite was a small bottle shaped like a boot.

Boot!

In the afternoon I climbed down into Allen and Tyler's outhouse pit and dug for a few minutes. Of course I ended up finding one of the coolest artifacts I have ever found on an historic site- a hand-carved ivory tube. On one side it has a hunter standing next to a tree and holding a rifle.

Hunter.

On the other side is his hunting dog.

Dog.

At the moment I don't know what the tube was used for, Mike at work thinks it came from a powder flask. I'll have to do a little research to see whether that is correct.

Tomorrow I will work on the clearance letter and then I get to work on another report. I'm pleased to have work lined up for the next six months or so.

2011-10-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 16. We were supposed to finish today but the two outhouse pits are deeper than I expected and are filled with huge amounts of trash from the 1890s to early 1900s.

Allen and Tyler's outhouse yielded some interesting items early in the morning- a hard rubber comb (the fine teeth suitable for removing lice and lice eggs) and a clay pipe. You don't find many of those in Tucson, most people smoked cigars and cigarettes.

Comb and pipe.

The adjacent outhouse, where Barry and Chris worked, seemed like it wouldn't have much at first.

Barry cleaning off some bottles.

But all of a sudden there were a zillion bottles. My favorite is the one with purple ink still staining its interior, 100 years later.

Bottles from one eight-inch-thick (20 cm) level , there were many more broken ones.

Back in Tyler and Allen's outhouse, the number of bottles also dramatically increased.

Complete chamber pot.

Also found were a clock, a huge brass thingy, a corset, shoes, enema bags, a coin, dolls, figurines, a vaporizer, dishes, a glass pitcher, buttons, a hot water bottle, doll dishes, etc.

Bottles (I recommend clicking on the picture to see things better).

Also found, the skeletons of dozens of chickens and doves/pigeons. In some cases the dirt around them was stained brown from their decomposed bodies. Apparently some chicken disease struck a coop and the people just chucked them down the outhouse shaft. That must have been very smelly.

I can already tell that healthcare will be one of the topics my report focuses on. There are many prescription and proprietary medicine bottles, along with a large number of medical devices (we must have over a dozen enema devices).

2011-10-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

The leaves on the aspens are just turning yellow in Flagstaff. The weather was beautiful and on Saturday Evan suggested we go for a hike. I was feeling all allergy-filled, but the hike took care of that.

Evan.

Still, the elevation was about 5,000 feet higher than Tucson, so I had to stop a few times and rest.

Topless!

The geology of Red Mountain is all volcanic and erosion and less than 6,000-years-old if you believe many prominent Republicans.

I wonder if the Ark drifted by these rocks?

Not to get all theological, but why do Christians worship a fucking genocidal pedophile? Their "God" killed everybody except Noah (including babies) and then, for the second time, sanctioned rampant incest. Of course, then there was the 4,000-year-old "God" sticking his invisible penis inside a teenaged Palestinian girl. That's just grody.

We came across a baby serpent, who did not tempt us to eat forbidden fruits.

Snake, smaller than it looks.

It calmly posed for a close-up.

Snakes have a bad reputation they don't deserve.

On the way back I admired the pretty red flowers. There were also many varieties of pretty yellow flowers and some purple asters.

Red.

There was snow way up high on the peaks, but it is difficult to see here.

Vista. With many yellow flowers.

Saturday night we made home-made pasta sauce with all organic, local produce. It came out really nice. Then on Sunday morning we went and looked at some sites near Evan's domicile. As always, I admired the pretty ceramics, but carefully put them back where I found them.

Black on white.

The weather was so nice I didn't want to come home.

Yellow.

We made chocolate mayonnaise cupcakes and eggplant mozzarella and falafel for lunch. Then I got back in the car and arrived in Tucson four hours and one minute later. Tonight I actually yelled at the television during the Amazing Race. Tomorrow is the last day of the dig and then I get to be inside writing for a while. The fall approaches rapidly.

2011-09-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 15. Finding numerous late 19th and early 20th century medical devices and bottles today.

Ken came out and volunteered several days this week. Today he was excited to find three or four medicine bottles in an outhouse pit.

Ken.

Several were from a local Tucson pharmacist.

Prescription medicine bottle.

Also found, a glass syringe. OUCH!

Syringe.

It was appropriate, for reasons I can't discuss in detail, that we found several enema or douche bags today. It is strange to have someone saying out loud that "archaeology is a waste of money." Well, geez, I guess I have wasted the last 25 years.

Enema Bag.

2011-09-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Dig site aerial photo. This morning Henry flew over the site in a helicopter, taking pictures. If you click on the picture you will see things in better detail.

Thursday at 6:45 AM.

South is at the top. On the right side you can see the concrete block foundations of the former Greyhound Bus Terminal. The black holes are the eight outhouses and the one well. The various white lines are foundations, utility lines, planting pits, and postholes.

2011-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 14. Dan stripped the last portion of the site and found a few pits but nothing really remarkable. As he was doing that I had the crew explore various pits. I pointed one out to Adam and told him I wondered if it was a pet burial. A few minutes later he found the skull of a medium-sized dog.

Dog Burial.

It was so well preserved that you could see the stain from the fabric they had wrapped the dog in.

Close up.

Dan cut out around the well but it was a bust. The upper portion was filled with rocks and broken bricks. Below that was sand with a small number of 1930s bottles. That leaves four outhouse pits to complete and the dig will be completed.

Dan.

2011-09-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 13. Today we finished our big maps, showing the location of everything found so far. Dan stripped out the asphalt and concrete floor of the last section of the old bus terminal that we are exploring. Tomorrow he will strip the area to see what features are hidden in the dirt below.

One of the primary research tools I use are old fire insurance maps. These were created so that insurance adjusters in far off places like New York City could determine whether they wanted to insure a property in Tucson. The original maps are color coded by building material (adobe is pink) and contain notations about what sort of use the building has, the location of chimneys, and the placement of fire hydrants.

The 1883 map shows the two duplex houses, two wells, and three outhouses (unfortunately, the copy I had available today is blurry). The 1886 map is similar, but they stopped showing locations of the outhouses and wells.

1886 fire insurance map.

Between 1904 and 1909, another pair of houses, a set of commercial buildings (restaurant, saloon, and a grocery store), and a planing mill were built on the block. We have found the saw pit for the planing mill, which made crown molding, doors, and windows (the pit contained huge amounts of broken window glass). The mill was in operation from 1908 to 1914.

1909 fire insurance map, the planing mill is along the top right side of the block.

The commercial buildings were rebuilt and expanded, with a basement dug beneath them, destroying some of the archaeology of the site.

1949 fire insurance map.

Almost everything was torn down in November 1957, when most of the block was converted into a parking lot.

Chris, George, and Ken excavated in an outhouse pit, probably associated with the restaurant on the 1909 map. It is down to the five foot level and I stuck the probe in and it is about two feet deeper. We will have to strip the surrounding area down to get the bottom fill.

Restaurant outhouse pit.

The pit contains a very thick layer of white ash, apparently the restaurant had wood cook stoves. There were relatively few artifacts, mostly thick, durable whiteware restaurant dishes, broken goblets and water glasses, and only one whole bottle- a lovely green olive or pickle bottle that George found.

Chris sorting artifacts.

I demonstrated my superior shovel skills on the last level, I am pleased that at 48 I can still basically drop a shovel full of dirt into the screen with ease from the bottom of a deep pit. As I was clearing out the level (we are digging the outhouse pits in eight-inch-deep [20-cm] arbitrary levels), I found a pressed or engraved glass flower vase.

Flower vase.

Tomorrow we are having aerial photographs taken from a helicopter and then Dan starts cutting down around the four outhouse and one well pits that we are excavating further.

And in other news, I learned a lesson about misplacing important pieces of paper. I about had a panic attack until I arrived home and found them on my desk. Note to self- don't do this again.

2011-09-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Dig Days 11 and 12. We have been spending a lot of time drawing over-sized maps of the pits, foundations, utility lines, and outhouses. Excavation is continuing as well, and interesting artifacts are being find (a pocketwatch, another chamber pot lid, a fireplace poker, padlocks), but I've been too busy to photograph them.

Today Adam was digging a small planting pit and found a bird burial. It is not a chicken or a dove. We are wondering if it is a parrot or a cockatiel, a prized pet that was given a formal burial in the backyard of a house.

Bird burial.

Jeff and Olivia found a second cat burial today as well. We never have time to dig every single pit and it makes me wonder how many of the many pits scattered around in the backyard areas are pet burials.

2011-09-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

Dig Day 10. Nothing really exciting today. Dan finished stripping and we found a couple of outhouses, including one on the 1883 insurance map. Next week, a lot of paperwork and mapping before we cut out around the outhouses and dig down further.

In the afternoon, Allen took overview pictures from the bucket of the backhoe.

Western side of the site.

If you click on the pictures you can see the painted outlines of the pits, foundations, utility lines, and outhouses.

Eastern side of the site.

2011-09-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 9. It was a day of many things.

Dan stripped the next area, locating numerous pits including an enormous outhouse. So much work to do.

Block 91.

Jim uncovered a dog burial, the poor pooch lying stretched out on its left side.

Doggie.

Chris, Barry, Laura, and Mario worked on another huge outhouse, excavating it to the five foot level. There were many interesting finds.

Toothpaste used to be sold in ceramic containers in a dry paste. We have not found any toothbrushes yet. Prior to 1920, only 20 percent of the population of the United States brushed their teeth.

Oriental Tooth Paste.

Pieces of a blue transferprint wash basin were plucked from the poop. The designs were surprising modern.

An advertising serving dish was broken but complete.

Frank Torrence, Ohio, Largest Exclusive Cigar Brokerage Office in America.

Also found, the largest porcelain doll head I have seen on a dig.

The doll head was marked 1900-3 on its back.

I climbed down in twice to help out and one of the items I found was a footed pressed glass serving bowl.

Who knows what we will find tomorrow?

Chris kept wishing to find things, and then they would show up. I would like a piggy bank full of coins!

2011-09-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 8. I feel really worn out- it doesn't help that I can't stop waking up at 4:00 AM. Anyways, we continued digging in three different outhouse pits. Allen's reached the five ft level, with many bottles, some dolls, and a number of broken dishes with nice decal printed flowers on them. He stuck a probe down into it- at least three more feet to go. We will have to strip out the area around it before we can go further. Chris's outhouse pit is almost down to the poop layer, I am expecting lots of good artifacts tomorrow.

Tyler's outhouse was completed today and the last level yielded some cow bones, a 1902 coin, and then lying together in a pile, a complete set of silverware. Knives (the iron blade rusted away, forks, tablespoons, teaspoons, and small dessert spoons.

Silverware.

The silverware is actually brass. I wonder what the story for its disposal into an outhouse was. Perhaps an angry housewife who wanted new silverware?

2011-09-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 7. Sometimes you find too many artifacts. That was today. The outhouse that Allen and Laura were digging was jam-packed full of nails, tin cans, bottles, and large iron objects.

Some of the artifacts- bottles, a wine glass, iron pipe, rubber hose, and so on.

Along the south wall of the outhouse was a piece of decorative ironwork, lying at an angle. It was over four feet long when I finally found the end.

Iron work.

Between screening, a little digging, and filling out bags I wore myself out. Now I am at home, four hours later, and I am still sweating.

Paper label, circa 1900.

Among the other things we found were bottles with fragmentary paper labels, a piece of jewelry shaped like a deer's head, a coin (possibly Canadian or English?), buttons, cloth, window glass, a smashed doll's head, dishes, and a large wheel.

At home I am getting ready to make nectarine chutney, although I think it will probably get canned tomorrow, since I am too pooped from working on the outhouse.

2011-09-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 6. About 100 years ago, someone buried their pet cat in their backyard. Today Barry found in while excavating in a shallow trash-filled pit.

Cat burial.

The cat lay on its back on its right side, somewhat stretched out.

Cat skull.

When I saw the distal humerus I recognized that it was a domestic cat, there is a distinctive bone buttress in that area. One of my specialties is identifying animal and human bones.

Nearby, Allen started work on an outhouse pit. The upper portion of the pit contained barrel bands, a Chinese bowl, and then pieces of an unusual Native American or Mexican ceramic vessel started appearing.

Unusual pottery sherd (click on image to see close up).

It has brown lines and red designs on a white body. Fingerprint impressions are present along the rim. I'll have our ceramic expert at work look at it and perhaps he can tell me what it is.

Over on JoeMyGod he is wondering whether to ban anonymous commenting. I said anonymous comments were dreadful (go to any newspaper website and read the terrible comments) and someone ripped into me, thinking that Homer was a pseudonym. Lordy, I was very careful not to be snarky.

2011-09-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

Out at Sweetwater Wetlands, we saw some birds and amphibians.

This frog was ENORMOUS.

The birders generally have enormous cameras and binoculars. Still, Evan and I got to see a cormorant- the first time I have seen one there, and the birder who identified it on my camera was surprised.

Cormorant.

The lone egret flew overhead and landed in the west pond. I wonder if it is eating the frogs we could see.

Egret.

I'm taking Evan back up to Phoenix so he can catch the shuttle to Flagstaff (his truck is broken). We are going to have baba ghanoush and watermelon rind pickle sandwiches on the way.

2011-09-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 5. I ate 3.5 birthday donuts. They were delicious. Allen made me a present.

Petroglyph.

Evan got to dig a level in the outhouse. Among the things he found was a very rusted iron piggy bank of a man sitting down.

He also found four bottles.

Before people had electricity, they lit their homes with kerosene lamps. These two lamp chimneys were tossed into the outhouse pit, they were unusually thick.

Lamp chimneys.

Dan continued stripping today and found a store foundation, a pit for the planing mill equipment, a very obvious fence line, sheet trash containing pretty brown transferprint dish fragments, and three outhouse pits.

The soil filling this outhouse pit is very clear.

Looks like we will be out digging for at least two more weeks.

Best birthday present.

2011-09-16T05:02:00.001-07:00

48.

2011-09-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 4. Chris, Barry, and Laura started work on the other side of their outhouse pit. The upper fill didn't contain many artifacts, but as they started digging in the green poopy layer, the number of artifacts increased.

Chris found an intact whiteware plate made in England.

Pieces of a headless doll showed up, then a glass cup, several pharmacy bottles, and broken pieces of doll dishes.

Marie Antoinette?

We found many other pits, foundations, and utility trenches when Dan cleared another area to the north. Some are from a planing mill, which operated only from 1908-1914 and burned in 1910. Some of the features are clearly from the 1910 fire, 101 years ago.

A thunderstorm blew in and we had to leave an hour early. I stopped at the Farmer's Market.

- two watermelons for rind pickles
- a red pepper
- a huge eggplant
- a juicy tomato

I am making baba ghanoush as I type.

The Santa Cruz River was raging from the rain water and I stopped and took photos.

I am the shadow on the right.

Upstream from me I could see someone foolishly standing close to the edge of the river on a steep embankment. I went down to photograph the water level gauge, and discovered it was a United States Geological Survey scientist measuring how fast the water was rising and falling using some sort of giant measuring stick.

Over nine feet of water.

He was probably measuring it in the socialistic metric system and he will probably be calculating the amount of water and its speed, which all true Republicans know is a communistic, anti-Christian thing to do, since all science is suspect in America's post-glory period.

Some I will be driving up to Phoenix to pick up my handsome boyfriend, who is coming for the weekend and helping me do some archaeology.

2011-09-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 3. Barry and Chris started on the second outhouse pit. The upper portion was filled with sand and gravel with only a few artifacts- material dumped in back in the 1890s to fill the shaft after indoor plumbing was installed.

Below that the green poop layer showed up and artifacts increased. These included window glass, a hurricane lamp, a lamp chimney, buttons, nails, tin can fragments, a wine glass, engraved tumblers, and doll dishes. They also found five bottles.

Barry points to an olive green wine bottle.

Bottle hunters routinely dig old outhouse pits looking for treasure. They destroy the scientific value of the artifacts, since they remove the whole bottles and mix up all the artifacts. I really dislike bottle hunters. On a previous project, half of the outhouses and wells were dug by them, and it made it impossible to tell much about the lives of the people who lived there.

Perfume bottle with stopper.

Already I can tell that the family who dumped trash into this outhouse were wealthy. It is uncommon to find fancy engraved glass cups.

Liquor bottle, unknown bottle, and a Vegetable Pain Killer bottle.

Tomorrow we draw the profile, showing the soil layers, and then remove the dirt in the other half of the pit. I wonder how many bottles we will find in there?

The pit in the afternoon.

2011-09-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

Dig Day 2. Allen continued digging down into the outhouse pit, mostly through a layer of ashes from someone's stove. We found fragments of plaster statues, one of which appeared to be a nude woman.

At the base of the last level (we have to stop digging at five feet, and then strip out the surrounding area to meet OSHA standards), he found the soil changing to a very poopy green color. A wine bottle lay between the two layers.

1890s Wine bottle.

An interesting find were a pair of bone lace bobbins, used to create lace by some late 19th century lady.

Lace bobbins.

After drawing maps and filling out paperwork, Allen moved to a new pit and promptly found a tiny Frozen Charlotte doll. My mother has a larger china doll with an apron in which many small dolls this size are tucked.

Frozen Charlotte.

Meanwhile, Dan is busy removing the old bus station floor so that we can locate features below it.

The thick, reinforced floor makes this difficult.

2011-09-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of my latest archaeology dig. We are working downtown on a block first occupied in 1883, when a pair of duplex houses were built. The 1883 insurance map shows the houses, three outhouses, and two wells. We have located one of the houses, two outhouses, and a well. The other house was destroyed when a hotel basement was dug through it in the early 1900s. We may find the other well and outhouse, but have to remove a concrete foundation and floor first.

Overview of the dig site. Click on picture to see the outlines of features.

Dan is busy stripping the site- first removing the asphalt and then scraping the dirt away until we find features and/or the sterile dirt. Anything we find- postholes, pits, foundations, and utility trenches- gets outlined in white paint so we can keep track of them. This is particularly important because it has been raining the last few days.

Where's Homer?

The first two pits we worked on turned out to be insubstantial and yielded few artifacts. We then started on one of the 1883 outhouses and Allen thought it might have been dug by bottle hunters because the upper meter of fill was a brown sand that lacked artifacts.

Allen excavating the outhouse.

Towards the end of the day he struck the greenish gray, ashy poop layer and started finding artifacts. So far these have included:

- a kitten skeleton

- an arm and two legs from a small porcelain doll

- four buttons

- a rubber enema bag.

Wonder what will be found tomorrow?

2011-09-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Mad Men on Netflix. Were people really that sleazy and unhappy back in the 1960s>

I am sometimes envious of the sets, wishing I had the furniture and wallpaper. In the beginning of the last episode of the second season, Betty is at the doctor's office.

Poor Betty.

The camera pans over to an embroidered picture on the wall. My mother stitched the very same picture and it hangs in her house in the same frame.

Deers!

Some day I'd like to have it hanging in my house.

2011-09-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

My first trip to NYC, standing on the viewing deck at the Empire State Building.

1986.

Young and innocent, filled with inner turmoil. The trip did not end well.

In the distance, the World Trade Center towers. Several times through the years I would go through one of the buildings because there was a subway stop there, the last time in 1998.

It seems strange that 10 years has gone by. Moments of that day are imprinted strongly in my memory, including taking Puff to the vet's office and weeping in front of the receptionist.

I sometimes think Osama bin Laden won. The rabid fear of people to live their everyday lives. Every time I go through airport security. The destruction of our economy to pay for wars. There are very few people who I would say that I am glad are no longer breathing- bin Laden is one of them.

1986 feels like forever ago.

2011-09-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the first or second oldest standing building in Tucson, constructed around 1847, and watched as they removed the old wooden floors. They will be replacing them with bricks set in sand prior to the space being taken over by a non-profit group. I was there to collect the items that lay on the dirt below the floor. This included wooden thread spools, marbles, cloth, bottle caps, and buttons.

Pulling up the joists.

And lots of paper items, something you hardly ever see on archaeology projects, since it tends to rot away. The items mostly date to the mid 1930s, with some dated to 1936. They include children's drawings, a Spanish lesson by Ignacio Ortiz, gum wrappers, newspaper comic and crossword cardboard printing plates, and pages from a Mickey Mouse book.

The following was my favorite, a handmade picture of Mary and Mary, Joseph, and Jesus pasted onto a piece of cardboard.

Catholic imagery.

I have been sitting here tonight carefully brushing all of the paper items, removing the dirt before it dries. The following was all matted up, but I was able to unfold it and straighten it.

Mickey Mouse gum wrapper.

I pointed out that the floor joists probably dated to the 1880s or 1890s (there were square nails, which went out of use in the 1890s, nailed into them). The joists were actual 2" by 4" and the thick transverse joists were 4" by 4" (modern 2" by 4"s are actually something like 1 1/2 by 3 1/2). So the head of the non-profit had them saved and she has a friend who makes furniture from reclaimed wood and will make tables for the office from them. I think that is appropriate.

Later I went to pool volleyball where the yellow cake with lemon cream cheese frosting was gobbled down.

Last game of the season.

There was a torrential monsoon storm on the way home and my windowshield wiper malfunctioned and I had to pull off the Interstate. Then my car told me that one of the tires was starting to go flat. And then as I talked to Evan it started to hail dramatically. It was all excited and yet tedious.

Not as tedious as this blog post by some awful Catholic woman who saw some gay dudes rubbing ELBOWS at the pool and was so horrified that she is starting to think she shouldn't take any of her seven children in public because one or more of the children might ask her about the homos.

And of course several peoples were nasty and called her a cunt and similar nasty things, and hurt her horrid heart. She posted the nastiest comment at the top of the blog. I left a comment noting that several of her putrid Catholic buddies had wished that homosexuals would die, but somehow that is alright.

Really, I feel sorry for her seven children. Can you imagine having such a yucky person as your mother?

2011-09-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

At the dedication of the new parking structure I admired the beautiful artwork. Who knew that a parking structure could be so lovely.

Artwork.

I felt sorry for the person dressed up in this owl outfit, but at least it wasn't too hot. The mayor of Tucson bumped into me at one point, knocking over my water bottle. He is probably the only good Republican I know.

Give a Hoot!

Many people came to my display table to admire the artifacts. Many more people were interested in the pastries at the next table.

Artifacts.

Meanwhile, Dan was busy stripping the asphalt from the parking lot across the street, where we will be excavating next week.

The start of a dig.

The last two mornings Tiny has been out of her cage and she races to the fence and stands on her tiptoes with her little arms reaching up to me. I pick her up and she snuggles close to me. It is pretty amazing what a good little doggy she is. I hope someday to convince the neighbors to hand her over to me. Lord knows, they mostly ignore the sweetheart now.

Tiny kisses.

2011-09-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

My great great grandmother's brother Emmett. He had a pretty tragic life. His first wife Harriet had eight children. Seven of them died in childhood, most of them during a scarlet fever epidemic in 1883. Then Harriet died from tuberculosis in 1887. After she died, Emmet went on a long trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, probably to grieve. A couple of years later he married Effie, a family friend. They moved to Minnesota in 1899 and then on to Wisconsin, where he operated a dairy farm.

Elijah (1885), Emmett (1849-1922), Effie (1870-1937), perhaps Wilhelmina (1898-1901), and Minnie (1890).

Effie would have eight children, her second daughter Wilhelmina dying at age three. Today it would be inconceivable to lose eight of your sixteen children. So strange to think how modern medicine has saved so many lives.

Sometimes I wonder whether Emmett ever sat by himself and remembered the eight that didn't grown up.

2011-09-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

The drive north was fast and I arrived ahead of schedule. Evan and I made yellow squash bred-n-butter pickles on Friday night.

Squash pickles.

On Saturday morning we went to an antique shop with many overpriced items.

Grandma Evan.

I tried to look like a stern fireman.

Fireman Homer.

I bought Evan a 1953 Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. The cake recipes look tempting.

We had pizza for lunch.

We drove south to Camp Verde to visit with Bradley. The Verde River runs next to where he lives, so we got to splash in the water.

Evan splashing.

I thought it strange that there were no apparent waterbirds in the river, which was quite lush with vegetation.

Bradley.

Afterwards, Bradley played marimba and Evan played guitar. I played with the dog name Beijing.

Music.

On Sunday, we went to the Coconino County Fair. It is a pretty small fair, I should enter canned goods next year and make some dollars.

Coconino County Fair.

We looked at every animal- I was surprised that there were no dairy cattle. Many of the animals were being sold to be eaten by people. This is why there are no pictures of goats, because I felt sad for them.

Chicken.

There were many colorful chickens. Evan will have to make me a chicken coop sometime.

Floppy-eared rabbit baby.

We made peach tart and squash tart last night and I fell asleep on the couch. The allergies were finally catching up with me- itchy eyes and drowsiness.

This morning we went for a short walk and I admired the many wildflowers.

Purple and yellow asters.

My left eye was scratchy.

By the next time I am in Flagstaff, most of the wildflowers will be gone.

Black-eyed Susans.

The drive back was horrible and tedious and 6+ hours instead of 4 hours and 20 minutes due to road construction and an accident. The cats were excited to see me when I finally arrived home.

2011-09-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Out at the project we endured the horrible heat, documenting the historic site and finding a surprise- a small Hohokam site with a couple of houses and some roasting pits.

Roasting pit.

The heat was so oppressive (it was 86 degrees at 6 AM this morning), I came home every day and the heat would ooze out of me for hours. In the middle of the night, my pillow would be drenched.

I stopped off at the Farmer's Market and bought some things to take north to Flagstaff, where I enjoy the lovely cool weather.

- seven peaches

- eight potatoes

- an eggplant

- a cluster of garlic

A new project next week, it is good to be busy.

2011-08-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

So ready for the summer to be over with. As evidence I submit this photo taken while driving north to Flagstaff:

119.

Once I arrived in Flagstaff, I was excited to see the many varieties of wildflowers blooming. Unfortunately, the resulting allergies made my eyes weepy and me sleepy.

Mountain geranium.

Evan and I made a squash cake, which dramatically spilled over the pans and made a mess in the oven. But it was delicious. Today, we had breakfast and then looked for a nice bunch of allergy-inducing flowers to pose with.

Bee weed and some yellow flowers.

Happiness.

At home, it is now 96 degrees at 8:30 PM. I can't wait for it to cool down!