Due to my relocation after 30 years in the Chicago area to Arizona thingsgot a little mixed up, some material for the Newsletter was miss-routed but I finally received it the first week of January — Happy New Year to you all.
It was quite an experience, I have/had collected a huge amount of items over the years —I might need it some day. But when it came to moving some 1800 miles at 45¢ a pound, it was time to get rid of most of it and I did that with tears in my eyes. A whole roomful of electronic equipment, parts, test instruments, vacuum tubes, motors,transformers, you name it. I saved a little though.. CATUG members were first invited to help themselves and the rest went by the bye.
Now that I have been in Sierra Vista for two months, I wonder why I didn’t make that move earlier. The weather is beautiful and the air is fresh and clean. The temperature has been between 59 – 78° at high noon and down to 29 – 45° in the wee hours of the morning. It rained once (¼”) and snowed once (1½”) at night but it melted by 10 AM. About 98% of my neighbors are or were in the service (retirees), excuse me,in the military, at Fort Huachuca, the electronic testing grounds. Very nice, friendly and helpful people. The town was established in 1956, everyone is from somewhere else. I see the snow capped Miller’s Peak, 9400ft. from my window. Here is a letter that I mailed to friends and relations two weeks after my arrival; so if you are interested, read on.
Our Escapade
It was a long trip, 1864 miles in 4 days; we had to be here before the moving van arrives otherwise, I would have been charged for storage and unloading. We left two days after the movers on Nov. 9, to clean house and put junk out for garbage. The hardest part on us and the fully loaded car was between Oklahoma City and Albuquerque, NM. It was all steep hills and dales, about a 100, some of them about 500 ft. up and then 500 ft. down with very strong constant bucking head wind. I let the car coast down as fast as it wanted and then up the hill when it shifted down gears and slowed down to 60 at the top. We arrived after 3 PM, Nov. 15, got the keys and went home to find no electricity and no gas (no heat). I called but couldn’t get anyone to do anything before 5 PM. Got candles, put a blanket under and one over and slept on the floor. We brought with us blankets, pillows, suit cases, kitchen utensils, computer, towels, tool box and a cat.
Mad and full with vigor, the next day I was on the phone again. I had to go first to City Hall to get ENLISTED, pay deposits for sewer and garbage and get a Certificate of Ownership without which I wouldn’t get any services from others. Called the gas company and was told that they will install the meter in 6 days. No WAY CHARLIE. I went there, asked for the big boss and talked to her. “This afternoon”; she said, after I uttered the magic words; “… we even don’t have hot water to take a bath.”. The electric company will connect me sometime in the afternoon, they had put a notice on the door 2 days before we arrived that they will turn off the power if I don’t get in touch with them. The gas man couldn’t turn the gas on because the hot water heater was not connected and had no shut off valve installed. The gas range man could not set up the range without electricity. Back to the electric company—I want it now! The furnace guy could not set up the furnace without gas and electricity. That was finally done the next day. Luckily it was in the 40’s at night and the house did not get too cold.
The moving van arrived at noon and finished unloading by 5 PM. Now to the unpacking, searching, unpacking and where does it or should it go? Where did I last see that?
Everything in the house is made to comply with the energy saving laws here. The furnace is high efficiency, the tasteless odorless water has flow controls on all faucets even the toilet has a controlled flush, holding the lever down gives a longer flush otherwise it is just a spurt. Outside lights work from light sensors to turn on 40-watt bulbs even the street lights have 300 watts sodium bulbs instead of 500. Well insulated house, storm windows and all, just like Chicago.
The weather is beautiful, 67 to 78° at noon and starts cooling down after sunset to 39° – 49° at night with a continuous gentle breeze. Windows are open all day except when a backhoe is working next door. The humidity has been between 26 and 34%. We feel great but tire easily as we have not got accustomed to the 4600 ft. elevation. No clouds in the blue blue sky except one day when a runaway cloud presented us with a few rain drops. The car gets hot in the sun, A/C during the day and heater at night. The only negative is the yard; I tried to dig to plant; it is like digging in concrete. Not only hard red clay but with lots of stones and rocks thrown in for good measure. It is virgin desert soil never touched by man, no organic matter, no top soil. Water just sits on top of dry soil for hours. A stick of dynamite may be needed to make a hole for every shade tree I plan to plant.
People here live at a slow pace and nothing seems to be urgent except probably going to a fire. The only newspaper is delivered at 3 PM and I get the mail at 1 PM. All the people we talked to are very friendly and all are from somewhere else. The postwoman told me she was from Macomb, IL. “Arizona is the place to live”; she said, so did the man at Ace Hardware and the guy across the street who is from Monomenee, Wis. The four neighbors in our court work at the Fort; there is a couple of retirees down the street but most of them are in the military and would like to retire here. Everyone of them offered us help and one of them invited us for Thanksgiving.
Nov. 30, 1995