AN OLD FRIEND I JUST MET

Destination Bisbee. Why? Because someone I knew in high school, Sam, remembered me from the high school days and found me via the world wide web. He happens to have a space in an antique mall in Bisbee. I happen to have some antiques I want to sale. He invited me to go check it out. The mall is called ACACIA. Ad pictured here to the left.  He has one booth specializing in old documents, photo's (especially old military photo's), old tin containers, and more, but there are many, many different dealers offering every kind of blasts from the past you could imagine. There is beyond cool antique stuff there. They don't make jewelry like they did back then; extravagant rhinestone brooches are my favorite. Furniture and clothes upstairs.

Spent the whole day and didn't know that he also has a place at Antique Trove, (Dealer #140) Scottsdale Rd & McDowell, Scottsdale, AZ.  That's because we were busy playing the "do you remember..." game that people who haven't seen each other for forty years play. I discovered that little tidbit of news once I got home by spotting an ad in the free antique flyer/newspaper I picked up in ACACIA. Ad pictured here to the right.

I love Bisbee because it is so quaint, and is built on hills so the streets aren't flat, they are steep  narrow up and down old mining town streets. Homes are hanging over the streets on the edge of hills above. It was an old mining town that died then became a tourist destination. Won't spend a lot of time on the history since you can google it and get all the statistical facts about it. Sam said it reminds him of New Hampshire.  Now I want to go to New Hampshire.

After leaving the business (tourist) district, we drove to the east side, the residential side, of Bisbee to meet a friend of Sam's for lunch. We walked from his friends house to the restaurant. I felt like I was walking through Mayberry. Passed a barber shop and was surprised that Andy Griffith wasn't hanging out chatting with Barney Fife, and Floyd, the barber, waiting for Aunt Bee to bring them a lunch basket. To top off the nostalgic feel the sun was shining, birds were singing, and the wind was still. Prestine I tell you.  As though I had fallen into one of the good old days people always talk about.

We ate at Beto's, a very small mexican restaurant nestled in the predominantly residential side of Bisbee. Right next to a school. Incredible food. To top off the unbelievably simple town feel of the day, Beto's resides at 123 Arizona Street, which seems an appropriately small town simple address to me. Golly! It was great.

Sam in antique mall.

While Sam was busy stocking his antique store with new inventory I did the tourist thing. My iPhone was all charged up and ready to take pictures.





Here are some pictures of his antique wares:

When I went out onto the street I was delighted to find a street performer.  His name is Craig, "but you can call me C-Sharp", he says. Hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed him.

I ask him if it was alright to film him. He loved it, and performed a song he had written in its entirety. I am intrigued with street performers. I looked up street performers on wikipedia and found this - Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities[1] . In many countries the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is practiced all over the world by men, women and children and dates back to antiquity. In English speaking countries people engaging in this practice are called street performers or buskers.

I told him he was going to be on YouTube. He told me he has already been in a documentary on national TV. I am searching for that documentary. If anyone knows about it I would love it if you would share it with me. I consider these "buskers" as being national treasures. Living art. Maybe a dying breed. Kudos to them all.

Well, goodbye Bisbee for now. I will be back.

ACACIA Antique Mall, Bisbee, AZ