Arizona anyone?

[Nikki28]

Prescott here!

Building up a nice amount of Arizonians here.

 

[toots]

We have learned to enjoy the Keiffer pears.They are crisp and rather apple-like when first picked. The kids began calling them perapples until we finally found out what variety the tree really was. We have been leaving the fruit on the tree until after Christmas. I usually pick them and wrap them in brown paper and put them under the bed for a few days. Then I serve them fresh or cooked. They really hold their shape well when cooked or baked. Tarts or those fancy whole pears with the caramel sauce running down are delicious,but never as pretty as magazine pics. The size is an obstacle to making anything with a real pear shape! And with so much fruit, I feel forced to can as pear sauce or butter just to get the fruit used. Left on the tree to "see" if the pear will soften results in rotting from the inside out. I was shamed to see that I had wasted so much fruit when it first began to bare. The fruit never becomes as sweet nor as juicy as other pear varieties that we are used to eating fresh.
The tree also has a columnar shape . I have used shaping techniques and finally topping to give the tree a more open shape for some shading. The tree is also prone to growing suckers and the bark on our tree was damaged by the sun. I should have wrapped it for the summers, I guess.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I lived in AZ for 11 years and then decided I needed to broaden my horizons. I ended up in PA two years ago and now I'm ready to move back. All of my family live down in Tucson and surrounding areas. We're planning to move back in May. I'll be happy if I never see snow again - we still have a few inches on the ground from a storm that arrived about 3 weeks ago and we've been parking at the bottom of our 150-yard driveway because it's too icy to drive up. Even walking up is precarious. I'm 5 months pregnant and it terrifies me that I might slip.

Ok, enough snow-griping. LOL. We had chickens here but decided to sell them when we inherited a chicken-eating dog and lost several of our feathered friends. We knew we would be moving anyway. I miss them so much. DH and I were just talking last night about how we can't wait to get more chickens. The dear pooch has passed on so we're chomping at the bit to get moved so we can start over with the chickens.

Do any of you have rabbits? I want to raise meat rabbits for our family but I'm concerned about the heat. Any suggestions or ideas would be welcome. TIA.

Think I would be nervous too. Chickens need lots of shade & water here due to the heat. I do not have rabbits yet(yet being the key word). But there are people here who raise them with no problems at all, just lots of shade & water. Are you moving back to the Tucson area?

 

[Homesteadmom]

We have learned to enjoy the Keiffer pears.They are crisp and rather apple-like when first picked. The kids began calling them perapples until we finally found out what variety the tree really was. We have been leaving the fruit on the tree until after Christmas. I usually pick them and wrap them in brown paper and put them under the bed for a few days. Then I serve them fresh or cooked. They really hold their shape well when cooked or baked. Tarts or those fancy whole pears with the caramel sauce running down are delicious,but never as pretty as magazine pics. The size is an obstacle to making anything with a real pear shape! And with so much fruit, I feel forced to can as pear sauce or butter just to get the fruit used. Left on the tree to "see" if the pear will soften results in rotting from the inside out. I was shamed to see that I had wasted so much fruit when it first began to bare. The fruit never becomes as sweet nor as juicy as other pear varieties that we are used to eating fresh.
The tree also has a columnar shape . I have used shaping techniques and finally topping to give the tree a more open shape for some shading. The tree is also prone to growing suckers and the bark on our tree was damaged by the sun. I should have wrapped it for the summers, I guess.

Thanks for the info I know to avoid this type of pear tree!!

 

[greenrootsmama]

homesteadmom: Yes, we're looking at a house in Sahuarita. We'll rent until we get established and then start the hunt for property. My sister lives in Three Points and has chickens and one of my uncles lives out in Arivaca and also has chickens. Meat rabbits don't seem to be very popular. I've googled Californians and New Zealands for sale in AZ and the closest breeders I've found are around Phoenix. I was hoping to find some stock in Tucson. Do they have livestock auctions? Maybe I could find some meat rabbits there?

 

[Homesteadmom]

There is an auction house in Marana, dh is thinking of taking one of our heifers there soon. If we do that I will look & see if there are any rabbits & let you know. I want to get them too, but one project at a time. We live outside Casa Grande, but when we go to Patagonia lake we drive right thru the area you are going to it is a lot prettier there than here. Plus we have 40 acres up ontop of the white mtns we will move to eventually.

 

[greenrootsmama]

I can't wait to go to the lake. I have fond memories of that lake from my childhood. That was the lake where I learned how to swim when I was 12. I was a late bloomer, LOL.

 

[Homesteadmom]

We like it because it is a quiet lake not a lot of skiers there & there are a lot of trees to keep you cooler too. And we always catch a lot of fish there, always.

 

[greenrootsmama]

We used to go to Pina Blanca Lake and Arivaca Lake a lot too. I can't remember which one it was but when I was a kid one of the lakes had a restaurant and also a place to rent paddle boats.

Have you been out to Ruby? There's a small lake/pond there too and it's very secluded.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I haven't been to either Pina Blanca or Arivica lake. I haven't read the fishing reports lately but I know a few yrs ago Pina Blanca hada mercury level problem for many yrs. Patagonia has the paddle boats & canoes you can rent but no restaurant there. Although they had 2 little stores the last time we were there, one down by the water to rent from(also ice cream & other supplies) & one near the front of the camp ground that is bigger. Never heard of Ruby, have to do some investigating now. DH & DS#1 like to go to quiet places to fish & not be interupted. Fishing you know is serious business!!!