SimplyLife

If you missed this historical potboiler, read on. This is the Bisbee Massacre, revisited. The wild West is alive and well where we live. Tombstone is an easy drive for an afternoon of strolling the boardwalks, getting some BBQ, and chatting with cowboys, gunslingers, and "soiled doves." Every self-respecting American knows about the gunfight at the OK Corral. We've romanticized it in film for decades. Personally I enjoy the 1993 version with Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell. There are quite few tales of violence and western justice in our area that are not as well known as the OK Corral incident. Bisbee, which snatched the designation of county seat in Cochise County after the Tombstone silver ran out has some tales of its own. Since winter is upon us and a story is always good by the fire, sit a spell while I tell you the about the Bisbee Massacre. Main Street, Bisbee, AZ On a cold December night in 1883, five outlaws rode into Bisbee and commenced robbing ...

It seems like everyone has a top ten list for just about anything this time of year.  The best, the worst, the most popular, unpopular, obscure, and whatever you can think of.  So...in keeping with popular culture for this week only, SimplyLife offers its own top ten list for 2012.  Here are the most read and commented on posts at SimplyLife for 2012: 10.  A tie between A Taste of Bisbee and The Arts and Crafts Show -Western Style . 9.    Tuesdays at Care Net . 8.    Unleashed Living 7.    Oh Look!There's Another Nest! 6.    Book Giveaway 5.    The Family Fruitcake 4.    Smores Anyone? 3.    The Dress 2.    Wild Blue Yonder And now for Number One....drum roll....clearing of throat, and opening of envelope. 1.  Under the Circumstances or Above Them Got some time for reading?  Check out some posts from the top ten...

Living pretty much in the middle of nowhere limits your dining choices, but happily we're not too far from Bisbee. My husband surprised me with a romantic birthday dinner at the Cafe Roka last night. He managed to get a window table at on the third floor and we had the space to ourselves. Our attentive attentive server whose name was Bronwen (for a character in How Green Was My Valley) only added to our wonderful evening. When dining in Bisbee you get the chance to get to know your server. The restaurant has an eclectic menu, featuring local produce and meats. Everything is fresh and homemade. The exquisite appetizer of Medjool dates stuffed with bacon and Gorgonzola got the evening started right and we finished with a dessert sampler of Key Lime tart, Nutella cheesecake, and flourless chocolate cake with fresh strawberries. While we leisurely ate our entrees, we had a bird's eye view of the light foot traffic ...

The wild West is alive and well where we live. Tombstone is an easy drive for an afternoon of strolling the boardwalks, getting some BBQ, and chatting with cowboys, gunslingers, and "soiled doves." Every self-respecting American knows about the gunfight at the OK Corral. We've romanticized it in film for decades. Personally I enjoy the 1993 version with Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell. There are quite few tales of violence and western justice in our area that are not as well known as the OK Corral incident. Bisbee, which snatched the designation of county seat in Cochise County after the Tombstone silver ran out has some tales of its own. Since winter is upon us and a story is always good by the fire, sit a spell while I tell you the about the Bisbee Massacre. On a cold December night in 1883, five outlaws rode into Bisbee and commenced robbing the largest mercantile in town with the goal of snagging the Copper Queen Mine's payroll of $7,000. The Phelps Dodge...