The Dog Days have arrived
We've just entered what typically is described as the slowest time of the year. The weather is consistently hot, more humid, and life here just seems to hide away for a while. For those of us that remain in the area, the best we can do is try to stay cool, and get the chores done very early or late in the day.
The overall economy remains sluggish with no sign of any substantial improvement on the horizon. While most Americans have been focused on the Debt and Budget battles taking place in Washington, our Town Council has undergone substantial change. With the exception of the mayor and former vice-mayor, everyone else is a freshman. I'm sure we all wish them well.
Although I'd like to have an upbeat perspective in regard to the local economy, there isn't much to support that goal. There are still far too many empty storefronts, with little likelihood of them being occupied any time soon. I cannot accept the notion that gaudy signs and banners will improve the situation.
Last week a distant cousin from New York contacted me by email to advise me that she and her husband were planning a trip to Sedona and the Canyon in a few weeks. She is a competent teacher with a very good command of the Internet and its research potential. Instead of asking what they could do in Carefree on their planned 1 day here, she wrote that they were looking forward to seeing me and visiting 'that cute little town called Cave Creek'! So much for signs and banners.
I'm certainly not suggesting that we need to become a vacation destination, nor is it likely to occur. I've long been aware that Carefree is not a 'resort town', or a hotbed of outdoor summer activities, or even a weekend getaway destination. Perhaps we all should finally come to grips with what we are; a quaint, restful community that affords us a great, albeit quiet, lifestyle. Our government should be sized accordingly, and it should maintain a realistic outlook for the reasonable things we are able to offer.
If it were economically feasible, Carefree could spend a million dollars on signs, advertisements, and even TV spots. But all that money wouldn't change what is essentially Carefree. We wouldn't one day wake up to cool rivers, alluring lakes, or exotic new resorts with spectacular golf courses, nor would Carefree suddenly have the magical allure of a Sedona.
Groups of people knocking heads has become more than tiresome, especially when you consider that nothing has changed. No oil or gold has been discovered. No multi-national company is planning to move here. No PGA tournament will be held in Carefree, and there is no Super Bowl in our future. Bickering factions should bring all that into focus.
Check the update in Carefree Kronicles, available now.