12 MARCH 2021 By Sam Lowe A rizona’s Native American ruins are among the most picturesque in the country. Over the years, hundreds of thousands have visited their sites, staring in awe at what these builders were able to construct, and left wondering what happened to those who once lived there. Among them are my three favorites, selected for their historical significance as well as their wonderful names: Wupatki, Tuzigoot and Kinishba. Wupatki, which means “tall house” in Hopi, is a multistory Sinagua pueblo dwelling that people had inhabited since around 500 A.D. It became a site of a significant population influx after Sunset Crater erupted in the 11th century. The eruption blanketed the area with volcanic ash, which gave the soil the ability to retain water, making it an agricultural site for a limited time. Wupatki was composed of about 100 rooms, including a community room, a ball court and an unusual “blowhole,” a crevice in the Earth’s crust that sucks air in and blows it out upon certain weather conditions. The dwelling’s walls were made of thin, flat blocks of sandstone, held together with an early form of mortar so strong that many of the walls still stand. Studies indicate that 2,000 people moved into the area after the eruption, and about 100 of them lived at the pueblo, which was the largest building for at least 50 miles. By 1225, it was permanently abandoned. The site was left unattended for centuries, ravaged by elements, herdsmen, pot hunters and curio seekers. Concern over looting led to its protection as a national monument in 1924. Wupatki is located 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff off U.S. Highway 89. Tuzigoot takes its name from an Apache word meaning “crooked water.” It’s the remnant of a Sinagua village built between 1125 and 1400 A.D. The original pueblo was two stories high in places, but most of the rooms were on the ground floor. Archaeologists speculate that the building grew without any specific floor plans; newcomers added rooms as necessary. The ruins contain very few doors because the inhabitants used ladders to access the roofs’ trapdoor openings to enter each room. The walls were limestone and sandstone; the roof supports were juniper, pine and cottonwood logs taken from the surrounding valley. Tuzigoot was at its peak as a popular place to locate in the 1300s. According to archaeological estimates, the building contained 86 rooms on the lower level and possibly another 15 on the second, making it home to about 225 people. The site was excavated from 1933 to 1935 and opened to the public in 1936. Three years later, it was designated a national monument. It is located off Highway 279, just east of Clarkdale. Experts now theorize that residents of Tuzigoot and Wupatki moved into pueblos to the north after leaving the sites. Kinishba, located about 5,000 feet above sea level on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, is the least restored of my three favorites. After a limited restoration in 2007, the ruins have been left pretty much alone. Some of the walls have tumbled under the weight of time. The pueblo was composed of several major buildings that have been reduced to mere mounds. The remains of the structure show it may have originally been three stories tall. Now it is braced against further deterioration. Despite that, a sort of mystic serenity abounds as visitors tour the grounds. Estimates suggest the pueblo was built and inhabited from the 12th to 14th centuries when population figures soared in the Mogollon Rim area. The site contained two large apartment blocks, several smaller buildings, a kiva and communal courtyards. While it flourished, Kinishba may have been occupied by as many as 1,500 people. The walls are unique and double- sided; one side was faced with native stone, the other with rubble picked from the surrounding area. Five original underground rooms were later filled in, and a sizeable above-ground room was erected on the site. Kinishba, a National Historic Landmark, is located a short distance west of Fort Apache. Access to all three sites is relatively easy, and there are entry fees for each. The Lowe Road Former Valley newspaperman Sam Lowe now writes about his travels across Arizona, the U.S. and the globe. BY SAM LOWE Dwellings endure: Arizona ruins that still stand Wupatki Tuzigoot Kinishba PROPERTIES

13 MARCH 2021 By Ray Artigue W ho doesn’t love pets? Many people have one or two in their families. Ames McGarey, however, might consider that number a mere “experiment” in pet ownership as she tends to shepherd a pack of dogs at any given time. “I’ve always had a passion and sensitivity toward animals,” McGarey said. “Even as a young girl, if I saw something wrong, I’d jump right in to protect them.” She rescued her first dog at age 12 when she was riding her bike. It was a lost mixed breed that she named Sammie. “Fortunately, my parents let me keep him, and we continued to adopt dogs along the way.” Ames and her brother grew up in Connecticut, then Colorado, where their parents were very active in sports and the community. McGarey attended the University of Colorado, and after college, she moved to Chicago, where she met her husband, Robbie. She followed him to Phoenix, where they eventually married in 1985. They have three adult children: daughters Christie and Katie and son Chase. Ames’ passion, if not her preoccupation, is caring for dogs. Currently, the McGarey’s have five dogs, a wide variety of senior and at-risk canines. There’s Zeke, Brooklyn, Norman, Ivy and another Sammie. Two of them are blind. “I tend to adopt calm, older dogs that may have issues of one kind or another,” McGarey said. She explained that her husband “kindly tolerates” her passion for pooches. “It wasn’t always his thing, but after 37 years of marriage, we accommodate each other and our passions. He’s very good at putting up with it.” All total, she estimates that they have adopted 40-plus dogs over the years, and her empathy toward abandoned animals has rubbed off on her kids, as they all have rescue dogs. McGarey says there are two types of pet owners: those who would do anything for their pets and those who pay little or no attention to them. The latter behavior has put more than 400 dogs in the Maricopa County Animal Care Shelter. “Thankfully, Phoenix has many amazing rescue groups with people who dedicate themselves to helping dogs and cats in need,” McGarey said. “There’s a misconception by some about dogs in shelters, but they are great pets. There’s nothing wrong with the animals, just the people who put them there.” Ames takes on other challenges when she isn’t tending to her gaggle of furry friends, welcoming all to the tennis court. “I’m pretty competitive,” she admitted, “and once I set my mind to something, I go after it with intensity.” Regarding the neighborhood, she says her family loves Arcadia. “We live in a bubble because most of what we do is right here,” she said. One of her favorite books is the classic, The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, and not surprisingly, it parallels her empathy for animals in need. It’s a story about the persecution and eventual redemption of a Chinese farmer and his family in the early 20th century. McGarey clearly understands the joy of witnessing triumph over trials, proclaiming, “There’s no greater feeling than saving an animal in harm’s way.” Ames McGarey There’s no greater feeling than saving an animal in harm’s way. J M Chapman Agency Inc Jay Chapman, Agent Bus: (480) 945-7122 7055 E Thomas Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 jchapman@amfam.com American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 ©2015 006441 – Rev. 2/20 – 12923221 Call (480) 945-7122 for a no-obligation free quote. insuranCe DesigneD with You anD Your Dreams in minD. J M Chapman Agency Inc Jay Chapman, Agent Bus: (480) 945-7122 7055 E Thomas Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 jchapman@amfam.com erican Family Mutual Insurance Company, I. & its Operating Companies, 00 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 2015 006441 – Rev. 2/20 – 12923221 all (480) 945-7122 for a o-obligation free quote. suranCe DesigneD with ou anD Your Dreams in inD. J M Chapman Agency Inc Jay Chapman, Agent Bus: (480) 945-7122 7055 E Thomas Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 jchapman@amfam.com American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 ©2015 006441 – Rev. 2/20 – 12923221 Call (480) 945-7122 for a no-obligation free quote. insuranCe DesigneD with You anD Your Dreams in minD. INSURANCE DESIGNED WITH YOU AND YOUR DREAMS IN MIND. CALL (480) 945-7122 FOR A NO-OBLIGATION FREE QUOTE.