Receptacle Blues (& Greens)
Sometimes one man’s trash is still, well…another ma
n’s trash and it needs to be thrown out! When the Arizona Mountain Inn & Cabins owners Brian and Mary had to confront the need to move their dumpster away from a spot in which local pranksters set it on fire from time to time, the only other place to relocate the behemoth at the back of the property and in direct view of several cabins. These particular cabins have the best mountain views and the last object a guest wants to see blocking Nature’s grandeur is a dumpster (despite its forest green color).
They knew the need for a dumpster was a necessity; the unpleasant exterior of such a container, however, could be negotiated. It is no secret that Flagstaff tends to draw creative types to its community, so we are largely spared the bland manufactured look of track homes and uniform, tan-colored city buildings. Rather, we see the varying shades of brick and wood that make up our historical downtown. Mary decided to harness this spirit of Flagstaff art and turn the eyesore into an interesting topic of discussion. She set to work and asked an employee to sketch, and then fill in, a scene of an elk and a woodpecker (albeit a very large wood-pecker!) against the now-useful backdrop of trees in a forest of green paint.
Not everyone saw the benefit of painting a trash bin, so it took some convincing to persuade Brian that the cost of painting the dumpster was a worthwhile endeavor. Now, though, when a visitor has the opportunity stay in one of the Arizona Mountain Inn cabins with the majestic mountain views, their eyes will bypass the necessity of a large trash receptacle and instead, a cute scene of woodland creatures will greet their peripheral as they gaze toward the splendor of the San Francisco Peaks. Just one more unique aspect that makes the Arizona Mountain Inn & Cabins special and one-of-a kind!
