This unusual chorus line intrigued me as I was driving north on Stone near 4th. I stopped to investigate and learned that these were pinatas-in-the-works.
I couldn't help but smile when I saw this unusual retail partnership - antiques and hot dogs. The Antique Presidio ("fortress") is a group of many dealers who offer a diverse selection of merchandise of all ages, styles, and periods. And if you don't find the Chippendale desk or the Stickley table that you seek, take a break and enjoy a Sonoran hot dog.
If you're not prepared for this image, it might startle you. This huge photographic tile mural by Tucson artist Steve Farley depicts a vintage Tucson bus zooming west on Broadway near the Barraza-Aviation Parkway ramp. Whoa!
On the site of what is now Tucson's El Con Mall stood the luxurious El Conquistador Hotel (built in 1928). This water tower is across the street from the original hotel's site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This knight in shining armor is defending the corner of Grant and Campbell against a dragon attack. The east facing walls of Bookmans (one of Tucson's best used book stores) are decorated with a series of fantasy murals. According to the staff, all mural characters have been given nicknames. The knight is "Hugh" and the dragon is "Harold."
Recently Tucson weather has been hot and humid ~ reminds me of NYC in summer! But the mornings are wonderfully cool. There was a little rain during the night and here's a beautiful dawn-in-Tucson photo.
Frank's isn't for everyone and their motto says it all: "Elegant Dining Elsewhere." But if you want a great breakfast in Tucson, this is the place. And it has an alter ego ~ Francisco's. Yep, "Frank's" is for the breakfast & lunch crowd. After 4 pm it changes its name to "Francisco's" and serves Mexican food for dinner. Locals love Frank's and it has an army of regular customers but don't be shy if you've never tried it ~ the staff will make you feel at home right away. 
This LARGE lounging feline is blissfully unaware of the heat, the rain, or the traffic whipping by on Golf Links Road at Harrison. This cat (and a dog on the north side of the building) welcome 4-footed creatures into what else but a veterinary clinic!
Created by Tucson artist Joe O'Connell, this sparkly orange 1/2 lion, 1/2 eagle sculpture was inspired by the griffins that once adorned the Carnegie Library (now the Tucson Children's Museum). Lion paw/eagle talon prints are imbedded in the pavement from the museum to the sculpture's pedestal.
In the spirit of the Monsoon Season ~ here are two wonderful versions of rain thanks to two creative friends. Karl Moeller, screenwriter, keyboardist for Five Way Street Band, and Emmy award winner snapped this post-storm shot at sunset from his house on the northwest side of town.
The historic Santa Rita Hotel (more recently known as the Clarion) has been vacant since 2005 and will be demolished to make way for the new Unisource headquarters (parent company of Tucson Electric Power). The hotel was built in 1904 and expanded in 1917. Like the Hotel Congress (just a few blocks away), this hotel also has its resident ghosts. I wonder if they'll stay on the site....?
The Hotel Congress is perhaps best known as the site where John Dillinger last stayed before he and his gang were captured by the Tucson police. And then there are the many stories about the resident ghosts... Here the monsoon sky serves as a cloudy background for the hotel's iconic rooftop sign.
Faint painted lettering identifies this building as the storefront or warehouse of "W.A. Julian Co." ~ a firm that specialized in plumbing, roofing, and sheet metal. The only reference I could find about this business is that they redid the plumbing for a hotel in Bisbee, AZ. These garage doors face west on Arizona Avenue, south of Broadway.
This fantastic and fun mural captures the spirit of the Wild West, for sure! Here's a cowboy soaking off the trail dust while a huge crowd watches - his trusty horse, his Rottie, some scorpions, a snake, a family of quail, a steer, a turtle... every time I look at this mural I see some other critter! And of course there is the shocked saguaro! FUN!
The serene, cool white exterior of Mission San Xavier del Bac that was displayed in yesterday's posting does not prepare you for the riot of deep rich color and ornate carvings that decorate the interior! Considerable restoration has been going on at the Mission for many years ~ the interior colors are so vibrant!
Beautiful Mission San Xavier del Bac is a "must visit" for both tourists and residents of the Santa Cruz Valley. Functioning as part of the Diocese of Tucson, this lovely church is more than 200 years old and still serves the faithful with daily mass.
I was struck here by the remarkably sharp division between wet and dry, rain and no rain, cloudy and sunny. Often these storms are short and after a few minutes there is no evidence anywhere that it even rained.
As the storm clouds rolled in I was mesmerized by the one patch of blue sky that remained visible even after the rain started. What a beautiful contrast ~ the grey and the blue side by side.
With camouflage perfectly suited to this region, the common Sonoran Gopher Snake can be found in the desert, in wooded areas, and in grassy areas also. If disturbed it's easy at first to mistake it for a rattlesnake ~ it will shake its tail and rise up and hiss loudly. I almost stepped on this one in a residential neighborhood. This photo has nothing to indicate scale but I estimate it was about 4' long.
A plant native to the Sonoran Desert, the saguaro can live for more than 100 years and a 20' tall one can weigh 2000 pounds! They serve as nesting sites for gila woodpeckers and cactus wrens. Look at the multiple holes puncturing this saguaro's arms and trunk! The resilient cactus forms scar tissue around the holes to protect itself from water loss.
Trying to beat the rain I raced into a parking garage downtown and glanced up to see the progress of the gathering storm. I had to stop and capture this image of thick storm clouds completely swallowing up the nearby buildings. This broadcast tower almost glowed in the late afternoon light. Within a few minutes the tower, too, was engulfed in clouds.
Tucson is famous for exceptionally beautiful sunsets. Doesn't this one make you want to sip a cool tropical drink?
The monsoon season isn't uniformly dreary as you might think. Tucson enjoys many hours of brilliant sun and beautiful blue skies during our rainy season. These reflected cumulus clouds serve to partly camouflage the Bank of America building.
This vibrant mural is a community project that was painted at Mansfield Park. The plaque says, in part, "The main focus of our mural is the tree whose roots are made up of different cultures and many generations that help it grow to be what it is... When we are so moved by an experience that we want to share it with others we are where art begins!"
It's late afternoon and the monsoon storm clouds are rolling in again to give us more water, thunder, and lightning. This soft light makes this landscape photo look like it was shot with black and white film.
While driving in the early evening I was caught in a quick downpour and pools of water quickly formed on the street. I had to see if I could capture the beautiful reflection of the street lights. Sometimes the rains stop in just a few minutes and if you drive a block or two in any direction you'll often be in a totally dry neighborhood.
This majestic archway is at El Con Mall, Tucson's first enclosed shopping center. Far in the distance you can see the Rincon Mountains ~ a little cloudy ~ waiting for the monsoons to start.
