Inflatable Frankenstein is on guard near the Gaslight Costume Shoppe. He's not carrying a bag, though, so I'm not sure how he can haul his candy back to his lair. Have fun tonight, all you trick or treaters! 
One of the most exciting pieces of Tucson news is the ongoing renovation of the downtown area and a key player in this renaissance is the Providence Corporation. They moved their headquarters downtown and are now partnering to renovate two adjacent buildings. Just a few days ago I noticed this fun mural ("Create to Inspire") mural on the construction site's plywood wall. And already the mural has changed - stay tuned and I'll post the the newest iteration soon. For more about what's happening to revitalize downtown Tucson, go to:
This bricked up window caught my eye at Broadway Village - one of Tucson's most charming shopping areas. I suppose it is due to Halloween - the season of all things ghoulish - being almost upon us that I remembered poor Fortunato's fate. Lured by the promise of tasting a superb Amontillado he watched his own tomb being created brick by brick....
There are many beautiful and interesting murals in South Tucson and in the spirit of the Halloween season I'm posting this one. I hope to hear your comments about the images of mother, child, and multiple skulls. Check out the skulls on her dress hem and on the canisters perched on the floral background. Any thoughts?
Rarely does the sports world have such a weird story that captures everyone's attention. Paul, the incredible psychic octopus and soccer expert who predicted the World Cup winner, died in his sleep on Tuesday. Here's a fun old station wagon that is painted with an undersea theme - including coral branches and jelly fish! 
Poor thing ~ out flying around on her broom and WHAM - she slams into one of Tucson's finest (saguaro that is). Ouch.
You may remember seeing previous posts of my friend Cathy's incredible vegetable garden. Well today she sent me this photo of a cactus flower that is growing near her garden. She doesn't know the name of this unusual flower but I'm hoping a site visitor will identify it and let us all know. Thanks!
If you know Arizona's state flag, this spectacular sunrise will look familiar to you! Our wonderful weather is definitely a "Tucson Treasure" for us as well as for our many visitors.
Just outside of another new burger franchise on the east side I noticed these crossed palms. I don't know why the fronds haven't been unwrapped yet but for now they look like big leeks or giant celery - don't you think?
I laughed when I spotted this bug. The clever folks at the Gaslight Costume Shop have affixed a wire to this bug and every few seconds he turns his head! Believe me, it's funnier to see than to read about it here! (:
You probably know by now that the Sonoran Desert is home to the heroic saguaro. But did you know that Tucson is home to the rare PURPLE saguaro? Yes, they are seen around town supporting bus shelters. And this patch of beautiful matching purple flowers just adds to the cheer!
In recent years 44 N Stone (Stone & Pennington) was abandoned and boarded up. Prior to that it was a Walgreen's. Before that - I don't know what it was. The building dates to 1929 and has benefitted from the Downtown Facade Improvement effort spearheaded by the Downtown Tucson Partnership.
Did you ever wonder why all Japanese restaurants display a ceramic cat (or two or three) that have an uplifted paw? It's considered a lucky cat and the upraised paw is to welcome customers to the establishment.
The Fox Theatre is an Art Deco treasure. Built in 1929 it was an important social venue in Tucson for decades but eventually fell into disrepair. In the last few years it was painstakingly restored and now serves as a movie theatre as well as a special event venue. Naturally, it has some scary movies scheduled for the Halloween season!
In recent months I've posted many of the fantastic full-wall-size murals painted by Joe Pagac and displayed at the Rialto Theatre to advertise upcoming bands. Yes, for MONTHS he had been painting them and everyone (well, nearly everyone - read on) enjoyed the murals. That is until a band named "The New Pornographers" was scheduled. So interesting that THEIR mural went up (no nudity whatsoever) and lo and behold, the Rialto rec'd a notice that the mural must come down as it was in violation of the City's sign code (as was presumably every other mural that had been displayed for many months).
So imagine my surprise as I was driving down Blacklidge just west of Campbell and saw this castle! I asked a girl walking her dog if she knew anything about the castle and she said that she thought it was occupied by a family. Anyone know anything more about this interesting residence? I guess the "drawbridge" gate is the garage door. No moat, though.
La Encantada is Tucson's most upscale shopping center ~ home to Tiffany's, Brooks Brothers, etc. It also has several restaurants offering a range of cuisines. Here are the pumpkin colored umbrellas providing shade on the patio at the restaurant "North."
The weather is getting to be just about perfect now ~ cool(ish) nights and mornings, warm days. Just the right weather for a hayride! Here's an interesting image of some stacked bales from a local horse farm - a beautiful work of art!
Where just a few days ago you could drive by any number of empty lots around town, now many pumpkin stands have sprung up in those spaces. And not just pumpkins are for sale ~ I've seen organic vegetables, jams, honey, apple cider, Indian corn stalks, chili pepper wreaths... everything to get your house decked out for the ghouls and goblins to come.
The historic village of Tubac is always an interesting place for a stroll ~ dozens of galleries and working artists' studios as well as many shops and a few restaurants. It's an easy drive from Tucson. This unusual residence looks like Bilbo Baggins could live there, don't you think?
Tucson's Trail Dust Town always has something going on. Here's a peek at a trio of coffins stacked up beside the hotel. Jeez, those cowboys - always shoot first, ask questions later.
Charming pastel colors are not just for the islands! Tucson's historic Barrio District offers a rainbow of hues on the interesting homes and offices. What I particularly love is that every building is different. It is a beautiful place to stroll around ~ treats for the eye on every street. For more photos of this district, click on the "Barrio" link below this post.
Or maybe it's another totem (I must be on a roll with totems!).... This wacky sculpture is outside the ceramic studio housed in the historic Romero House near the Tucson Museum of Art. For information about ceramic classes, click here.
Today I am delighted to introduce you to Shelby Hawkins, the 5th in our series of "Team Tucson," the people who make Tucson a great place to live. Do you remember the totem pole that was posted on September 19? Shelby is the founder of 5 Star Pest Control and the "guardian" of that totem pole. She protects it as part of her bond with the totem's carver, a man who was a little bit of a guardian angel to her and her family when she was just getting started in business.
The words "festive," "fun," and "party" don't usually pop to mind when I'm thinking about banking but it looks like US Bank's downtown branch on Stone wants to change my mind. These colorful balloons tied at their entryway greet passersby.
Well we might not have classic autumn foliage to admire in Tucson but we always have fantastic sunrises and sunsets! This dawn sky offers all the fall colors one might find in a New England landscape.
Oh dear...somewhere along the way I obviously missed the news that the universally beloved Mickey Mouse is suitable as a Halloween ornament. An ORANGE Mickey Mouse? Mickey, say it ain't so! I wonder what Walt Disney would think of this....
