Head over heels!

This exuberant sculpture on Elm Street (near the AZ Inn) is so joyful. Wouldn't you love to feel like that every day?

Force of nature ~

This kooky kaleidoscope-like fence caught my eye in midtown. Looks like the homeowners used lots of recycled wood and had fun making an unusual design. Then I walked around the corner and saw that they had also made a cut out window to accommodate a thriving bush. Nice!

Flowers to go ~

The Mayfield Florist shop is located in a building that was once a pharmacy or a bank with a drive up window. They don't actually use the window (inside it's just a display area) but it's an interesting concept, don't you think? For that guy running a little late to pick up his girlfriend... just drive up, get your flowers, and you're on your way! Maybe I'm onto something here....

Tucson is truly a winter wonderland ~

Because we get a huge snowfall so rarely, many Tucsonans rush to capture the landscape transformation in photographs. I am so happy to share this beautiful portfolio of images that have been submitted by local residents. Sunrise, sunset, snow on mesquite trees, and vivid purple violets blooming in spite of it all...  Enjoy! Huge thanks to Karen Lustig and Rhonda Spencer for sharing their images of Tucson-in-the-Snow.

A drive you'll never forget ~

For all of you who love the Desert Museum, I am thrilled to share these photos from earlier this week that  take you along on the snowy drive from Tucson to the Museum grounds. Driving west on Speedway you navigate along a very curvy roadway that takes you through Gates Pass. Check out the forest of saguaros in the snow! Once you arrive on the property you see the venerable Desert Ark blanketed in snow and the front patio benches and trees similarly frosted. Last, a peek through an office window that perfectly captures the beauty and the serenity of the snowstorm. Enjoy!

Permanent rug ~

Many rug collectors display their treasures on their walls as pieces of art. This beautiful "rug" is an intricate tile mural by local artisan Saul Ortega. It's part of the public art displayed at the Pima County OneStop Center.

Snow stroll ~

These javelinas don't mind our recent snow at all! A permanent fixture to greet visitors at the Desert Museum, they are bronze sculptures by artist Mark Rossi.  Isn't the color combination here beautiful - the red patio and the white snow provide a remarkable contrast to the artwork.  

Snow pods ~

 

To quote the Cowardly Lion, "Unusual weather we're having, ain't it?" A huge rain and snow storm blew into town and very quickly a few inches of the white powdery stuff accumulated on these sculptures. The "Seeds of Knowledge" beautify the entrance of the George Miller Library.

Companion creature ~

And just a little further down the wall is THIS colorful character - the pal to yesterday's post. Fantastic creatures, indeed! FUN!

Dragon? Lizard? Long-haired Eel?

Well whatever this creature is on a midtown homeowner's wall, it is certainly colorful! I'm not sure if he's eating his catch of the day or what he's doing... What do you think?

Patriotic salute and a thank you ~

In the spirit of President's Day today I am posting photos of one of Tucson's public tributes to veterans. The tile mural is dedicated to Pima County veterans. The second image is flags representing the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine. The bottom photo is an obelisk to commemorate all of the Korean War veterans.

Community spirit ~

This boldly colored tile mural celebrates Sam Lena, who served Tucson's South Side as a County Supervisor. It's rare to hear a politician praised by elected officials (of both parties) as well as constituents but Sam was definitely a beloved figure. This mural is near Sam Lena Park, a very nice facility on Ajo Way that offers many community amenities. To learn more about the park, click here.

Yep, some days are just like this...

Do you ever feel like you're "Just Going" along? Some slow Saturdays feel like that for sure! Hope you are having a nice easy going day today...

Whee - almost the weekend!

Oh boy - it's finally Friday! This metal fellow looks pretty happy about it. Me, too!

Happy Valentine's Day ~

This beautiful iris gate is a cheerful floral tribute to all site visitors! I'm sending good wishes out to everyone today!

Snow sky again ~

We are having cold temperatures and a little SNOW again! Here you can see a storm cloud moving in and a little dusting of snow on the mountains. It's only mid February so I shouldn't be complaining but I am really ready for SPRING temperatures!

Dizzying stripes ~ Black & white & brown

Black on white or white on black? Doesn't every child wonder about that when they first see a zebra? And what about that little one - he's brown! Yes, zebra foals are brown and white - their stripes darken with age. To learn more about the Reid Park Zoo's zebra herd, click here.

Lazy, Lounging Monday ~

The Reid Park Zoo has two beautiful tigers - a male and a female. Sita, the female, lounges in her hammock. Baheem, the male, poses for a picture perfect portrait. To learn more about the zoo's tigers, click here.

Up close and personal with the King of beasts ~

This male lion was excited by a dog who was on the Reid Park Zoo's grounds. The lion was VERY interested in that dog! To learn more about the zoo's pride of lions, click here.

Conservation Collage ~

This artful elephant collage is part of the Reid Park Zoo's education, conservation, and fundraising efforts to support the zoo's elephant family. To watch the elephants, check out the zoo's webcam here.

The scoop on poop (elephant, that is) ~

With some humor intended, the Reid Park Zoo architect placed this life-sized, 3-D elephant butt near the restrooms. The little round sign informs readers that elephants digest less than half of the nutrients in their food. The rest becomes (and I'm quoting here from the sign), "a cozy home with built-in food for dung beetle larvae or a tasty meal for termites." Interesting!

Ahhhhh - refreshing dust bath

Elephants spray each other with dust to deter bugs and to keep cool. They were blowing around a LOT of dust when I was watching them! The elephant exhibit is the newest major expansion of the Reid Park Zoo. The zoo even has an elephant web cam so if you are crazy about elephants, be sure to tune in! To read more about the exhibit and these wonderful animals, click here.

Nice cool sip ~

As I was watching visitors feed the giraffes (see yesterday's photos), I noticed that some of the giraffes paid no attention to the carrot treats and so I asked the zoo staffer about this. She explained that one of the females, Denver, was very aggressive with the other giraffes at snack time and nudges them to stay away. If there are a lot of people gathered to distribute carrots, the other giraffes will venture over to the platform to get a treat. Otherwise, they browse from their tree top baskets (photo 3).

Mmmm - snack time!

The Reid Park Zoo has a really fun giraffe encounter at 10:00 am (weekdays) where you can feed the giraffes some tasty carrots. It is just amazing to be that close to them and they have really really long black tongues! Weird!!

Also check out the 3rd photo - the longest eyelashes I have even seen - beautiful! To learn more about the zoo's giraffe, herd, click here.