31 July 2014

Tucson mummies? Zombies?


Throwback Thursday ~ Here's what was on the site on this day in 2009:



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.

After some additional papier mache and paint these creatures will be transformed into other creatures ~ astronauts, devils, and aliens. They will then be filled with candies, small toys, and other goodies and bashed with bats by revelers who get the treats as a reward.

30 July 2014

Hummingbirds welcome!

As I was admiring this handsome entryway, I spotted a hummingbird feeder in the interior courtyard.  How nice to have pretty hummers coming and going by your front door!

29 July 2014

A long way from home ~

This Australian pet washing service is a long way from Down Under! Love the paw prints stencils!

28 July 2014

Chopsticks?

With Tucson in monsoon season we are experiencing lush greenness everywhere. Dwarfed by a forest of greenery this sculpture reminds me of chopsticks.

27 July 2014

Friendly saguaro ~

What a fun residential street this is. In the foreground the saguaro sculpture seems to be waving "hello!" to passersby (or maybe just to the mailman). Don't miss the barrel cactus mailbox in the background - much smaller but just as fun.

26 July 2014

Welcome home!

What a cheery porch! How pleasant it must be to sit on one of those pink chairs and watch the sunset!

25 July 2014

Open wide! Say "ahhhh"....

Here is the 22nd segment of "Team Tucson" - a feature I post from time to time that shines a spotlight on the people who make Tucson a great place to live. I am pleased to introduce you to Dr. Jarchow, Tucson's tortoise and reptile expert, who is giving this tortoise his (her?) annual exam.

24 July 2014

Yes, you read it right!

My friend recorded this interior temperature in her vehicle the other day. All cliches are meaningless in this heat!

23 July 2014

Fighting flora ~

Here are beautiful desert flowers that fight back the desert heat! These beauties don't need water and our intense sun doesn't wilt them. These hollyhocks are glass blown pieces of art for your garden or living room. They are available at Harlow's, my favorite plant place!

22 July 2014

Purple times two ~


Here I was struck with the cheerful color spots of green chair and purple umbrella juxtaposed with the purple mountain in the background.

21 July 2014

Finally ~ my bloom!

 
Just the other day as I was walking my pups around the neighborhood I was admiring all of the sage bushes in bloom in my neighbors' yards. And I wondered why mine was lagging behind and looking less-than-stellar. This morning I opened my front door and VOILA! My sage bushes had bloomed overnight! Beautiful.

20 July 2014

I'm talking really serious downsizing!

Lots of people talk about downsizing their lives. Well, here's someone who lives in a milk truck! Wow!

Photo courtesy of Carol Tretiakoff

19 July 2014

Coming home ~


This beautiful Tucson sunset photo captures car headlights headed home.
Photo courtesy of Carol Tretiakoff

18 July 2014

Light and shadow ~

I love the play of sunlight and shadow on the plants and lamps on this residential wall.

17 July 2014

Tucson's famous sunsets ~


Another benefit of our monsoon season is the remarkable variety of colors in our already famous sunsets! The cypress tree you see is in front of my house.
Photo courtesy of Carol Tretiakoff

16 July 2014

Did you say the desert always looks brown?

Check out this gorgeous green streetscape! Ah.... Tucson is wet and green these days. (Thanks, monsoons!)

15 July 2014

A magic house ~

I'm not sure if it's the unusual curved entry way, the lavender color, or the pink mailbox but this house and garden look simply enchanting to me!

14 July 2014

Tucson's pink Eiffel Tower ~



You don't get many opportunities to see a pink cardboard Eiffel Tower cupcake holder but celebrating Bastille Day would be one of them! Tucson has quite a big Francophile population and what better excuse do you need to drink champagne, eat cheese, and enjoy desserts than Bastille Day?

12 July 2014

Slices of bread?

I frequently pass this yard art and it has so many different looks. From this angle I think it looks like slices of bread spilling out of the bag. What does it look like to you?

11 July 2014

Monsoon casualty ~

This mesquite tree was a victim of our recent monsoon season. I don't know if it was struck by lightning or split from the pressure of the high winds we have had in the last few days. It partially blocked one of the paths I often take when I exercise my dogs. They thought it was great- something new to sniff!

10 July 2014

Don't miss the doggie in the window!


These gorgeous flowers are a mix of real and faux. The plumbago and greenery in the front yard is all real. The lush plantings on the porch are all paint - amazing! What a charming, charming home!

09 July 2014

Tucson samurai ~

News alert! Not every home in the southwest is decorated with chili ristras and kokopellis!  Check out this beautiful, serene Japanese doorway. Dramatic and powerful!

08 July 2014

Wall of water; cube of sky


It must be hard to imagine what our monsoon season is like if you haven't seen it with your own eyes. Here is a cube of sunshine with a wall of water pushing in on it. And where I was standing to take the photograph - not a drop!

07 July 2014

Every corner is interesting ~

Here's what might be an empty building on 16th Street and 4th Avenue. What character! And I would love to know more about the interesting mural in the window....

06 July 2014

Tucson sugar cube ~


One of the many historic and beautiful homes downtown in the Armory Park area. Check out the charming street light!

05 July 2014

Yes, it's official!

 
The rains have arrived! Typical in Tucson is that one part of town gets a flooding and another part is as dry as a bone. The biggest dumping of rain so far has been in the northwest and central (this photo). My part of town (east) has gotten just a little so far. Maybe tomorrow will be our big wet day....

03 July 2014

Tucson 5 years ago ~



It's another "Throwback Thursday" on Tucson Daily Photo! Five years ago I posted this photo of the start of the monsoon season. This year we haven't seen a drop of rain yet - but any day now....

Another fun fact is that this restaurant, Chuy's, is no longer in business. It's a new restaurant with a sign that I can't read from the street - does anyone know what went in here?

Yep, the monsoon season is upon us. High winds, torrential rains, flooding, and spectacular cloud formations! Each year at this time I marvel how many people drive as though they have never seen rain in their life. Be careful out there!

Check out these dark rain clouds at the corner of Speedway & Country Club ~ Chuy's Baja Broiler.


Want to know more about the science behind the monsoons? Click here:http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/monsoon/monsoon_whatis.php

02 July 2014

The Tucson "Way Back" Machine ~

So I came upon this interesting image in the archives of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation. Included in their archive of  "mid-century ephemera" is this home builder's brochure for homes in a neighborhood designated as Catalina Village. The homes were listed at $34,500! And what on earth is that tagline all about - "in the dust-free thermal area." Huh?

01 July 2014

Some European city?


Nope - just a Tucson classic from a different angle. Most images of the Arizona Inn are front-on views from Elm Street. Here's a side street view. Could be in Spain or the south of France, couldn't it?