Tucson Transformer?

You can see this remarkable sculpture as well as many others during the next two weeks at the 5th Annual Tucson Sculpture Festival. The festival starts today, January 31, and runs until February 14. It is hosted by the Drawing Studio.

Four venues are participating: The Art Gallery, Sculpture Resource Center, Moen Mason Gallery, and the Granada Gallery. For more info go to: www.thedrawingstudiotds.org or tucsonsculpturefestival2015.blogspot.com

Ironic Placement ~

I had to laugh when I saw that a store clerk had selected the top of a white fan as the perfect location to display these white windmill birdhouses.

Technicolor Dino ~

Backyard picnic! Looks like this colorful fellow just finished a pretty big meal. I guess he's saving the head and hands for later.....  ewwwwwwww.  Interesting yard art, yes?

Yes, indeed, one must have these ingredients ~

Does your garden have magic in it? "Just living is not enough," said the Butterfly Fairy. "One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." -- Hans Christian Andersen

Always a good motto: Be Prepared!

Hey - you never know!

Just another sunset in Tucson, AZ ~

Just sitting at a red light near my house I get to enjoy THIS kind of sky display! We are so lucky here to be surrounded by such sky beauty!

Tucson says hello to the Nut-mobile!

The Planter's Peanut Nut-mobile has come to town. Naturally the dapper Mr Peanut accompanied the kooky vehicle. Fun!

Hey - you lookin' at ME?

It's very common in Tucson to see dogs acting as co-pilots. This one seemed a little irritated to be photographed!

"Invisible" - Tucson Treasure

The tiny (78 seats) Invisible Theatre is a Tucson Treasure. They are celebrating their 44th anniversary (astonishing!) and they just keep producing interesting and thoughtful plays suitable for a small audience in an intimate setting. The current production, Stella & Lou, has a cast of just 3 and one stage set.

Tucson moon and Venus ~

Five planets are visible in Tucson's night sky this month! The sky on the 21st showed us a young moon and Venus visible right after nightfall. Beautiful!

Win a t-shirt!

Here is another "Where is this?" photo for you to ponder. As frequent visitors to the site know, from time to time I post a photo of a Tucson location and the first person to identify it wins a "fabulous" TDP t-shirt featuring the expressive Desert Museum ram saying, "Monday already?" Good luck!

World Champion Barbecue ~

If you love barbecue, you'll love this place! Yes, it's really called Bubb's Grub and they are famous for their ribs, chicken, steak, and shrimp. Check out their menus here. Be prepared to drive a while because Bubb's is in Catalina - that's NORTH of Oro Valley but not quite to the Biosphere. Good, hearty food!

Rock Musicians & Friends ~

Imagine having this heavy metal band welcoming you home every day! The two rock musicians on the upper left wall are hound dogs (maybe dachshunds by the looks of their floppy ears) playing a bass and a trumpet. Rock on!

Waiting for the weekend ~

Looks like these palm trees are craning to see something! If they are looking for the long weekend, it's here! Yeah!

What a great sign!

 I hope this cheers up your day! Happy Friday!

Unfortunate Placement ~

I'm sure the Potbelly Sandwich Shop is not happy that their patio seating is in front of the "Urgent Care" clinic!

Counting sheep ~

Here is a nice herd of sheep waiting for a new home. I spotted these creatures at my all-time favorite thrift store - the Humane Society Thrift Store on Speedway. I love it that everything I donate to them is sold and helps the animals. Likewise, the income they get from everything I buy helps the animals!

Hidden Garden ~

You will discover this beautiful koi pond at the entrance to the Lotus Garden Restaurant, widely considered to be one of the best Chinese restaurants in Tucson.

Misleading license plate?

False advertising? Don't know how "hard up" you can be if you're driving a $35,000 truck! And why would you pay the extra fee for a vanity plate that says "Hrdup" anyway? Mysterious!

First "Where is this?" of 2015

For those of you who follow this site you know that from time to time I post a photo of a place in Tucson and invite site visitors to guess where it is. First person to identify the location wins a "fabulous" TDP t-shirt featuring the expressive ram asking "Monday already?" Good luck!

Tea for two ~

As a special amenity the Arizona Inn offers a lovely tea in their library every day from 3 - 5 pm. Alas, it's for guests of the Inn only.

Curing the post-holiday blues ~

If you have a touch of the post-holiday blues/letdown, let me suggest this recipe: order a berry martini in the lovely bar of the Arizona Inn. It's not on the menu but the bartender will crush fresh berries and mix them with blueberry vodka. Just the thing to improve January's bad weather!

Throwback Thursday - Tucson 5 years ago

Here's the posting from Jan 8, 2010. And happily it is cookie time in Tucson once again! 

 08 January 2010

Thin Mints, anyone? Cookies on demand - wow!

When I was a Girl Scout we actually went door to door, rang the doorbells of strangers, and took cookie orders. Seems unbelievable nowadays! The newest thing to change in the way the Girl Scouts do business is that they have preordered thousands of boxes of cookies and you can simply... buy them! No preordering. No waiting. Cookies on demand kicks off tomorrow - Jan 9.

Mmmm... Thin Mints, Trefoils, Samoas, Tagalongs... so many yummy choices!

This photo is just a small portion of the great mural on the west wall of the Girl Scout headquarters on Broadway.

http://www.sahuarogsc.org/

Tucson's T-Rex Duck?

I spotted this wild big creature and had to stop to take a closer look. Kind of looks like T-Rex/Godzilla from the neck down. But that big yellow beak says "Duck" or maybe "Big Bird" to me! And that "restraining rope" you see is just holiday lights!

Ants Invite Themselves to Every Picnic!

Mmmm.... the birds at the Desert Museum get to feast on a yummy picnic that includes apple slices, ears of corn, and watermelon. Oh yes, and ants!

Bird's Snow Globe ~

My backyard was a winter wonderland the other day with our beautiful snowfall. Here is a cotton nesting ball covered in an icy crust. The nesting ball provides soft material to assist birds in making their nests cozy.

New Year's Resolution ~

If you are still deciding whether or not to make a New Year's resolution, here's a really good one: Grateful.

Magical Garden ~

Tucson had a beautiful welcome for the New Year - a blanket of snow! My garden was turned into a winter wonderland for a few morning hours until the sun melted it away.

New Year's Blessings ~

Let me tell you about a Tucson treasure that is a wonderful restaurant and community center - Govinda's.  It is a famous vegetarian restaurant and is the center of the Indian/Hindu community in Tucson. On New Year's Day they have a blessing ceremony that is open to all people of any faith. Chanting, music, prayer, and meditation help participants to start the year with peace and focus. Wonderful energy!

Wishing you a peaceful, beautiful 2015

I hope you have a year filled with beauty, serenity, and peace. Start the year by telling those you love how much they mean to you.