Cow Caravan ~

I laughed out loud when I spotted this fun transport on I-10.... a cow carrier! Or should I say "Cows on the Moooo-ve"? Sorry, couldn't resist!   (:

Tucson's eclipse and Blood Moon ~

Photo courtesy of Vishnu Reddy and Lucille Le Corre

Photo courtesy of Vishnu Reddy and Lucille Le Corre

Photo courtesy of Vishnu Reddy and Lucille Le Corre

Sunday's eclipse and blood moon were spectacular in Tucson's night sky! I am very pleased that I can share these extraordinary photos taken by two of my colleagues, planetary scientists who were watching the progression from their backyard. 

Fabulous Fun - A Film Premiere in Tucson ~

The film's amazing stars, Trevor Robins and Donovan Droege.

The film's director, Steve Anderson. 

Friends and fans of the incredible and talented team who made the film "Lucky U Ranch" turned out in droves for the informal premiere at the Loft. The writer and executive producer, Ginia Desmond, is a friend of mine and it was thrilling to be part of this amazing day! First a screening at the Loft followed by a great party with cast and crew that was accompanied by a lunar eclipse and a blood moon - hard to have more drama than that in one day! 

Twisted lizards ~

The beautiful Historic Y building has such charm and whimsy! Check out these entrance pillars - they are curvy and the capitals are carved with cactus leaves and lizards. Modern buildings seem to have lost the art of delighting the viewer....

Step right up ~

Yesterday I posted an exterior view and here is an interior view of the first floor stairway at the beautiful Historic Y. This trio of Palladian windows looks onto the lobby area. I just love the feeling of this 1930's-era building! 

Beautiful and historic community space ~

If you have ever attended a performance at the Rogue Theatre or Zuzi Dance, you have enjoyed this beautiful space. It is the Historic Y on 5th Avenue - a remarkable building with great style and charm that was built in the 1930's.  

Woman-With-Crow-On-Shoulder

Not sure about the significance of having a crow/raven sitting on your shoulder, but this woman is also holding a water urn. She and a group of other women balancing jugs on their heads are waiting to be installed poolside or in your garden as a "water feature." Talk about spotting Random Weird Things....!

Mystical and Misty ~

This photo beautifully captures the serenity of our recent rains which have shrouded the mountains.
Photo courtesy of Sue Dodson.

Tucson Morning Commute ~

And you thought the desert was DRY? Here are two photos from Monday morning's commute. It rained all day - which was wonderful for the plants but not so great for motorists. So much for complaining about the "dry heat" here right now! 

Front Row Center ~

These fun bronze chair sculptures are in front of the Marroney Theatre on the UA campus. There are 10 chairs -- every one is different. Artist Barbara Grygutis created this fun grouping. Click here to see more photos of the whole group. Artistic and whimsical!

Tick, Tock - Where is this clock?

The only guess so far in this "Where is it?" contest was that it is downtown. Nope. That is the Daniel's Jewelers clock (shown in bottom image). This beautiful clock is NOT downtown. It is east of Campbell, west of Alvernon, and north of Broadway. Any more guesses on this one? Good luck!

Time for another "Where is this?" ~

It's contest time again! This beautiful and ornate clock is just a lovely ornament. For as long as I can remember, this clock has only told the correct time twice a day..... yes, it is broken but that doesn't diminish its charm! For those of you who are regular visitors, you know the drill: the first person to identify this clock's location wins a "fabulous" TDP t-shirt! Good luck! 

Quail Trail ~

Oro Valley's Naranja Park has just unveiled this wonderful sculpture of a happy family of quail headed for a fun day of activities in the 213-acre parcel. Soccer, skateboarding, sunbathing, kite flying....! I just love public art and this project is especially fun because it was constructed by students who were mentored by two local artists. Fun!

Photos courtesy of Susan Dodson.

The Top of Tucson ~

Here is a beautiful view of Tucson from the ballroom of the Skyline Country Club. It is perched high in the Foothills and offers fabulous views in all directions. This Club was built in 1959 at a time when its Catalina Foothills location was considered truly remote and rustic.  

A Southwest Welcome ~

The other day I posted info about Mina, an entrepreneur who runs a Tucson roadside stand that sells ristras. Today you can see two examples of Mina's handiwork. Fall is here! And yes, the ribbon has dog paw prints on it. That was not Mina's doing; it was mine. (:

Eerie pre-storm light ~

The golden light bathing this palm tree was right before a rain storm swept into the neighborhood. The storm was intense and short-lived and an hour later the sky was clear blue again. Interesting weather this time of year! 

Roadside Ristras ~ Fall is here!

Hello again to Mina! Five years ago I met her when she was selling her beautiful hand-strung ristras at Speedway and Houghton. She was the sixth person to be added to "Team Tucson" - people who help make Tucson a great place to live. Here she is again and now her chili ristras stand is on Sabino Canyon Road just north of Wrightstown Road.

Mina and her husband Jorge make ristras and Guacima tree wooden furniture. Mina's daughter now works the location at Speedway and Houghton. If you stop at Mina's stand, please tell her you heard about her beautiful ristras on TucsonDailyPhoto! Here are two phone numbers for their business: 520.551-2862 and 520.302-2162. As you decorate your home for fall, consider buying your ristras from this family business!   

LEGO Artists - Here's your Challenge!

Attention all LEGO artists! The Tucson Botanical Gardens is hosting a LEGO challenge! Create something amazing and submit it to the contest. Entering the contest is FREE but the deadline is soon- September 25. Click here for all contest info. So hurry up and start building something related to flora or fauna- Good luck! 

Desert Carpeting ~

This is a beautiful time of year! The abundant recent rain has prompted the sage bushes into full purple bloom. The petals form a lovely carpet on my front yard. 

(Almost) Hidden Happiness ~

This colorful and cheerful totem is easy to miss. From the street there is a bush and a big saguaro that obscures it from view. I have never seen a totem pole that is quite so HAPPY looking! Smiling faces and what looks like a pineapple on the top tier. The pineapple is the quintessential symbol for hospitality. What a nice welcome!

Throwback Thursday ~

10 SEPTEMBER 2009

Tucson Thunderstorm

Here is the post photo from 6 years ago on this day. We are having the same kind of storms right now so this far east side landscape and sky photo is quite accurate and contemporary. Here's the posting:

I was struck by the unusual light. To me this photo looks like a staged tableau with the middle saguaro seemingly gesturing about the coming storm.

This is the entrance to the Tanque Verde Ranch ~ one of the last great dude ranches and a highly rated resort destination.

Tucson Trivia Time ~

Did you know that Tucson offers more than 300 miles of trails for mountain bikers to enjoy? For a comprehensive list of local trails, click here. Pedal on!
Photo courtesy of VisitTucson.org

The Breck Girl - Do you remember her?

An American icon for decades, the Breck Girl was the epitome of feminine beauty and lovely hair. Breck shampoo's pastel portraits ad campaign ran from the 1930's until 1976. Many "Breck Girls" went on to become famous models such as Cheryl Tiegs. Click the link for the list. Maybe this Tucson driver is a former Breck Girl! Fun stuff! 

A cactus named Powder Puff ~

The recent abundance of rain has prompted some sweet surprises. Here are two tiny Mammillaria Compacticaulis cacti - also commonly known as Powder Puffs. With their wee crowns of flowers they are enchanting tiny finds that you can spot under protective bushes like Texas Ranger. 

A little bit of Monet in Tucson ~

Monet was fascinated with water lilies and so are the folks at Tucson's Magic Garden Nursery. They have a beautiful pond on the property that supports koi and plenty of lilies. They also show you how you, too, can have a water lily feature - see the last photo of a tin watering trough to show you how easy and beautiful this can be! 

Pug Pilot ~

If I were a traffic cop I think this handsome fellow would have to get some tickets if he were driving. Both hands off the wheel, no seat belt....   But maybe he is just the navigator! 

Best vet in the west!

For puppy Abby's first vet visit there was so much going on that I forgot to take photos! But here she is getting her 2nd checkup and her final series of puppy shots with Tucson's best vet, Dr. Jack Quick, at Pantano Animal Clinic. As you can see, he definitely loves his job and Abby definitely loves him!

Stormy weather cypress ~

It seems as though we are having an unusually long monsoon season this year. I can remember summers when we were hit hard with storms in July and then... poof... they were over. In the last week we have had a lot of stormy weather. I think the skies are just beautiful during this season. These clouds swirling behind the cypress look smokey and mysterious, don't you think?

Nature's Quirky Mysteries!

In my front yard right now my beautiful white bougainvillea is in full bloom. We had an amazing storm with plenty of wind that howled all night long so when I was assessing the debris damage I was not surprised to see that my bougainvillea had trapped some pink petals. When I reached to remove the strays I saw that the pink was not loose: this bloom on my plant was actually two-toned pink and white! This plant doesn't really have petals, per se. The "blooms" are modified leaves called bracts. Anyway, my plant has just one two-toned bract. Isn't that odd? 

MORE Wild Wildlife!

Two days in a row I can post amazing photos of Tucson's wild wildlife! Here are two photos of a magnificent Great Horned Owl. What a gorgeous specimen! For info about this beautiful bird, click here. 
Photo courtesy of George Goldman.