Tucson cats need a forever (fur-ever!) home ~

Cali and Oreo were suddenly orphaned when their owner died recently. They are a bonded pair (male and female) between 4-6 years old. We're looking for a forever home and ideally the new parent would take both of them. They are sweet-tempered, indoor cats. If you have any interest, write to me at tucsondailyphoto@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with their foster mom. Thank you! Please forward this to all your cat-loving friends, too. Meow!

Hanging Head ~

 

This striking tableau certainly caught my eye! I think it is a really interesting entryway but it seems a little creepy to me. You?

Throwback Thursday - still a Tucson Treasure!

28 JANUARY 2010

Rest, contemplate, enjoy Tucson's sun ~

Rounding out the week of images, here's even more wonderful, colorful tile work to enjoy in St Philip's Plaza. This brick and tile bench is so festive. I'd love to have a bench like this on my patio at home!

http://www.stphilipsplaza.com/

Walking on fruits, flowers, fish & sunshine ~

Here's another view of the plaza. These gorgeous and colorful tiles transform an ordinary staircase into a fun walkway. Each stair riser is decorated with a different theme - flowers, fish, birds, fruits, stars & planets, and - on the top - the everpresent Tucson sun.

http://www.stphilipsplaza.com/

Mystery Motto ~

Driving behind this quasi-motorcycle I thought his motto/slogan was the famous advice, "Keep on Truckin'" but at the red light I saw that was not what it said. It actually says, "Keep on Trik'in." Huh?

All is Revealed ~

Unfortunately, there was no winner for the current "Where is this?" contest. The beautiful abstract animal murals can be found at the entrance to the Junior League offices at River Road just east of Campbell. The JL is a Tucson nonprofit that dedicates itself to improving lives in the community. Check them out at www.juniorleagueoftucson.org

Another View and a Clue ~

So yesterday I posted another "Where is this?" contest photo. Here is another portion of this giant bas relief/mural of animals. To narrow down the geography for you I will tell you it is north of River Rd and east of Campbell. Good luck! 

Time for another "Where is this?" contest!

OK, start your engines! The first to identify this Tucson location wins a "fabulous" TDP t-shirt or mousepad!  This bas relief depicts animals of all sizes and shapes. Good luck! 

Amen! Religious humor ~

Great message!
Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson.

Tucson's "Welcome" Sign ~

Since 1958 this air traffic control tower has been welcoming travelers to Tucson. Although a new tower (twice the height of this one) is directing traffic now, this iconic building will be preserved. 

Well, if you've got it....

Yep, I guess if you've got it (brain power that is), flaunt it! I wonder what the cops would think of this license if the Genius driver runs a red light! (:

A DOG Ranch, sort of ~

This is my new favorite place! The Smiling Dog Ranch is a wonderful dog park in Tucson. My pups LOVE LOVE LOVE this place and they run non-stop for as long as they are there. The regulars are nice and everyone watches everyone else's pups to make sure that tails wag and there's no discord. There is a small area for agility training, too. A great place! Woof! 

Painted Backdrop ~

This looks like a painted backdrop for a Western movie, doesn't it? Gorgeous! We are saying goodbye to the snow for now - still a wee bit to the east.

Photo courtesy Gary Blomstrom.

This is Why we Live Here!

With a wraparound patio facing north and west my friend enjoys beautiful views and light and total knockout sunsets! I never had sunsets like this in New York....   (:

We do love our cactus!

I have seen cactus growing in a lot of places but never on a porch roof! Wow - weird and fun, don't you think?
Photo courtesy of Jim Chaffee.

Wall of Possibilities ~

Ah, the dilemma of the manicure/pedicure experience! So hard to pick a color when you have hundreds of choices! And these are just the gel colors. For regular polish, there are at least 500 more colors to ponder. Golden Goddess? Pink Wink? Soft Sable? 

Clouds over Cloud ~

Stopped at the red light at Cloud and Sabino Canyon Road I couldn't help but admire the huge beautiful clouds hovering over the "Cloud Road" sign and, of course, the snow on the Catalinas. This is such a treat in Tucson to have snow on the mountains! 

Tucson contrasts hot and cold ~

I am delighted to share another beautiful "Tucsnow" photo today. The ancient mountains contrasted with the modern homes and the iconic saguaro all dusted with snow make a very interesting composition!
Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson.  

Tucsnow on the Catalinas!

We are still having brrrrrrr weather in Tucson! I love the contrast here between the snow covered mountains and the mighty saguaro standing at (cold!) attention.
Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson.

Tucson's Heavenly Beauty ~

Here is a beautiful snowy mountain view from the western part of town. This is the Oro Valley United Church of Christ at the top of El Conquistador Way. I love the soft grey sky.

Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson. 

Tucson's own Elvis!

 

What fun it was to meet this Elvis! He pulled into a parking spot near me as I was pulling out. Through my open windows I heard an Elvis tune floating out into the air and I turned to see....Elvis getting out of his vehicle. Check out his glasses and his sideburns! What a guy! And then I saw his license plates (check out Elvis on front and Mr Elvis on back). And the Elvis patch on his jacket made me crack up. His middle name really IS Elvis and he loves everything about The King. Here's a tune that you will enjoy by Marc Cohn. Turn your speakers up and enjoy! 

A Sweet Treat in the New Year ~

A tradition in France since the 14th century is the preparation and enjoyment of the Galette des Rois (Kings Cake). Tucson's Alliance Francaise hosted a Galette des Rois celebration and offered several different home-baked Galettes as well as many other savory and sweet snacks. And wine, of course!

In France the Galette des Rois is celebrated on Epiphany (January 6). In America it is typically celebrated in conjunction with Mardi Gras and Lent.

For more information about the Alliance, its classes, and French-themed events and films, click here. 

Tucson's Mount Snow ~

The unrelenting rain we have had for the last few days has now turned to snow - Tucsnow! Here is the view of Mt Lemmon from my neighborhood. Beautiful! 

Unique marketing slogan!

This slogan has kept this barber in business for 30 years! 

Attention Tucson Pet Owners!

This is the current sign at my vet's office - CUTE! And the truth is, they really DO give you an owner's manual. When I brought my puppy, Abby, in for her first check up, I left with a ton of info on what to expect. And it has been a great help. For instance, my "manual" says that at this age a puppy will go through the "terrible twos" and that is just what I have on my hands right now. (:

Drab to Fab - Part Two ~

A few months ago I posted photos of my wonderful custom totem poles that were installed on my sidewalk. Finally I completed replacing the last two poles on the patio. Here you can enjoy the before (regular old 4 x 4's) and the after (carved with flowers and accented with bright colors).  Oh - and that big blue thing in the background? It's a cement mixer! Every household should have one, right? It's for a job that was postponed because of the crazy RAIN that Tucson has been having. It is not often that work stops in Tucson due to rain. This too will pass. 

Beautiful Thoughts Worth Recycling ~

When I was thinking tonight of what to post next I remembered that I intended to post this poem on January 1st of this year and I totally forgot. Here it is again - 6 years later and even more powerful than the last time I read it. Please again enjoy the TDP post from January 1, 2010. 

The start of a new year inspires and motivates many of us to do better, be better, live better. This photo of Tucson's first dawn in 2010 - a soft pink & purple masterpiece - brought a poem to mind that I hope you enjoy. The concept is extraordinary. The poet is Lisel Mueller.

Monet Refuses the Operation

Doctor, you say there are no haloes
around the streetlights in Paris
and what I see is an aberration
caused by old age, an affliction.

I tell you it has taken me all my life
to arrive at the vision of gas lamps as angels,
to soften and blur and finally banish
the edges you regret I don't see,
to learn that the line I called the horizon
does not exist and sky and water,
so long apart, are the same state of being.

Fifty-four years before I could see
Rouen cathedral is built
of parallel shafts of sun,
and now you want to restore
my youthful errors: fixed
notions of top and bottom,
the illusion of three-dimensional space,
wisteria separate from the bridge it covers.

What can I say to convince you
the Houses of Parliament dissolves
night after night to become
the fluid dream of the Thames?

I will not return to a universe
of objects that don't know each other,
as if islands were not the lost children
of one great continent. The world
is flux, and light becomes what it touches,
becomes water, lilies on water,
above and below water,
becomes lilac and mauve and yellow
and white and cerulean lamps,
small fists passing sunlight
so quickly to one another
that it would take long, streaming hair
inside my brush to catch it.

To paint the speed of light!
Our weighted shapes, these verticals,
burn to mix with air and change our bones,
skin, clothes to gases.

Doctor, if only you could see
how heaven pulls earth into its arms
and how infinitely the heart expands
to claim this world, blue vapor without end.

View from the Pit ~

 

Even though this is a New York City photo (not a Tucson photo) I think it is just too cool not to share! This is a view from the orchestra pit at Radio City Music Hall taken by a harpist I know who was performing in the Christmas shows. Up to the left is the closed stage curtain. On the right is her harp.  

Photo courtesy of Maria Banks. 

Fred, Tucson's Favorite Buffalo, says Goodbye!

An icon in Tucson for many years, Fred, the dapper and beloved buffalo perched atop Copper Country Antiques on Speedway, is leaving town. The store's owner, Phillip Gaillard, has closed the fun and funky antiques mall and will move to Dallas. Click here for a video clip of Phillip riding Fred as a crane lifts them from the store's roof to the parking lot. Goodbye, Fred! We will miss you and your fantastic costumes!

Birds of a Feather Ride Together ~

I spotted this flock of birds riding in the back of a pick up truck. At the red light I asked the driver what was up with this cargo. He told me the birds are his chain saw art and that he was on his way to sell his sculptures at a roadside stand on the road to Mt Lemmon. 

Rock in the New Year!

The wonderful Tucson classic rock band, 5 Way Street rocked in the New Year for revelers at Ventana Canyon's Cascade Lounge. The band specializes in music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. Great dance music! Happy New Year everyone and hope you have a great year!