Trains, tracks, & transportation ~

Tucson is an important transportation hub ~ moving goods to the seaports in California and Mexico and transporting items north to Canada and all points east. Union Pacific railway maintains a major yard in Tucson. Is it just me or does everyone love hearing the sound of a train whistle?

A Chorus of Color ~

These metal flowers will give your winter garden a lift! Scoop up a bouquet and you'll be thinking 'spring' for sure.

Changes colors in the blink of an eye ~

In the course of just a few moments a Tucson sunrise can shift from pink to yellow to blue. I thought this was particularly pretty - like the inside of a seashell or a delicate watercolor painting.

Skeleton Saguaro ~

Here you get a look at the fascinating "inner workings" of our iconic saguaro cactus - the ribs. Looks like a stringy tree trunk, doesn't it? These ribs are used in beautiful furniture and fencing.
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/saguaro_cactus.htm

Heather fields & snow

It's the time of year that we actually get snow in Tucson! Here's a photo of morning light on the snow-capped Catalina Mountains. Low cloud cover throws a silvery veil on the mountain and the portion in shadow looks like a massive field of heather!

The frozen food aisle ~

Look at the lower left and you'll see a gorgeous Anna's hummingbird examining this frozen cylinder and probably wondering, "What on earth...?" We're having a true cold snap right now and even the hummingbird food is freezing. Right after taking this photo I removed the feeder and filled it with fresh (not frozen!) food.

Tucson's past and future ~ welcome 2011!

Definite progress is being made on the Unisource/TEP headquarters that is going up on Broadway at Scott. In the foreground is one of the pair of street lamps designed to be a "Gateway" to the beautifully redesigned Scott Avenue south of Broadway. The Hohokam basket is a nod to the ancient culture that influences the region; the steel girders reach into the future. Happy New Year, Tucson!