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!