1st day on way to Houston

Ugh....Left Laurie's at 5am!  So sad leaving another sister!  :(

Drove south through Tucson and saw a gorgeous sunrise there.  We had "mountains" on both sides of us the whole day.  In Bowie we got a spectacular cloud show and there was a wind warning for every area we drove through.   Saw dust storms but none that we got caught in.

Hit New Mexico around 9am.  Still very windy and cloudy but much artistry in the cloud formations.  As we drove to the top of a hill we were awed by the sight of Las Cruces.....a large but quiet city in a valley with majestic mountains at its back.  What a sight.   At this point, and all the way through our stopping point, we saw many pecan orchards.   Row upon row of trees.  Wow!  And then it was cows!  The smell hit us first and then thousands of cows in pens, grazing, hanging out.  New Mexico was a lovely drive.

We got to El Paso, TX around noon and, boy, is it looooonng.  We drove I-10 through many over and under passes with all the businesses on each side of the highway and all the houses on the hills, up the hills, and around the hills.  It almost looked like a 3rd world country - in an okay way.  And can you believe the speed limit was 80mph!   Then in Sierra Blanco we had to go through the Border Patrol/Homeland Security stop.   After you stopped the car all they asked was, "Are you a US citizen? "  You say yes and you're good to go.   It seems like anyone could go through.   The hills just outside of Fort Stockton (where we are staying the night) are all flat tops - very cool looking.   We stopped at a Rest Stop that was unique.   The stalls were kind of in the open.   Quite pleasant really.   Temps were 83°, breezy, and it felt good there.  Check out the pictures.

Last day in AZ

Went back to Old Town Scottsdale this morning for a little visit and to pick something up for our granddaughter.   Then on to see Paolo Soleri ' s home and studio - he was an architect, artist, and designer.  He was famous for making Cosanti wind-bells made out of bronze.  We were just in time for the bronze pouring.  The pictures show the men pouring super hot (2000°) bronze into the molds made by the resident artists.   The studio was so peaceful and serene......you were surrounded by these beautiful bells ringing in the gentle breeze.   His home was in a Millionaires neighborhood and it was a nice drive.   :)

So today was our last day with Laurie in AZ.  The whole time we've been here has been sunny, temps in the 70's and 80's, cool nights.   Tomorrow AZ will see a cooling trend.  We're taking the weather with us and heading east via Houston.  WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME WITH LAURIE! !!!!!  :)

The next post will be from Texas!

Downtown Scottsdale

Picture of Fashion Square
Picture of lights on streets
Olive and Ivy Restaurant on the canal
Bell sculpture on Soleri Bridge
2 pictures of the Pony Express sculpture

Museum and dinner

Bill and I got free tickets from Laurie (via her library - great program) to The Rossen House museum in downtown Phoenix.   This is a bona fide victorian house fully restored from when it was on "millionaire row" back in the day.   Really cool to see how life was in those days.   Also had an exhibit showing undergarments worn by women - did you know that they wore 13 undergarments 24/7?  Then they put their dress on!  Soooooo glad I live in this day and age.  Then we walked around some in the neighborhood.   Drove to Tempe Marketplace and hung there for awhile sitting in couches outside just enjoying the beautiful day.

After Laurie got home, she took me out to dinner at Olive and Ivy in Scottsdale fashion square - very high end section.  Just terrific;  great food and wine!  We walked off dinner looking in shops and walking along the canal seeing sculptures and the Soleri Bridge.  EVERYTHING is decorated in white lights downtown - all the trees, street posts, strings of lights criss crossing the streets.   It's so very pretty!

Pictures are:  Rossen House and palms trees from where I was sitting on the couches. 

Old Town Scottsdale

To start - we hope that all our family and friends in the southeast take care and ENJOY the great snowfall!  Be careful!

Took the Scottsdale Trolley downtown to the "Old Town" section.   It is full of shops (80% high end jewelry - turquoise,  etc) and restaurants with a sprinkling of galleries.   Beautiful day again; nothing but sunshine!   We saw some amazing pieces of Indian art and Southwestern influence.   Had lunch at The Sugar Bowl.  Opened in 1958, it is really a malt shop/diner with lots of nostalgia.   It was lots of fun. Hopped on the Trolley to go home and stopped into the grocery store to get dinner for tonight.  When I looked at the Claw/Grabber machine and saw an "Adam" doll I couldn't believe it.  Going back tomorrow to see if I can get it.  :)

Helped Laurie make some chicken soup and kept her company in the kitchen while she made lemon chello and squeezed fresh picked lemons.  It is pretty cool that you can just go outside and pick oranges, lemons,  and grapefruit.

Everyone stay warm and dry!

Chihuly

Lazy morning just watching John Wayne movies.  We did take a 2.5 mile walk around the park for an hour.   Then the fun began!  Laurie had tickets to the Desert Botanical Gardens where we got to see the spectacular Chihuly glass sculpture exhibition.   This man makes amazing glass art in astronomical proportions.  We got there just before sunset to see the art in daylight and then when it got dark we saw it all lit up.  It was a beautiful display on a beautiful night. 

Ate dinner at Daily Dose Cafe in lovely old- town Scottsdale.  A splendid Monday!

Sunday with Family

AZ is having such beautiful weather!   High 70's, sunny, lovely!

We walked all over Arizona State University this morning.  It is gorgeous!   Saw where Laurie works.  We ate lunch at The Chuck Box which has been in the Same spot for almost 40 years.  Makes yummy burgers over a wood fueled grill right in front of you.   What fun!

Then we made beef stew, drove to the library to get museum tickets, then on to my cousin's house for a family gathering.   Had dinner with my aunt and uncle, 4 cousins and their spouses.   Priceless!

4 more days of new adventures.....pictures are all on the ASU campus - Frank Lloyd Wright designed theater,  Laurie!, "A"Mountain, lunch, 1st building ever on the campus.

Party at Laurie's

Spent the morning going grocery shopping (4 different stores - Albertsons,  Sprouts,  Fryes, Dollar Tree)  getting ready for a dinner party at Laurie's house.  Then we cleaned and got ourselves ready for guests to arrive at 6.  She had 12 guests including family, friends,  neighbors.  It was a fun evening - good food, conversation and lots to drink.  Laurie has awesome friends.

Tomorrow we do it again with our cousins,  aunt and uncle.

Enclosed is another picture from the grand canyon.

Friday pictures

The end rock formation is Coffee Pot above Sedona.  
The only turquoise arches in the world (due to ordinance for not interfering with surroundings). 
Montezuma Castle. 
Montezuma Well with ruins in the walls.   Ruins at rim of Well.
Cool purple house.  :)

Freaky Friday

Started the day off by eating breakfast at Coffee Pot Restaurant, home of 101 omelets!   It was located at the base of the Coffee Pot rock formation.   We didn't eat an omelet but #101 was a PB&J!   Headed south 28 miles to see Montezuma Castle National Park.  This is the ruins of the Sinagua (our name for them) people who built their home on the side of a mesa in the only green valley around.   It is the only ruin that is 90% untouched by modern man.  Very fascinating and wonderful......These people were there from 1100 to 1400 so what we were seeing was exactly what they lived in.  WOW!!!!

Then on to Montezuma Well National Park.   Same time frame of the Sinagua, 11 miles away, where the early peoples lived and had a huge trading route among the villages.  Their villages were centered around a huge desert spring.   This was our last thing to see and we were almost done when we got a call from Marilyn (our daughter in law who is living in our house) telling us that the police had put a lock on our door as a crime scene!!!!!!!!!   Whaaaat?  Looooonng story short, someone had called in saying they saw a man going into the house with a gun, hearing a gunshot, and exiting the house with the gun.  Marilyn had just left to pick up Livy and when she got home she couldn't get in.  She called the police and apparently they went in the house right after she left and searched everything-closets, attic, rooms.  The policeman in charge told her there was a "threat"  and it may have something to do with some other bizarre happenings at the house involving someone looking for "Tanner Roach."  Then after everything got back to normal Marilyn locked herself out of the house for real!  She got in thru a window.  The police are confident that the house is safe but they will make rounds periodically.  Jeez Louise!

We are back in Scottsdale and just relaxing - with Coors!  :)  Pictures in next post.

Beautiful Sedona

On the previous post that was Cathedral Rock.  The Amitabha Stupa, Chapel of Holy Cross,  Bell Rock,  Vista.

Sedona

So, we went to The Sedona Pines Resort at 9:00 to listen to a 2 hour time share presentation.   It sounded so great and a good investment.   Just isn't meant to be.   The good news is that we got $100 as a gift and it's paying for our room tonight.

From there we drove Red Rock Loop Road which took us on a dirt road to see Cathedral Rock.  A beautiful drive,  beautiful sunny day (52°), beautiful rock formation!   Next stop was Amitabha Stupa.  Stupas are the physical embodiment (a shrine)of the Buddha's enlightened mind.  This was my must-see.  Sedona is such a spiritual place and you could definitely feel the spirit here.  I wish I could have stayed for hours!  Many prayers were offered here.

Coming off the hills we stopped and walked through some of the quaint shops in downtown and had lunch at The Hitching Post.  Next stop was Chapel of the Holy Cross - a glass church built into the red rocks.  STUNNING!  It was a long, steep walk but so worth it. Prayers were offered up here as well.   Keeping in the spiritual tradition we made our way past about 6 named formations so we could get to Bell Rock.  This is one of 4 Vortexes that have strong spiritual enlightenment.   Cathedral Rock, the Stupa,  Bell Rock , Boynton Canyon are the 4.  Yes, I felt it...especially at the Stupa.

Our last stop was up the north side of Sedona to the airport mesa.  Here you can see a complete vista of such red rock formations that it just can't be captured on camera or canvas.   Only the human eye sees the depth and details.
Blessings to all.....