Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden Tucson AZ

Taliesin was a treat, but Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden in Tucson was a revelation. His blown glass forms are dispersed throughout this already magnificent desert garden and around each corner on the twisting paths a feast of color greets you. The forms are at once fantastical and organic. They can't be real yet they seem to be growing there amonst the cacti. I love my photos yet they do not come close to doing this creative display any semblance of justice. Having viewed single pieces of his work in interior spaces from Minneapolis to London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the opportunity to now now see this many works in one location and to see them so successfully implanted in a natural external environment is just plain exhilerating.

Enjoy!

Taliesin West--On the Road with Frank Lloyd Wright

We have seen a fair share of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings throughout the Midwest, but in several recent trips to Arizona we have never quite managed to schedule a visit to Taliesin West in Scottsdale. This was to be the year and we planned our departure from Tucson to include a day in the Phoenix area. Other than that horrid power line that suddenly sprouted one summer to obscure Wright's treasured view, the Taliesin West complex is every bit as exciting and architecturally integrated as the Spring Green one. From the rolling hills of Wisconsin (below)

to the rust colored desert.

Here, the native stones, encased in concrete, were raised into thick heat resistant walls literally without the assistance of modern machinery.

I found the night club intriguing because it manages to seem simultaneously subterraenean and airy.

Tohono Chul Park in Tucson

I think this was our 3rd or 4th visit to this outstanding jewel of a park in Tucson. It features nicely labeled displays of desert flora laid out on easy paths. Birds and other wildlife abound. For the tourist or the hometowner who doesn't have the time or the physical capabilities to traverse longer hikes, this is an ideal spot to get a reasonable taste of the desert experience without driving out of the city.

The entrance fee is reasonable; the giftshop is pleasant; the live plant greenhouse is a special treat; and the tea house restaurant offers tasty south-western dishes in lovely surroundings.

Check it out. The mighty Saguaro awaits.

Glimpses of wildlife can be counted on. Some stand out,

But some take a keen eye to see.

And some take a bit of patience to catch like this hummingbird on her nest.

Colorful blooms augment the green or sometimes just add lively color to the environment.

On to Arizona in March

I am slowly working my way to the present and this rainy Monday in April provides a good opportunity to begin coverage of our final attempt to avoid some of Monmouth's nasty winter by heading for Arizona.

When we initially contemplated this trip toward the end of 2008, air fares were not being kind, so we decided to drive. Tucson is over 1700 miles from here and the scenery along the way is not overpowering. But thanks to the interstate highway system you can make 600 miles a day without too much strain and so after three days of rolling along, we pulled in to my dear cousin's home in the sunny suburbs of Tucson.




Above is a shot from a wind swept rest area in Texas that epitomizes the terrain for about 1000 of the 1700 miles. But after we cross New Mexico the wild and lovely Salt River Canyon provides a welcome respite from the seemingly endless rangeland.
To reach the river you take a series of breathtaking switchbacks. You can see five levels in this shot alone.




The moisture rewards at the bottom of the canyon.

With an entire childhood, education, and work-life spent in the mid-west our recent trips to the south-west have been energizing even if the driving has been a bit enervating. The desert remains new and fascinating to us and we have enjoyed even more our introductions to Native American cultures and arts. We have enjoyed our time with my cousin and her husband for over fifty years and their generosity in opening their homes (both in Minnesota and Arizona) to us is something that we deeply appreciate.

More on what we did while we were there and what we did on the way home to come in the next two episodes of "Stirring the Pudding" of life.

February was for the Carolinas

January was for the tropics (Costa Rica, Panama, and the Canal) and February was for a short trip to the Carolinas. The initial stop was in Waxlaw NC for a visit to my sister and her husband. While there we also had a pleasant time with their son and his family. Though chilly (that is a considerable understatement), we even got in a round of golf. No pictures because the camera was frozen. Below is the happy extended family enjoying dinner.




The public library in downtown Charlotte has a gorgeous building and includes a thriving theatre company for children.

On the way back to Monmouth, we stopped in Greer, SC for a couple of days to visit an old friend Tom Kent and his wife. The Greer/Greenville area was new to us and we enjoyed visiting Tom's lovely church and seeing some of the sights in the area.

Panama City: A Mirage on the Water

Like that first sight of the snow capped Rocky Mountains as you drive west, Panama City rises out of the ocean like some kind of a gleaming mirage.

We also had a chance to take a closeup look at the canal in the daytime when we stopped at the Visitors Center along side of the Miraflores locks.

Returning to the Trip

Lord love a duck. Where has the time gone. It is more than easy to see how well intentioned bloggers fall behind. The world goes on and thank heavens the few souls who stumble on this offering have not risen up in fury at being left stranded in the middle of a small Pacific island. But onward we now go to the Panama Canal.