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| A new slant on "Devouring the News," courtesy of neighborhood javalinas. |
TUCSON - CITY PLEASURES
(NO HIKING BOOTS, TREKKING POLES OR WATER BOTTLES NEEDED)
We've also had some quality "city" time in Tucson - a solo performance by a percussionist followed by dinner at the historic Congress Hotel, attending an evening of story-telling at Odyssey (a local version of NPR's Moth Radio Hour), live theater, a memorable visit to the Tucson Museum of Art followed by lunch at The Little One (my singular recommendation for lunch if you're in Tucson - not to be missed.) Also dining with friends at Tito & Pep, happy hours at Postino, Good Italian food, followed by a little bocce at The Locale.
We also made it to the Center for Creative Photography on the University of Arizona on our last weekend in town. (It had been closed for renovations.) The current exhibition is photos by Linda McCartney, chronicling the Beatles and many other rock stars of the time, as well as photos of family life with Paul and their children. It is a stunning exhibit that takes one back to another time.
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| Todd Hammes at the Congress Hotel. |
Todd Hammes sprinkled his thoughts on "the Groove" throughout his performance. He belongs to the Church of the Groove, he says, the high priest of Groove being James Brown. The gospel of Groove states, according to Todd Hammes, that if you've got the Groove, you don't need money. But if you don't have the Groove, then money can't help you.
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| Sheila's first time on a bocce court. She had the Groove. |
After a fine Italian dinner, Sheila and I borrowed a set of bocce balls from the restaurant, and she tried her hand at the sport for the first time ever. We had a lot of fun. I explained the rules, which took a while to sink in. (Sheila's not big on rules.) Back and forth we went for a casual while. When she surged to a 3-2 lead, it was time to find another activity. She's thinking of forming a team in our summer bocce league back home. We'll see how well she holds up in in a best-of-three match, each game to 11 points. I think she'll do quite well. (As of this writing, she's got a team lined up and ready to roll! They're the "Fearsome Foursome!)
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| Tito and Pep - A Fine Spot for Dinner with Friends |
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| A fabulous lunch at The Little One in downtown. |
In any city, just walking the streets yields surprises and visual pleasures. Tucson is no exception.
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| Old Tucson Courthouse |
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| Tucson loves its murals. |
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| Modern Roadrunner Improves His Time. |
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| Diego Rivera & Frieda Kahlo |
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| Along the River Walk |
I found this piece of art, mosaic tiles set in a wall along the River Walk near Trader Joe's. I don't remember the author (and my photo squeezed his name out of the picture), but I know the words. They resonate well with me. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
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| Christmas time in Civano - Organ pipe cactus |
Most evenings, however, we spent quietly at home, playing Bananagrams, reading and binge-watching shows on Apple TV. After avoiding Ted Lasso for two years, I watched seasons one and two in short order, ready now for season three when we get home.
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| Bananagrams in the evening at home. |
One day, on our morning dog walk, Barkly and I wandered out of Feliz Paseos Park into the surrounding desert. We found ourselves walking in a nearby wash and found a cross memorial at the edge of the wash. The placard on the cross reads, Daniel Alvarez, 16 Sep - 06 Dic. What sad tale lies here?
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| Daniel Alvarez, 16 Sep - 06 Dic |
As with the Wichita Museum of Art, I'll let the art tell the story.
In the Museum's courtyard
Current Featured Exhibition - "Nothing in Stasis"
Monica Aissa Martinez
Art Influenced by science
In the gallery featuring contemporary Indigenous artists
P.S.
The Road Trip Home
A long day's drive from Tucson took us to Albuquerque and the home of our friends, Mark and Marla. They have a colorful and comfortable home outside town, well-stocked bookshelves in every room. They share their fenced property with free-roaming chickens and their three dogs, with plenty of room for sitting and for gardens.
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| Interstate 40, New Mexico |
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| Home of our friends, Mark & Marla |
After Mark made us breakfast the next day, the four of us drove a little way to a great walk in wild open country, ending up strolling through old forest along the Rio Grande, accompanied by Barkly and his new friends. A walk with Mark and Marla is fertile ground for excellent wide-ranging conversation.
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| The Rio Grande River near Albuquerque. (I never knew where the Rio Grande flows from before it makes it to our southern border.) |
The quickest and easiest route to Santa Fe from Albuquerque is to hop onto I-25, set your cruising speed at 80 and get there fast. We had a better idea. Leaving Mark and Marla's, we took the Turquoise Trail from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, a twisting, turning two-lane road through snow-patched fields. Not much happening on the Turquoise Trail, so you relax, enjoy the scenery unfolding around you, savor your coffee and conversation. (A good jazz CD works well, too.) Then you round a bend and drop down into the funky little town of Madrid. You've already eased into a good day by avoiding the interstate, so it's no bother at all to stop in Madrid, stroll up and down Main Street (pretty much the only street) and drop into whatever artsy little shops grab your interest.
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| Local Radio Station, Madrid |
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| Teen Art, Madrid, New Mexico |
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| Main Street, Madrid, New Mexico |
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| Main Street, Madrid, New Mexico |
The artsy little shop on Main Street that grabbed my interest.
We arrived in Santa Fe mid-afternoon, with a little time for sightseeing before meeting our friends, Dick and Sue for dinner. Again, we relished the pleasures of friendship - reuniting after a few years of separation, a chance for Sheila to become acquainted with my friends, more great conversation and a great dinner together.
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| A Visit to Art Hill in Santa Fe - Japanese Scary Myths |
Then, it was time for the long haul home. In the car, we agreed that we need to plan for more time to explore Santa Fe next year.
On Day One we drove to Wichita. After an hour or so heading north on I-25, we took a right, gassed up, took Barkly for a stroll and hit the road. A few minutes down the road, we passed a sign informing us we were on the Santa Fe Trail. Sheila, who loves to spot license plates from different states when on the road, counted over two dozen Minnesota plates heading for warm weather over the next couple of hours. We renamed the two-lane state road the Minnesota Trail.
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| Leaving Santa Fe - Hill Country |
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| Salt River Canyon - A Shocking and delightful Surprise |
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| Micah Austin, Motorcyclist, 1973-2017, Wayside Memorial, Salt River Canyon |
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| The Minnesota Trail |
That's it for this trip, friends. I hope you've enjoyed the tour. If you have, let me know. It's always good to hear from friends with whom I've shared part of our life's journey. May the journeys that await you be good ones.
Be well. Be strong. Be kind.
