Arizona XII

Ok, last Arizona post ... this will be long, though. Another neat place we went was Tubac. It's a little artists colony and I really could spend days going through all of the shops!

First, for those of you who have been here around Christmas know we don't have a tree. Only a nativity set. We have a cat, I think she'd climb a tree. I'm lazy, I don't want to mess with a tree and a cat who likes to climb it. SO, this seems to be a great alternative:

But I've seen ones with knobs on the branches, to allow you to hang ornaments. If I ever see one like this with knobs, I'm totally going to rally for making it our Christmas tree!


Fabulous!


A vertical, a little closer.


I was SO taken with this wall! I really love it!


Seriously, what's NOT to love???!?!?!?


It's a bit difficult to see this, but it's a vertical metal planter thingie ... I'm not sure it has a place in our backyard, but I think it's uber cool!


SPEAKING of uber cool, I found a rain barrel! See how big it is! And see how pricey it is! Anyone living in Salina, there's a thing Tuesday night and you can get a rain barrel for $10. A TOTAL steal!


There were these cheerful metal flowers that were painted brightly all over the place! How fun!


Another one.


I dug this little courtyard.


An arrangement in a shop that I liked.


Yeah. No words. Just. Yeah.


There were these crosses that had all sorts of little figurines made into a larger artistic cross. I really liked these!


Another one; they also made frames and other things, but these were the most interesting looking pieces.


I liked seeing more of the room via the mirror.


Another beautiful little cross.


I'm kinda crazy about this overall wall. Really like it. It sort of reminds me of something from the new "Romeo and Juliet" movie .. er, the "new" one made about 15 years ago. :)


Just liked how the background is framed. Nothing too special, just some nice framing. :)

Arizona XI

I like to think I'm a fairly agreeable traveler. When I went to Africa to see Jeanel, I only had one request: that I ride a camel. That was it. The rest, where we went, what we did ... I was flexible. I like to think I'm a pretty easy guest. I guess people who have hosted me will have to speak to that. ;)

So, when we went to Arizona, and southern Arizona at that, my one request was to go to Mexico. It was my first time. :)

So, off we went to Nogales, Mexico.



I'd heard a lot about Erik's cheap sunglasses from Mexico. He sports some new ones. I ended up with an Armani knockoff. :)


HIs parents are friendly with this metal worker ... and this guy's stuff is SO stunning!


I actually became obsessed with looking for a light for the green bedroom. I saw tin ones, didn't like them. Ones with clear glass, and ones with frosted glass. I kinda dig the frosted glass, a medium size. But many of them, the metal work was sort of silvery, but peeling off, nothing I wanted to take home with me. But this is the direction I'm looking!


Last photo today: a chimnea! I'm really wanting one of these for our back patio. :) The one above is basically what I'm looking for. I dig the terra cotta look. But don't insist upon the aloe plant on top. ;) But this fella needed a stand.

I'm really not in too big of a hurry about the chimnea. I totally scored some awesome wicker furniture in a dumpster dive earlier this year, and need to re-paint it, and then assess our patio furniture situation. Then we'll see how/where a chimnea might go best.

Arizona X

This post is my post of detail shots. About half way through our trip, I became obsessed with taking photos of textures and the like. So here they are:








ALL of these photos were taken with my little point and shoot camera .... with the macro function. It's not the tool, it's the person using it! :)

Arizona IX

Meet a havalina. They're smelly wild pigs that live near my in-laws in 'Zona. (Think the warthog from The Lion King).


But they're kinda cute, right? ;)


We actually had a sighting on the golf course! We weren't too far, but Erik dragged me away. Thinks the havalinas are dangerous or something. ;) I wasn't too far away, but I don't think they're overly smelly.

Arizona VII

So, we've done all of this talking about some Arizona stuff and should mention one of the main reasons Erik and I went to Arizona: Bobby Ann and Vern's 50th Wedding Anniversary! :)


Don't we clean up nicely for their dinner?


Oh this cake ... it was spectacular! I think there was some apricots and white cake. Um ... yeeeeeeah. Yummie.


Poor Vern, not the most flattering photo, but excited about their gift certificates from their friends.

Arizona VI

Remember THIS post about San Xavier. Well, since I was *ahem* a bit under the weather, my mother in law was wonderful enough to bring me back again. And it was sunny. :)


But I'm really glad I was able to go back when it was sunny. Thanks, Bobby Ann!


I'd be interested to see this in black and white, but have been looking at about a million photos and just don't have the energy. So we'll see.


I wish the detail were closer to the ground so I could view more of it.


Cross on the hill. Nice.


A view from the inside.


Did I show a black and white version of this last time? I am digging this color. And the view. :)

Arizona V

More fun from Saguaro National Park ... who said a cactus couldn't wear Christmas lights? Not me!


Notice how Erik doesn't get too close ... even though it's just the cactus skeleton.

Arizona IV

On our way to see the San Xavier Mission near Tucson, we passed an Indian cemetery. What fascinated me were the iron crosses. Living in Ellis County, there are plenty of these to be found in the cemeteries in the area. (For anyone interested, I can take you on my back roads of Ellis County tour and throw in a few cemeteries for good measure. It's a good tour, just ask Erik. I gave it to him a day before I was diagnosed with mono. I gave directions while lying flat on my back in the passenger seat of his car). :)

Anyhow, the crosses at the reservation cemetery were way more colorful and visually interesting:



The San Xavier Mission near Tucson (oh, and it's pronounced like "Javier" ... FYI).


Also FYI, all of these photos were taken with my point and shoot camera. It's the eye and ability, not the fancy camera, people! :)


Evidently a LOT of restoration was done on the left side, the right side is awaiting renovation and a little TLC.





I was digging these little decorative holes in the wall ...


... so of course I made Erik go make an interesting picture for me. :)


I didn't see it until just now, but Erik is framed in the center one, and there's a headless statue on the right side of Erik, framed in the next opening .... creepy.


There was a courtyard with the Stations of the Cross built into the walls. Really nice. And interesting.


A nice pictoral.


And another.


Erik and I in front (notice how I'm wearing my WINTER coat in SOUTHERN Atizona!!!!) ;)


I'm not looking ultra-fab here. I think I had a bit of an ear issue going on that day. We didn't stay around too long because I was feeling rotten. Maybe it was a combo of the ear and the cold weather?