I’ve looked at clouds…

I, like Kathy – my adopted cousin, like clouds. They fascinate me. So out on my walks I have to be careful not to fall down because I’m always looking up. These are cirrus clouds…I usually call them “mare’s tails”. I can’t tell you where I first heard that expression, but it has stuck with me since before I can remember. 


These are cumulus clouds. This was a storm moving in this summer. There was lightning, but I didn’t happen to get any in this shot. But it was weird to be able to see the moon above it all.



I loved the zigzag thing going on with this one.

  It’s hard to see in this size of the photo, but the sun is just outside of the shot and there is something called cloud iridescence all along the area that kind of looks like fish bones.

“Rows and flows of angel hair,
And ice cream castles in the air,
And feather canyons everywhere,
I've looked at clouds that way.”

Joni Mitchell

Backyard friends…

Yesterday was such a lovely day. Mom and I were sitting out on the back porch enjoying the weather. There were lots of backyard friends out there enjoying things too…

Some came for the bathing facilities…

Some just stopped by for a quick drink….

 

Some were in the market for housing….

 

Some have already taken up residence….look close….

Some needed a bite to eat….

Some just wanted some alone time….

He was heard to mumble, “Dang paparazzi”

Standing at a Crossroad….

I guess it has to do with the New Year, and I would suppose a lot of people feel this way whether they’re making resolutions or not…but right now I feel compelled to make a decision. What decision, I’m not quite sure….which is bound to make it a difficult decision. I just have an unsettling feeling – like I need to make some changes, take come control. Well, until whatever it is that is so pressing makes itself clear to me, I guess I’ll just keep standing at this crossroad…. 

Shot courtesy of tiedyeina.com

It’s cold, but beautiful out there…

I know it seems unfair, but if you’re going to enjoy the sunrise you must get out of bed. I was up and through the shower, getting dressed, and combing my hair…I get two phone calls – two mind you – telling me I better get outside and get some pictures. Well you know me, I always do what I’m told (no comments from those of you who know better). So wet hair, no coat and two cameras out the door I go. I’m glad I did….it was well worth it.





Everything was kissed with pink. It was so gorgeous.
I just wish I didn’t have telephone poles in all the shots. But it’s better than houses.



What a wonderfully, delicious, freezing way to begin the day!!

Black and White…

Some things don’t really need explanation…

I love flowers….I love black and white photography….

Verrado

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These shots were all taken at the high school. I loved  all the lines I saw everywhere.

 

 

This shots looks across this park area to the Grazie Pizzeria and Wine Bar. There are apartments above. Lovely place for singles.

 

 

 

 

 

This is looking down one of the main drags. All along the right side of the road is the Basha’s grocery store. The storefront is set up to look like separate stores.

 

Like this…

 

Flower shop, Pizza, Bakery, Cappuccino…really neat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out for a walk and warming themselves in the sun. There was a lot of foot and bike traffic.

 

 

 

 

This is a beautiful mosaic bench. Didn’t sit on it, so I’m not sure how comfortable it is.

 

 

 

There were gorgeous stretches of green grass and walkways.

 

 

 

 

 

There were benches and chairs set up everywhere to encourage people to sit and ponder a spell.

 

 

 

 

They advertise it as “small town America” and I think it lives up to the slogan.

Such a lovely Sunday evening…

Here we are in the best part of the year for Arizona. Not everyone in this country was able to spend Sunday, January 3rd barbequing steaks. The thermometer read 71 degrees as the smoke was rising and the sun was setting. If only you could smell just how good this smells…

Gotta run…dinner’s calling….mmmm good!!

Adventurous Saturday…

Yesterday, Tracy and I went on a photo search. We had a great time. The weather couldn’t have been better and we found lots of fun things to take pictures of for our photo blog.

 

This is one of those huge billboards that Duncan Family Farms put up to advertise their place. You can see it off the north side of I-10 headed west before Cotton Lane. We had to do a little off-roading to get the shot…but “that was no hill for a climber.”

 

Here are a couple more from their place:

 

This is the front of their store. Sadly, it’s closed now.

 

 

 

Most of the people portrayed are locals.

 

 

 

 

I love this guy. He’s made from a shovel and garden rake and other hardware odds and ends. Isn’t he cute???

 

 

 

 

We saw other people out enjoying the day… 

I had never seen Verrado High School before. It is a beautiful building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracy and I decided Verrado would be a very nice place to live. Too bad it’s so expensive. It really does have a small town, laid-back kind of attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill met us at the Golf Course Grill and we had a wonderfully delicious lunch outside on the patio overlooking the 18th green.

The company was great…

 

 

 

 

 

                                           The food was delicious…Thai Chicken Salad..

 

 

 

 

 

And my fortune was oh, so true!!!

The water caught fire…

I read this quote yesterday and I thought it was so beautiful. I also thought as I read it, that I had witnessed this very thing happening on my walk a few evenings ago. So tonight when it looked like the time was right…off I went to the canal.

“The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire.”  Pamela Hansford Johnson

I just love water...

I just love water...the way it reflects, the way if moves, and the way it sounds. On one of my recent walks along the canal, the water was exceptionally pretty. I took this first shot because of the reflection.

Then Nicole told me it was starting to sprinkle, so I took another shot...I really love this one.

I just love the water....

European Presbyterian peanut brittle....

Okay, this one will be short and sweet. I don't really know what I had before I went to bed last night that gave me such vivid dreams, but I had a couple of doozies!! All I can tell you from this one is that I was eating European Presbyterian peanut brittle and someone lost their emu in the field next door and two little boys were looking for it on a tricycle, but they found a skunk first!!!  'Nuf said.

These shoes are made for walking....

These are my new walking shoes. Lisa thought I needed better shoes to walk in and I'm sure she was right. My old pair were pretty worn out and these are much more supportive.

As you all know, exercise has to become part of my daily life to help combat  diabetes. Over the Christmas holidays I had lots of walking company. Cindy and I got in a quick mile on Christmas morning and then in the afternoon four of us headed out on another walk. There was Cindy, Leslie (in flip flops - where does she think she lives - Arizona??), Lisa and myself. Walking with people is much easier than walking alone. The time just seems to fly and everyone is laughing and giggling...I love it! We were on the backside of our mile and Lisa (the newcomer to this whole walking thing) says let's do another....I ain't a'scared...she says. So we did!

Then the next day, Richard came out to pick up Greg to go to the flying and field and Lisa came along. She told me on the phone not to take my walk until she got here...oh, my, have we created a monster?? So we did another two miles that day!

Sunday was Lisa's birthday and I went in to celebrate with her and Richard. She made sure to tell me to   bring my walking shoes. We did two miles that day too. Yep! She's got the bug. Every day since then, she's been out walking. She did one day by herself, but  her neighbor, Sarah, joined her the next day. So now she has an in town walking buddy. That's great.

Now Lisa calls me and asks "Have you taken your walk yet?" I laughed at her yesterday and said she was becoming the Walking Nazi!! But it's good to have someone who cares and helps me keep motivated. I do love to walk and I feel much better once I've done it, but these are still my favorite shoes...