4.20.2018


Heading West

Once again the desert called for us.  Despite only being an extended weekend trip, after attending to some business, we were able to enjoy a few of the gifts the area has to offer.  Number one being the sun.  We almost did not recognize it after the long Winter the Midwest has been experiencing.


Flying in and out of Phoenix allowed us to visit the Desert Botanical Garden where many cactus were in bloom.  Temps were unseasonably warm and the city hit 100 degrees the day we departed.  Even in the heat, the colors vibrated.



 
"The desert,
to those who do listen, is more likely to provoke awe than to invite conquest."

--Joseph Wood Krutch
              Naturalist




"My paintings honor the earth.  Their emotional and intellectual content conveys the experience of a place, not just a picture of it."

--Joella Jean Mahoney
                Artist






Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona

Farther North, they, too, were experiencing a warmer than normal April but no one was complaining. Sedona had good crowds but the Spring Break glut had dispersed.  Lucky us.  While in the area we revisited Montezuma Well National Monument and walked among the quiet ruins.  No crowds here.

Montezuma's Well National Monument, Rimrock, AZ

A quick trip to Flagstaff allowed me to finally visit the Museum of Northern Arizona.  It houses a beautiful collection of Native American art including stunning pottery and jewelry.  The museum also owns a collection of works by artist and friend Joella Jean Mahoney.   I wrote of her passing last year and it was good to see her spirit shine among the treasures.




All good things must come to an end, or, must they?  We will return to the desert, and Joella's art continues to enchant museum goers every day.  Not, so long, Arizona, but, until we meet again.



4.01.2018

Sometimes things do not go as planned and you just have to roll with it.  Mother Nature decided we needed more snow.  Forsythia and daffodils are blooming but they can take it. Surely Spring temps are right around the corner.  Hope there was a little sunshine in your basket.