This Time of Year...

Corona de Tucson

August 12, 2026 

Dark skies and rain...

August is a great month to see the beautiful Barrel Cacti in bloom.  Even though I love all the cacti blooms, the barrels are my favorite.  It's their vibrant colors, the glow ring before it is fully open, and their stunning crown.  

When the barrel is about 10 years in age, buds emerge from a wooly or fuzzy growth in late spring through summer that are triggered by the hot seasonal weather and rains.  

After the blooms fade, the cactus produces small, oblong, fruits that look like tiny pineapples.  They start out firm and green and turn a bright golden yellow when ripe. The outside is a leathery rind and the stiff flower remains attached.  Inside are a kazillion tiny, black crunchy edible seeds.  

Fishhook Barrel Cactus grow wild in the Sonoran desert and this is the time of year for them to "shine" and show off.  They commonly grows to about 5 feet, but can reach up to ten feet.  

During the Dog Days of Summer, the Tucson Botanical Gardens invites folks to bring their pups for an early morning walk.  They even provide a menu for you and your canine dependent(s) if you want to have breakfast/brunch when you visit.  

Lucy isn't quite as excited about the visit as we are, but she does enjoy seeing the friendly folks who give her lots of attention and lots of puppy pets.

I always enjoy these walks and love taking photos at the Gardens.  No matter what the time of year, there is something to capture.  The Rain Lilies were blooming and the Passion Flower vines and Coral vines made gorgeous canopies.

The manicured grounds highlight the filtered sun, lush growth, splashes of color create a peaceful and eye-catching outdoor space.  

I was so excited to get a text from Jodee saying she had an appointment in Tucson and if we were not busy would stop by for a visit.  I quickly responded with a great big "YIPPEE!".  I love these visits with dear friends. Jodee and I met on the blog, met in person at Lazydays when rollin' full time and again in Moab, and have visited a couple of times after buying our sticks and bricks.  Life is busy, but what a treat it is to catch up in person like we had just seen each other last week.  Lots of laughs, lots of stories, and lots of Lucy who was full of tail wags and toys.  I only took one photo...a keeper for sure!

Last week-end, Jamie, Andra, and Ozzie came to visit.  

We had a double date with the kiddos.  The Botanical Gardens is having Monsoon Sunset Concerts on Fridays nights in August from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.  The event features live music by local musicians, beer and wine, and a full menu at Edna's Cafe.  The pulled pork sandwiches were yummy as was the cold brewsky, and the Daytrails band members were all students at U of A. The band is known around town for its sun-soaked indie rock energy.  

And you might remember awhile back there was a fund raiser for a mural to be painted on the outside (by the street) wall for the Gardens 50 year anniversary on the Porter property in downtown Tucson. 

 

 

Back at the oasis, it was out with the old and in with the new.  We had all the 25 year old packed insulation covered with dust and dirt removed, the attic sanitized, the cracks and gaps filled, and brand new insulation blown in at 17" deep.   Why you might ask. Well, the old fiberglass loose fill had settled to about 4 inches and had lost some if not a lot of thermal efficiency.  

Out with the old...

It was a two day project and we are very pleased with Strongbuilt Heating, Air, and Plumbing.  We bought our new AC unit from them 3 years ago.  The technicians in charge of this project were very professional and polite and worked so hard in the extreme heat.  We were also impressed with how they cleaned up...it looked as if they had not even been here when they left.  

In with the new...

We have enjoyed some monsoon storms and skies.  There is another month before the season is officially over and we sure could use more rain.

Very dark clouds rollin in around sunset...

Rain clouds and sun rays late afternoon...

Lucy fills our home and hearts.

Practicing "stay"...

Sharing her toys...

You might remember our daughter Jill published a book The Secrets of Shadywoods a couple of years ago.  She has been busy the last couple of years working on a series.  There will be a total of five books and the first one has been published and is available on Amazon.  

Valandria is a fantasy novel for ages 11-14 with lots of magic and mystery. 

The second book is published and will be available on Amazon September 12.

 

And the adventure continues with  Drascandar  with dangerous secret missions and dodging the Dark Stewards.

And also back on the east coast, these two munchkins started their school year.

As a former K teacher I am quite impressed Edith can already write her name and can not believe that Felix is in 5th grade. 

So thats a wrap on the past few weeks.  Hope all is good in your neck of the woods. I'll close with a few more photos that make me smile and clue for an upcoming late summer adventure. 

Artists at the Gardens

One of Lucy's many jobs

Prickly pear cactus fruit 

One of several trains at The Great Garden Express

A volunteer said the yellow bloom is in the banana family.  It was at the kitchen ramada.

Lightening

A young Gamble's Quail

Looking up

Until next time, 

HAPPY TRAILS

and SWEET DREAMS!

The Rest of November...

Corona de Tucson

November 30, 2025 

Desert Marigolds...

The rest of November just flew by.  The Tucson Museum of Art hosted their Annual Fall Artisans Market on November 21-23.  It is a great market and a fundraiser for Southern Arizona's oldest arts institution located in downtown Tucson. 

The market features over 100 artists and artisans with crafts, original artwork, pottery, glass, jewelry, and textiles in an historic outdoor setting.  

Plaza Militar, the location for the market, is directly behind the museum.  Parking for the event is free.

We enjoy perusing the plaza and always see unique things that catch our eye.  One artist we met was Amy Lanterman.  She is a self-taught artist based here in Tucson and says I love to experiment with various mediums and techniques often drawing from the natural world for inspiration. Her playful approach to texture and color reflects her own joy and sure put a smile on my face.

A new piece for our kitchen...

The Romero House was built in 1860 with the first resident being Leonard Romero.  Leonard was the town's first carpenter and became well known for his work on the San Xavier Mission and other landmarks.  

Today this piece of history is home to a popular ceramics studio...Romero House Potters. It is a non-profit organization offering classes for adults.  It features hand building and wheel rooms as well as both electric and gas kilns. 

Noa is a ceramic artist specializing in functional kitchenware and an instructor at the studio. She has 12 years of experience and has mastered her skills in various ceramic techniques.  She moved to Tucson from Israel in 2024 where she continued to develop her craft and share her passion for pottery.  Her teapots are beautiful and she is offering a workshop to give students an opportunity to create their own.  

We had a very nice Thanksgiving and hope family and friends did as well. Jamie, Andra and Ozzie arrived late Tuesday and spent the week-end with us.  I baked a turkey, made southern cornbread dressing and gravy, Senator Russell sweet potato casserole, fresh green beans, and rolls.  We all enjoyed the Macy's parade and the National Dog Show.  Both are a tradition on Thanksgiving Day.  

Ozzie never misses a beat when animals are on the screen.

Friday evening we headed to Tucson Botanical Gardens for "Lights Up!".  Joe and I went a couple of years ago, but Jamie and Andra had not been.  

Saturday, we did a few errands.  The last stop was Houghton Meat Market.  What a nice surprise!  The market provides choice cuts of beef, pork, poultry and seafood.  But that is not all.  They make their own sausage.  Varieties include Brooklyn made with sweet Italian base with bell peppers, onions, and pepper jack cheese, Breakfast mildly seasoned, and Nashville Hot with Nashville Hot Sauce just to name a few.  They also make their own Polish sausage and Bratwursts.  But that is not all.  They make their own salsa and sauces.  

 But that is not all.  They have a great selection of all natural doggie treats too.  Femur, knuckle, and center cut marrow bones were in the freezer.  Fruit and veggie flavored donuts, and bags of treats all locally made.  

We came home with steaks for dinner, peach jam for breakfast, and  peanut butter and jelly doggie treats for Ozzie and Lucy.

In between eating,  decorating the Christmas tree, errands and football (Navy beat Memphis and Alabama beat Auburn...wahoo for both!), we spent a lot of time outside.  The weather was absolutely amazing.  

Back at the oasis in-between and/or before or after this and that, we had a rainy day.

 We walked with Lucy.

 

 

Back on the east coast...Edith spent the day exploring in the city with her family.

And just like that...it's December! 

Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS

and SWEET DREAMS!