Tucson Gem and Mineral show

The Tucson Gem and Mineral show is the biggest of it's kind in the world. It is really a cluster of several shows that goes over two weeks. There are lots of different venues scattered across town. Some of the vendors will sell to anyone, some only wholesale.
Yesterday, I got down to Tucson with Beth and Jet. We only went to one site and really only saw a little of what was available there. I love fossils and minerals, but after a few hours, I start suffering "mineral fatigue", you've just had enough.
I did get a few things to add to my little mineral collection. The prices are always better than in a regular store. Here is Beth standing next to a massive quartz crystal. This tent hand museum quality and size pieces.





This piece with the fossils was as tall as I was.











Some are displayed very nicely. But, those are also the ones that are going to cost a lot.

I would love to own one of these dragonfly fossils. But not at 1500$ each.

I did come away with a small piece of flourite. And this is the way a lot of them are displayed. Boxes and boxes and boxes of them. Can you imagine how much it must cost to get all these rocks and fossils here? They come from all over the world.

Spur Cross Ranch

I have heard about the Spur Cross Ranch area for years. It's up in Cave Creek and is supposed to be a really pretty riparian area with a creek that runs year round. I had been wanting to go check it out sometime and sometime happened today.
One of the things they have up there are stables. I really want to come back and do a ride sometime. Especially when they have cowboys as good looking as this one.





It's winter/spring in Arizona but I bet those cottonwoods will look fabulous a little later leafed out. But that is still a lot of water for us desert rats.











Me, water in the desert.

Another cool thing about the area, is the really fabulous saguaros. This one was really awesome.

We went part of the way on the Metate trail, and guess what? There was a metate. Pretty cool. There are also a lot of petroglyphs and ruins in the area. We will have to go back and check those out.

Spring is coming! Beautiful lush grass.

And a saguaro skeleton for a bench!

And a solar run lily pond to help rehabilitate some species. In the middle of nowhere!

More water.

And Cindy my hiking buddy.

Garden Refresh

I know I have said it before, but I LOVE MY GARDEN!

I haven't been able to spend a lot of time messing with it lately, but today, I took quite a bit of time. First, I needed to pull out a few things that succumbed to the frost.

Then, I really had quite a lot ready to harvest. So I pulled that all out. And then I was ready to plant some new seeds. I am planting quite a bit now and then again towards the end of February. If I have any room left, that is. I have a little garden, but it is mighty!

So here are the carrots and lettuce I harvested today.

And my great bok choy, before I harvested all of it.

My Spinach patch. I was able to just harvest the biggest leaves and leave it in to continue to let it grow.

My celery, I left in for a while too. I am excited to try it. This is the first time I have grown it.

My Swiss chard grew mighty, colorful and delicious.

So this is organizing central. I was planning what I would plant now and what later. Today I put in 2 variety of tomatoes, beets, lettuce, radishes, scallions, peppers, peas, chives, cilantro, dill, eggplant, more spinach, frisee and nasturtiums. All from seed. We will see if the garden survives the depredations of my pets. They always take a toll. But I love growing and eating it all! I still have cabbage that is pretty young and growing out there too.

McDonalds Car Show

I've been talking about going to the Barrett Jackson car show. One of the girls at work told me about the car show that is regularly out at the Rock and Roll McDonalds on Indian Bend and the 101. It's free! So today Penny and I went out to check it out. It was a lot of fun. There were a LOT of cars. There might be more than usual because there are so many car events in the valley this week. I'm not sure, because I hadn't been before.
Penny said it was a lot of old farts with their toys. It was really fun to see so many of them, and up close. It was also a memory trip. Seeing things like the way the air conditioner vents look in this Mercury. The skinny steering wheel. Wing windows. Window handles. Doors that use keys!

This was a beauty. I think I would like to have one to tool around in, but I don't want to have to fix or restore one. And I don't have the money to just have one as a toy. But it's fun to look at them.











I have known Penny a lot of years, but I had no idea she could look at a car and say "that's a 1964 impala" or something like that. She did that several times. I was amazed.










Lots of pretty paint jobs.















Hood ornaments














Fuzzy Dice














Cool retro design details











This woody complete with surf boards. Most of the cars were for sale.









Lots of chrome on the engines

















This one reminded me of a saddle shoe.














Somebody loves this car.























More Chrome. Clean enough to eat off of. But they would kill you.
















I loved this car. A convertible Cadillac Bonneville.

It was sooooo long. It would be like driving a boat.

And of course there were lots of muscle cars!

Hello to the Netheralands!

I have seen posts by several friends where they have been able to tell who, in a general sense, is looking at their blog. I just discovered a little about how to do this.
I discovered that most people come to my blog from either a google search for me, or through one of my friend's blogs. That makes sense.
But it was interesting to see, over the lifetime of my blog, where people are at who are looking at my blog. Most, of course, are from the US. But I have had 124 hits from the Netherlands! I can't think of who I know there. Unless Tom, the foreign exchange student the Hales had checks out my blog.
Anyway, here is a little photo to make you feel at home! And you are most welcome. I would love for you to post a comment so I know who you are.

The second country that showed up was Hong Kong, China. This has to be Linda, my foreign exchange student! Welcome Linda! Post a comment and say hi.











I am completely stymied by Russia. Can't think why I have 82 hits from there. But I think it's a hoot and would love to hear from you. Again, you are most welcome!















And rounding out the top 4 is Germany. This had 60 hits and I suspect this is from when my friend Robin was stationed in Germany. If there is someone else out there, say hello!
So where do people come from who view your blogs?

Grammy Preparations

Some of you have been asking to see my clothes that I am getting together for going to the Grammy's. So here is the dress that I bought at My Sister's Closet for 17$. I can't do the whole bare shoulder, plunging front or back thing. This dress looks really flattering on and the skirt has a really nice flow to it. It kind of changes from silver/black/grey. There is an underskirt of black and then this lighter flowing fabric on top. I am very pleased with it.











The top is beaded some. It's a bit see through, I need to get a camisole still.













Shoes are hard for me. I don't do really well with much of a heel. And a lot of the fancier things are too narrow for me. I was at Last Chance yesterday and picked these up. They aren't ideal, but I think I can make them work. They are a little big in the heel but I think the ankle strap will make them stay on ok. They aren't as over the top fancy as some of them were, but I just couldn't find any that fit comfortable, that I thought I could walk in. At least I don't think I will have to be pulling these off immeadiately and hopefully I won't fall over. The heel is shiny silver metallic, kind of chrome looking. And they are Italian made. How cool is that? And I scored a major sale: 21$ including tax.

I haven't decided for sure, but I believe I will be wearing these earrings and the matching necklace. My sister, Wendy bought these for me last year at the indoor swap meet! What a hoot. They are fabulous really.

And the white beaded bag, I have had for many years and really like. The grey silk one I bought when I got the dress. I am leaning towards the white one.

Feel free to give you opinions. I don't promise to follow it, but I will certainly listen and consider it. I am still thinking of a possible wrap. I'm not sure yet, because anything that will really go with the dress and even would likely be rather light and gauzy. The top is pretty shear and we are talking February in LA at night. I am wanting something to help keep me warm. Any thoughts on that?

Wendy's Gift

My sister Wendy had told me she had been working on a gift for my birthday for about 2 and 1/2 months. I knew it was some kind of needlework thing, but not what kind. Yesterday this came in the mail.
I thought it was amazingly beautiful and could tell how much work had been put into it.
Then I talked to her and found out more. Not only had she spent all the time to stitch it, but she had completely made it up. No pattern. No riff on some other thought, idea or something she had seen. Is she not amazing or what? She said people who saw her working on it over the months said they would like one too. She told them it was so much work, it was a once in a lifetime project. How kind and thoughtful of her to give it to me.

If you look at this photo, you can see a little better some of the detail and how she decided to "bling" it up. Besides outline each of the small squares she made, she did some beading along the outside rows and then added the beaded fringe.

Isn't she amazingly creative? Yeah Wendy! And Thank you!

Cat Hat

Here is my latest Crocheted creation. It's a cat hat for one of my favorite teenagers. How do you like the model's pajamas?