Claire’s Visit

Claire came yesterday morning, with Emerson and Colby.  We grilled burgers for lunch and ate on the patio.  The kids played in our yard, where they love hunting for rocks and Gila monsters.  Papa left a limb that had fallen from a tree in the back yard, for Colby to saw.  He donned gloves and got out the bow saw, but determined very quickly that mesquite is hard wood!  Papa helped him with the sawing.  Papa watched The Outlaw Josey Wales with Emerson and Colby while Claire and I went on a long walk.  Later we walked to La Encantada for dinner at Humble Pie and walked home in the dark.  It seemed an adventure!  Papa watched part of The Cowboys with Emerson and Colby after bath time and finished the movie this morning.  They love watching westerns with Papa!  They built a fire in the backyard, crumbling a pile of paper I saved for them, then stacking the mesquite logs they sawed yesterday.  They roasted marshmallows.  All good!  They left after lunch.  We love their visits!

Morning Rain

While sitting at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee early this morning, I looked up at the mountains and noticed a small window of blue sky surrounded by thick clouds.  Within a few minutes the window closed, the clouds darkened and rain began to fall.  The sound of raindrops on our roof is music!  By 8:00 the rain stopped and I went on my morning walk.  The clouds lightened and this was my view as I walked through our neighborhood.  We love living in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.  We never tire of our view!

Beautiful Afternoon

I walked with Ornella this afternoon, in the foothills, under partly cloudy skies.  Nice!

Art and Games

Audrey and Dan picked us up this morning and we headed to the Joselyn Art Museum in downtown Omaha.  It is a pink marble building that opened in 1931, as a gift to the City of Omaha from Sarah Joselyn.  We enjoyed the exhibits from old masters to contemporary art, as well as the building architecture and the children’s art room.  Just as we came out of the building, a flock of geese flew overhead.  We may see those geese in Arizona in the next few weeks!

Audrey made lunch and we played a couple of games of Clue.  We listened to music, read, and enjoyed a lazy afternoon.  We had dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant.  Audrey and Dan dropped us off at our hotel around 7 and we walked down to the river at sunset.  We had another nice day in Omaha!

In Omaha

After a few days in Kentucky visiting Lulu’s parents, we flew to Omaha for the weekend with Audrey’s family.  We hit the ground running!  We had lunch in the Old Market area of downtown Omaha, with Audrey and the girls, and then shopped a bit.  Audrey drove us around Omaha, we checked into our hotel, and we went to their place until dinner time.  We walked to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner, then to the girls school for a bit of time on the playground.  Saturday was a full day.  We went to Taylor’s soccer game, then to the Lauritzen Botanical Garden, lunch, the Durham Museum, and then to Lauren’s soccer game.  Papa and Dan plus the girls took a rest at home while Audrey and I went on a neighborhood walk.  We had Lebanese food for dinner.  It was a good day!

Above the Clouds

Papa and I flew from Phoenix to St. Louis today, then took an eight seater plane from St. Louis to Owensboro, KY.  It was a cloudy day and the pilot flew mostly above the clouds.  I thought the clouds were beautiful!

Hacienda Del Sol for Dinner

We went to the Grill at Hacienda Del Sol for dinner this evening. We arrived for a 6:00 reservation and enjoyed seeing the sky at sunset. 

Hacienda Del Sol has an interesting history.  "The story began in 1929, when John and Helen Murphey created Hacienda del Sol; a desert retreat inspired by early Moorish architecture, with personal touches crafted by the Murphey's themselves. The property was originally a "home away from home" ranch school for the daughters of society's elite families.  The prestigious school's roster boasted names such as Vanderbilt, Pillsbury, Maxwell, Westinghouse, and Campbell, to name a few.

In 1944, Hacienda Del Sol was converted into a guest ranch that immediately attracted the Silver Screen’s most popular stars. Legend has it that the Hacienda’s Casita Grande was a favorite romantic hideaway of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Leading men John Wayne and Clark Gable both signed their names to the hotel’s guestbook.  Howard Hughes, who owned a film studio in Tucson at the time, found comfort and privacy within the walls of the Hacienda.

The guest ranch was forgotten until fate landed the secluded property into the loving hands of a group of Tucson investors.  With the vision of returning the ranch to its original glory, since 1995, a group of Tucson investors have continually renovated and renewed Hacienda Del Sol.  In 1997, The Grill restaurant was opened, and continues to be one of Arizona’s finest dining venues. Today, the story continues, with understated elegance and charming hospitality at this classic Arizona inn, “The Soul of Tucson in the Heart of the Foothills.”  Hacienda Del Sol is included in the National Registry of Historic Places in Arizona, and is pleased to be a member of Historic Hotels of America®.  Hacienda Del Sol is also a member of Historic Hotels Worldwide®, which is dedicated to promoting heritage and cultural travel to prestigious historic treasures."

Murals

Tucson artists continue to paint murals about town.  Just yesterday, I was at La Encantada to shop a bit and noticed this new mural, with a lizard surrounded by shopping bags, baubles, mountains, big clouds, and big desert flora.  It’s fun!

Raindrops and Puddles

We had a nice rain early yesterday morning and I went out for my morning walk just as the rain stopped.  It was a treat to see puddles in the street and sitting on rocks, raindrops on leaves, plumped up cactus, and leafed out ocotillo.  Rain in the desert means life to plants and animals.

Flamenco at the Fox Theatre

We had terrific seats at the Fox Theatre this afternoon for Flamexico.  We really enjoyed it!  https://foxtucson.com/event/jfcs-presents-flamexico/

“Jácome Flamenco’s nationally-acclaimed ¡FlaMÉXico! is a unique concert experience that blends Spain’s Gypsy and Flamenco distinctive musical and dance style with the rich melodies of Mexico’s Mariachi and charro music.  Often described as the “Blues” of Southern Spain, dating as far back as the 15th-Century, flamenco evolved out of the traditions of several cultures including those of the Gypsies, the Moorish Arabs, the Jewish and the indigenous Southern peoples of Spain.

“My shows and my music are a celebration of culture. My inspiration comes from my Mexican heritage combined with the richness of flamenco. Through ¡FlaMÉXico! we capture the grace and passion of charro and gypsy music, creating a one-of-a-kind tapestry of music and dance.”— Chris B. Jácome

Creator and artistic director of ¡FlaMÉXico!, Chris B. Jácome is an award-winning composer and one of the most in-demand flamenco guitarists in the U.S.  Born and raised in Tucson, Chris mastered Spanish guitar under the tutelage of world-renowned masters in Sevilla, Spain. The recipient of the Grand Prize and the John Lennon Award in the World Category for his song “Ritmo-Canix” from his album Levanto, Chris’ compositions have been featured in films as well as the Emmy Award Winning PBS television special: Flamenco.  Chris Jacome’s great grandfather settled in Tucson in the early 1800’s, established Jacome Department Store and was a representative at the first Constitutional Convention which led to the Declaration of Statehood for Arizona in 1912.”

We went to Downtown Kitchen for dinner, during Sonoran Restaurant Week.  There was a special three course dinner.  Both of us had melon and cucumber gazpacho with pickled cherries and fish tacos for our main course.  It was delicious!  We had a fun afternoon!

Labor Day with Family

We drove to Phoenix on the morning of Labor Day, and met Mary, Claire, Emerson, Colby, Whitney, and Greta for lunch.  Whitney flew to Phoenix on Saturday morning with Greta.  Claire picked them up and along with Emerson and Colby, they drove to the Grand Canyon.  They spent two nights glamping in a fancy tent just south of the Grand Canyon, and spent time hiking in the canyon both days.  They drove back to Phoenix on Monday to meet us.

After lunch, we checked into The Boulders hotel, where we got in the pool for a couple of hours, then had an early dinner.  After ice cream bars for dessert, Claire left with the kids, to go home and get ready for Tuesday morning school.  I hiked in the boulders on the grounds of the hotel, with Whitney and Greta until almost dark.  We had a wonderful Labor Day with family!