Wordless Wednesday - Gull Statue

Monday Inspiration - Morning Thoughts

Photo: Joanne Thayer, Tubac, Arizona, September 2014

I wake each morning glad that I

May know the sun, the rain, the sky,

The gentle twittering of birds...

The joy of creatures without words.

Dear Lord, Your wonders bring to me

A deep sense of humility;

And I am awed each time I wake

To the beauty of the days You make!

So, thank You, Father, for every hour

I live to see a tree, a flower,

A bird in flight, a sunset hue,

That I may share, dear God, with You.

(Author Unknown)

Time in Tucson

A couple of weeks ago I took a road trip to Tucson, one of our past hometowns, to visit some favorite spots, play with my camera, and spend time with my dearest friend.   Here's a little photo journal of my trip...

I stayed at a hotel that offered regular rooms as well as "casitas", which were small apartment-like suites.
This is the view from my patio looking north towards the Catalina Mountains
which were covered in clouds with a rain storm coming in.

This is the front of my "casita".  The bay window was the table and chairs in the kitchen area.

Another view from my patio looking at the lush greenery surrounding the area and the mountains in the background.

Back of the courthouse... this is where we got our marriage license 30 years ago.

Steeple of Tumacacori mission amidst a stormy sky.

Colorful building and flowers at Tubac in the Crowe's Nest area.

Wood carving of bear, Tubac, Crowe's Nest area.

Metal turtle sculpture, Tubac, Crowe's Nest area.

Colorful frog sculpture, Tubac, Crowe's Nest area.

Colorful scupltures in Crowe's Nest area of Tubac, with the Santa Rita Mountains in the background.

Closer view of the rooster sculpture seen in photo above.

Mexican Bird of Paradise above water fall, Tubac, Crowe's Nest area.

Butterfly on flowering bushes near waterfall, Tubac, Crowe's Nest area.

Another view of the butterfly.

Primera Iglesia Bautista, Stone Avenue, downtown Tucson

Cathedral of Saint Augustine, Stone Avenue, downtown Tucson

Colorful shopping area downtown Tucson

Looking at the city from the road up "A" Mountain.

One of my favorite spots in the Tucson Mountains, Gates Pass road, which I used to take home from work.

Another view from the Gates Pass road.

San Xavier del Bac Mission, south of the city.

A Little Beach Relaxation

Well, for me relaxation at the beach isn't swimming... it's walking along with my camera, taking pictures of the sea and the seabirds.  I'm not a great photographer (and a better camera is on my Christmas wish list), but I love talking to the laughing gulls and having them pose for me,

sitting on the sand and watching the brown pelicans fly above the water, dive for their dinner, and then body surf on the waves. 

People look at me with strange looks on their faces (I guess since I have a habit of talking to the gulls), but for me, it's relaxation at its best.

I have a few big deadlines coming up so this little overnight trip to the sea was all about relaxing and letting creative ideas flow.  Fortunately I have a great husband who understands me and doesn't mind my solo adventures :)

I'm working on a book (non-fiction) with a friend which is currently coming in at around 284 pages.  I'm doing the layout, formatting, copy editing and proof reading.  I've hired my daughter (who does this type of work) to help out since I've set a deadline for the first of September, giving the printer plenty of time to have things finished in time for October sales.  It's going to be a busy several weeks!!

I've also been working on several new cross stitch designs and sent two of them over to my friend Linda this evening - she'll be doing the model stitching on these two as I work on a few more. 

I'll be updating my Of Generations Past blog in a day or so with more information on the new designs.  Be sure to check in there!

Joanne 

Autumn in Vancouver

I just returned home from a third road trip to Vancouver, Canada this year.  I realized that with the three trips to Vancouver, one to Santa Fe and Taos in January, and one to Tucson in July, that I've driven over 20,000 miles this year just in road trips.  My husband thinks I'm crazy, especially since a few of those included about 2500 miles on my own (the others were with our daughter).  Flying is great if you want to arrive somewhere quickly, but you get to see so much more of the country by driving, and it's great to explore new places. 

Here are some photos of the beautiful scenery this fall in one of my new favorite places.  The picture at the top of the blog is also from Vancouver, taken near the UBC campus and looking down towards NW Marine Drive.

Enroute - Mt. Shasta in northern California

Love the snow!

In Vancouver...

Some of the colorful trees in the city

The day we visited Steveston Village was a cool, drizzly one. 

I love the clouds as you look past the fishing boats to the island across the inlet.

Here are a few scenes from NW Marine Drive, looking across to North and West Vancouver,

and also to the city itself.

Here are the Olympic Rings at the Vancouver airport. 

They look so pretty at night when the lights are on. 

However, this picture was taken on a rainy afternoon.

 

These photos were taken at White Rock on a very cloudy and drizzly day. 

I had to take a picture or two of the gulls... definitely not my best, but they wouldn't cooperate.

Enroute - Sunset near the California-Arizona border on I-40.

A Few Finished Gifts to Tucson

I've been busy stitching the last two weeks to finish up two pieces for gifts. Our daughter and I went to Tucson for a few days to visit friends and I brought the gifts with me.











This one was for my long-time friend, Karen, as part of her birthday gift. It's from a Plum Pudding Needlework design.







This pillow was a gift for Karen's new granddaughter. I shared a picture of it a few months ago as a work in progress, and here it is completed. I didn't like any of the traditional baby designs, so used "For My Daughter" by Blackbird and made a few changes.








Here are a few pictures of the garden and sculptures in Tubac, one of our favorite spots south of Tucson. It's full of wonderful artisan shops and even though it's the desert, you'll find beautiful flowers.





This is a pretty area to sit and enjoy the desert view after some shopping.











I love these moving sculptures that move in the desert breeze. They're lined up along the patio at Shelby's Bistro, a favorite place to eat.










This flower was almost the size of a dinner plate. I wish there were some way I could have shown you just how large it was. It was truly beautiful.












I just love some of the sculptures, too. This one in a pretty patio next to Shelby's Bistro is a little girl reading, and a huge pile of books. It reminded me of our daughter when she was a little girl!







This shop is Tortuga Books, an all-time favorite. It's a great place to browse and cool off a bit after shopping in the hot desert sun. Now they have a coffee bar inside, too, which makes it even more pleasant. There are some tables and chairs outside for sitting if you prefer to enjoy the breeze, and there's a giant rabbit who's quite interested in that planter.











Here's a close-up of that giant bunny :)