Desert flowers

Orange flowers and yellow fruit of the barrel cactus

Instead of colorful fall foliage, the desert has colorful flowers this time of year. Here are some from my walks in the desert and in my yard.

The hiking trail this morning was sprinkled with purple wildflowers ... 

... and these pretty yellow ones.

My Texas ranger burst into bloom again this week! It has soft fuzzy purple flowers and sage green leaves. Here's a closeup:

My orange and purple lantana bushes are also flourishing. They thrive on poor soil, sun and drought, so everyone has them here.

Below is the flashy Mexican bird of paradise, also a favorite here.

And Mom has flowers too -- my sisters and I sent her a bouquet this week. My brother, who lives nearby, keeps her supplied with roses. She's doing well at the rehab center, but no one knows where her outfit came from! It's not hers, but she looks good in it.

Have a colorful day

Collages, cacti and Mom

I'm continuing to stitch my little quote collages and to hike. Besides binding some of the quotes into little books, I might mat and frame some or maybe use them on cards. Working with the colors just makes me happy ...

... and so does hiking in the sunny desert.

This  collage is pinned and ready for stitching when the sun goes down.

An ocotillo glows in the morning sun at Catalina State Park.

This quote, "And suddenly you know. It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings," helped get me through the decision to leave the Northwest five years ago and move to Tucson, not knowing a single soul here.

Glowing leaves of the ocotillo pictured above.

I've separated the quotes into three categories: Hope and Strength, Creativity, and Kindness. I'll do a separate book for each group.

This little guy joined me for coffee the other morning before I went on my hike. 

This Ram Dass quote really touches me. "We're all just walking each other home," like the nurses, doctors and other specialists who are taking good care of my mom so she can go home. (She used to be a nurse herself.) 

Here she is smiling at the rehab center, which she moved to a few days ago. There's a silver lining to all of this in that she seems to have come alive cognitively and socially with all the interactions she's had at the hospital and now in rehab! She could be sent home at the end of next week if the surgeon gives the okay after X-raying the cracked bone to see how it's healing. I'm going out to visit her next week.

 Have a colorful day

My first hike of the season!

It's finally cooled off enough for me to go on my first hike of the season! At 8 this morning it was only in the 60s, which was wonderful after months of 100s.

Can you tell I'm happy to be back on the trail?

It was my first time at Catalina State Park since probably May, and it was soooo nice to see the familiar saguaros and mountain vistas.

These magnificent old plants never cease to inspire awe when I stand under them. I wish they could talk to me; I'll bet they'd have stories to tell.

I only passed one other party on the trail, and the parking lot was mostly empty despite the perfect weather. I didn't see any out-of-state license plates yet. Those will come in another month or so when the Snowbirds start arriving.

I thought I knew all the desert wildflowers, but I had to look up these, which lined the trail. They're called Ipomoea plummerae and are named after botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon, who is also the namesake for our Mt. Lemmon. I thought it was a morning glory except it wasn't on a vine, but they're from the same family. After my hike I relaxed in the picnic area, which I had all to myself, looking out at the mountains.

Mom update: She's still in the hospital healing from her broken hip, but the doctor says she's doing great and is "a delight" to work with. She'll be transferred later today to a rehab center, probably for a few weeks.

Have a colorful day

 

Mom broke her hip

 

My mom had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance a few days ago after falling and breaking her hip, but she was still smiling (above) even while waiting hours in the E.R. to be diagnosed. This was her first surgery in 50 years!

Finally, late the next evening (above and still smiling), she was ready to be wheeled into the operating room. She had cracked the top of her femur, but it wasn't broken clear through so the surgeon just had to reinforce that area.

Here she is the next morning with my brother, the only one of us who lives near her. He said the nurses and doctors all love her because she's always laughing and joking with them. She was a nurse herself when she was young.

Here she is happily assessing her lunch, which she ordered from an extensive menu. She chowed down on a cheeseburger, macaroni and cheese, ice cream and, since the nurse insisted, some fruit. She's expected to be in the hospital a few more days while they do a little physical therapy, and then she'll most likely spend a few weeks in a rehab center. I think she's enjoying the attention!

Meanwhile, I continue to stitch my little quote collages. 

Have a colorful day

Working on the quote collages

I'm back to working on little my quote collages, which I'll make into a book for a show in February in Louisville. The theme of the show is "Homegrown Stories," so each artist is making a book to go along with the stories theme. Plus we'll have our regular art.

 

Here are some of the completed ones, although I keep going back to add more to them so maybe they're not really completed.

I really look forward every day to working with the bright colors! And since it's handwork, I can take them anywhere. And since they're small, it's so satisfying to complete them quickly. This happy pile is on the ottoman in front of my TV chair, so I stitch them in the evenings.

I've been collecting the quotes for years and they've gotten me through hard times, given me a kick when needed, and made me smile.

Here's the latest one all pinned and ready to embroider:

They've taken over my cutting and painting table and I love it! This is the first thing you see when you enter my front door, so there's no doubt that a creative lives here.

 

Update on my mom: She's doing great in her new home, playing bingo, making friends, enjoying not having to do anything. They started giving her in-house physical therapy for a hip that's been bothering her for years and she's walking much better now. My brother took this picture of her a few days ago.

Have a colorful day

 

Mountain respite

 

I just got back from a too-short weekend trip to Mt. Lemmon with some friends. It was cool and green and refreshing compared to the Tucson desert below.

We rented a mountain cabin that was spacious but still felt cozy -- very hygge.

We never got around to using the pool table, but we did play Mahjong!

The views from the decks were of tall, tall Ponderosa pines.

The first night we took a five-hour tour of the University of Arizona's Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, a premier astronomical observatory atop the 9,100-foot mountain. They told us amazing things, like how it's recently been discovered that the universe seems to be contracting as opposed to long-term thinking that it would expand indefinitely.

We got to look through telescopes at planets, galaxies and nebulae, as well as standing outside in the very frigid temps looking up at the stars as a volunteer gave us a tour of the constellations. Inside the observatory there was a "warm room" where you could go to warm up from the temps that felt almost freezing. Luckily, they warned us to bring warm jackets, hats and gloves.

 

At sunset we went outside and saw the "green flash" just as the sun slipped below the horizon. It was very cool!

The second day we wandered around the little town of Summerhaven and hung out at the new Mt. Lemmon Lodge (above) listening to live music.

After checking out of our cabin rental, we rode a chair lift up through the tall pines over the ski run and had sweeping views from the top. We want to go back this fall when the aspen leaves turn gold.

Can't forget the food! We ate twice at the Iron Door, known for its individual pies like my apple pie a la mode. On the first visit I indulged in German chocolate cake. Oh my! After all the restaurant eating in California and on the mountain, I've got to crack down and eat healthy now.

Have a colorful day