Finding color in the desert

It's raining again in Gig Harbor, so I'm turning to the desert for today's sunshine. These are pictures I took earlier this year on a short trip to Tucson, Arizona. A lot of people think of the desert as a brown, dry, desolate no-man's land, but it's actually quite vibrant and full of life.

You can usually count on a turquoise sky during the day followed by a splash of purple and orange as the sun sets, then a night sky studded with stars. The sun casts all sorts of interesting shadows in the cacti -- great design inspiration.

Did I mention the fish in the desert? These are in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum west of Tucson. It's a beautiful indoor/outdoor living museum.



These are the famous saguaro cacti. I think I took this at Sabino Canyon, northeast of Tucson, but not positive. We did a lot of hiking in different spots.

Why am I showing you this wall quilt I made way back in 1995? Because look at the next picture of a store mural in Tucson. For those of you who aren't Grateful Dead fans, that's the late Jerry Garcia (with the white hair) of the Grateful Dead, my all-time favorite band.

The center panel of the quilt is the front of a t-shirt. I made Jerry's head myself, and added some borders.

There's Jerry, gazing over Tucson from the Hippie Gypsy store.

Even the Goodwill is colorful.

Here's looking at ya! (From the Tucson Botanical Garden)

Have a great day