A visit to the Agua Caliente Park is bittersweet

http://azstarnet.com/news/science/environment/agua-caliente-park-s-pond-a-dry-shadow-of-yesteryear/article_9b989460-c43f-519a-897f-59a93ecf4b49.html

One of the benefits of "partial retirement/self-employment" is the freedom to take off on a spur-of-the-moment minitrip on a Friday afternoon.  We went to Agua Caliente Park where Mark's mom enjoyed herself, particularly in the last months of her life, and I, too, recall taking my mom there before her decline.  It's been a couple of years since we last visited or maybe longer and we had both read the recent article about how the second pond is gone and even the remaining pond is drying up.  We saw mud flats where water used to be in the first pond and only a few ducks were in the water.

 

Still, beauty remains.  We took a leisure walk through the mesquite bosque, where late afternoon shadows tempered the warmth of the sun.

 

 

As we came through palm trees, this is the vista that welcomed us.

 

 

 

There's a touch of autumn in this scene--the way we Tucsonans like to experience happiness in October.

 

Tucson Meet Yourself Festival: An Abundance of Happiness

This post could just as appropriately be on my AnitaWrites blog since it highlights the Tucson Meet Yourself Festival which was one of the primary "reasons for happiness in Tucson" cited in my Talk UP^ Tucson... book.  But, since I am writing this on Sunday, my "slowww day" (supposedly), I am putting it on the Slow Life blog.

We spent three hours at the Festival (now in its 40th year and a true legacy from the SW Folklore Center/now a part of the UA's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Folklore Center's founder "Big" Jim Griffith).  We could have spent another two or three hours with the entertainment, food booths, or the booths we didn't see on the southside of Broadway, but fatigue set in around 4 p.m..  But what we did see we enjoyed: the PACC booth (I hope some of the lonely dogs were adopted), the Chinese Cultural Center (nice display and I learned they have Tai Chi classes open to the public), the robot display at the Sonoran Science Academy booth, and, of course--the SBS Happiness Booth and the Public Library's expanded display of Happiness Books. 

Mark took more photos, but here is a sample of why we love to live in Tucson and what brings happiness into our lives.

Early autumn sunlight in front of our historic courthouse:

 

There are even more books now on the library's Happiness display.  And the ones they have of mine are either "out", "on hold" or only in collections:).

 

 

Here is the UA's SBS Booth spreading the words of Happiness:

 

 

One of the activities I hope to replicate at the Library and Community Renaissance's Happiness Community Conversations (which start this week) is a paper chain of words of happiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Fun Day in early Autumn

Sometimes, when autumn comes to Tucson, the sense of abundance of things to do, places to go multiplies by 100 and then it comes down to making choices.  In early October there are so many opportunities for fun and joy--just the simple act of breathing in the cooler air is wonderful.

Yesterday (and the possibility of today) brought a plethora of pleasure.  Here's my list and photos which I hope convey my personal sense of happiness that I live in Tucson and have so much beauty that surrounds me.

1.  Took a walk at 4 pm half way around Reid Park after sipping ice tea at El Con Starbucks and starting a new writing book, Writing Down the Soul by Janet Conor.

2.  Sharing with my hubby:  a healthy and tasty salad and margarita pizza at Falora in Broadway Village www.falora.com .

3.  Two bites of a heavenly blueberry and outmeal cookie from the new bakery in Broadway Village, Sugar www.sugarsweetbakery.com .

4.  Impromptu stop at an exhibit as part of Tucson Modernism Week www.tucsonmod.com and www.preservetucson.org .  I learned about Citron paints that have no black or white in their colors and hence no shadows appear on walls painted with this product www.citronpaint.com . I like the names of the colors: lala's laugh, ripe tomato, marmalade, pickle delight, mystery novel and puppy fur.

That's also where I met the husband and wife architects/craftsman/woman who own HA Ru.  Darcy, the wife/architect/craftswoman gave me the doll pictured below.  I love her and have named my doll Darcy.  Darcy the doll is standing on my vintage wooden blocks for the picture of her adorable front and cutsie backside:).

 

 

The textured work HA RU does (in concrete and metal as well as fabrics) was also part of spring display at the Tucson Botanical Gardens that I recalled as I viewed the HA RU products. 

5.  A stop by at the Drawing Studio in support of the shows "Lens on the Land" www.lensontheland.com (a photographic exhibit arranged by Josh Schachter and Brian Forbes Powell)  and "Save the Scenic Santa Ritas" which featured plein air paintings I liked very much by Betina Fink.  Here is one of Fink's pieces of the lovely Santa Rita Mountains which are being threatened by the Rosemont Mine.

6.  The grand finale:  a personal Maker House tour by Anthony Ford, founder of The Maker House, followed by the creamiest, sweetest hot chocolate shared in the remodeled courtyard  www.makerhouse.org .  I will be doing a more indepth post about The Maker House with photos about this adventure-experience on my other blog in the next day or so, http://anitawritesforyou.blogspot.com .

So, have I convinced you that yesterday was a really fun day!!