Happy Holidays! May our hearts be filled with peace and joy throughout the upcoming year. Merry Christmas! “Nativity” is one of my favorite pieces by Ted DeGrazia. His museum is a must-see while in the Tucson area. "DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun" Sharing a few sights around the neighborhood. Merry Christmas from Arizona!

I read an article about Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia a while ago. His story intrigued Roger and me, so we went to see the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun this beautiful October morning. Here I am sharing a little information and a few pictures I took around the grounds while we were there. Great history, art, and exploring! DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is a 10-acre art gallery in the north Tucson foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. On the National Register of Historic Places,

Sabino Canyon is an incredible canyon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents of the Tucson area and visitors, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Wildlife in the canyon includes deer, javelina, skunks, tortoises, rattlesnakes, bobcats, and mountain lions. On a recent trip to Sabino Canyon with two friends, we rode the Sabino Canyon Crawler on a 45-minute tour. The crawler st

Tubac is a small community in Southern Arizona established in 1751 as a Spanish Presidio. It is located between the Tumacacori and Santa Rita Mountain ranges and is known as the place where art and history meet. On Roger and my recent visit to Tubac, we found an incredible array of premium galleries, unique shopping, fine art, and dining. Below are a few pictures giving a sample of the fantastic shopping and art. It was a beautiful day, and we had an excellent lunch at Tubac

Baby quail that is! This little family of Gambel's Quail is trying to reunite. They got separated from one another. One group is in my neighbor's yard (the upper level) and the other is in our yard (the lower level among the rocks). It seems two of the babies followed "Dad" down to our yard and then couldn't get back up with the family. THEN, several of the littles were able to make it down with "Mom" taking over. It's amazing watching Mr. and Mrs. Gambel's Quail work as

Roger and I have enjoyed watching a little bird family in our backyard for the past month. We placed a hut type of birdhouse in our palm tree a few years ago. What fun we had watching this little couple build a nest in the birdhouse. We guess that the bird is some type of Vireo, either Warbling Vireo or Gray Vireo common in southern Arizona. We placed our outdoor trail camera near the birdhouse so we wouldn’t disturb the nest. Unfortunately, the photos are not of excellent qu

Guide to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | TucsonTopia Roger and I visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum this week on our Thursday "date day". We had a nice day exploring and had a great lunch at the Ironwood Terraces grill. I'm sharing a few photos below that we took while we were there. The Desert Museum sits on 98 acres of pristine desert landscape. The primarily outdoor museum showcases the diverse flora and wildlife of the Sonoran Desert region featuring over 55,000 p

On our "date day" this week, Roger and I went to Tumacacori National Historical Park. This mission began in the 1700s and is located forty-five miles south of Tucson, Arizona, and eighteen miles north of Nogales, Arizona. The photo caption information I'm sharing is taken from the map and key given to tourists at the Visitor's Station. For more information and the history of the church check out: https://www.nps.gov/tuma/learn/historyculture/the-church.htm The Church Facade

I spotted this handsome Phainopepla from my kitchen window. He posed for me for quite a while. The beautiful Phainopepla is a bird of the southwest of the United States, with its range extending down into Mexico. The name Phainopepla is Greek for "shining cloak," which perfectly describes the lustrous black plumage of the male. Phainopepla nests in two distinct habitats: the Sonoran Desert in early spring, February to April, and cooler woodlands from May through July, What

I spotted this Little owl nesting in a saguaro cactus while on my morning walk. At first glance, it looked like possibly a rock in the hole of the cactus. I zoomed in and saw that there was this little owl looking out of its nest in the cactus. I wasn't sure what kind of owl this is so I asked friends and acquaintances in my photography group. I was told it is a Western Screech Owl. What a fun site to see this morning! For more information about the Western Screech Owl, c

While out on my walk I captured these pictures of a Gila Woodpecker safely landing in its nest in a saguaro cactus. Sun City Oro Valley, Arizona)

Roger and I went on a spur-of-the-moment day trip to San Xavier Mission in Tucson today. We had a wonderful time . There are renovations going on currently to preserve this beautiful mission. Thankfully, we've been here previously. I did find a picture on Pinterest to share so you can see the mission before the renovations began. For more information about the history of this mission: https://www.sanxaviermission.org/history

Sharing some of the cactus blooms along my morning walk. They are all so colorful and uplifting.