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‘Tis the season, once again. It is finally getting cold in Arizona. This is the time of year that reminds us of why we live here. It is still pretty warm in the daytime and is finally dipping down into some colder temperatures at night. Northern Arizona is calling me and I cannot wait to take a short trip to where the “real weather” is! I am still barefoot with the windows open in Phoenix during the day. I am pretty sure that I could not get away with bare feet in most parts of the country right now. I am crossing my fingers for snow at Arcosanti by Christmas. Needless to report, we rarely have a white Christmas in Phoenix! I do, however, recall a couple of snow days in all of my years here. It wasn’t anything that stuck around for any measurable amount of time, though.

One of my favorite places to go to in the winter (or anytime, actually) is Jerome. The backside of Mingus mountain is absolutely gorgeous blanketed in snow. The recreational areas are usually packed with desert rats who drive up to play in the frozen water. Since the brain surgeries, I am not really able to play and get physically involved, but it doesn’t keep me from watching the kids sliding down the hills on their sleds and garbage can lids. As far as building snowmen and women, I usually find an existing one to embellish. I’m much better at taking photographs, though. And one of the main reasons that I take so many pictures is because I have “dancing eyes” (nystagmus~ rapid, involuntary movement of the eyes). Taking photos is a way that I can get a better look at where I’ve been when I upload the pictures later. It’s tricky. Riding in a car can become a blur sometimes and I am only able to see shapes and colors. It is the same thing with walking. I must stand or sit still in order to focus very well. It is a nuisance, but, you have to do the most with what you have.

So, HAPPY HIPPIE HOLY DAZE! I hope you are all enjoying the season and making the most of what you have, too!

on the other side of the tracks, where i live ~ in the winter months when it is late at night and the cold air is heavy. i can hear the train horn blow. it carries on the thick, dark night and through my open window. sometimes the boxcars bang together as they rearrange themselves on the tracks. i love the sounds of my side of the tracks in the winter.

it is merely an illusion that the grass is greener on the other side of the tracks
each side possesses it’s own shade of green

unfinished, stamped, paint pages

linoleum block that I carved when i was talking on the phone with a friend one afternoon.

I colored in a few mandalas from the Mandala Coloring Book while waiting for the temperatures to drop. The weather is beginning to cool down below 110 and there is a hint of Autumn in the air. Although, many people would disagree, I think that I tune into the subtle changes because I have been a desert rat most of my life. Soon we will be able to open the windows and have fresh air flowing through the house and studio. I know that I am pushing ahead of the season a little prematurely, but Autumn is my favorite time of year on the planet. I anxiously await the arrival of fall year after year. Thanks to winter for making it easier to say goodbye to Autumn! Then spring comes and is beautiful, but carries the threat of hot, hot days to come. I celebrate the end of summer!

Today I also began a new painting. Tomorrow the details will be ready to paint in. I’m liking what I’m seeing and loving what I’m feeling.