Tuscon Trip

We drove to Tuscon yesterday to see our Canadian friends who winter there.  It had been a year since we had riven that route, I-10 south from Phoenix to Tuscon, and there were a lot of improvements.  Still road construction, near Picacho Peak,  but mostly improved by widening more of I-10 to three lanes. And especially the segment passing by Tuscon's downtown is finally finished and those exits are now open.

There is a downtown Tuscon landmark, the old railroad depot, that now is a market/restaurant.  A walk-up counter to get sandwiches, etc and a more formal sit-down room next to it for dinner.  We kicked around the downtown area looking at custom made mesquite furniture and then to glass gallery where we watched three craftsmen making the glass products.  Beautiful work!  Finally, on the way back to our friend's home, we stopped by the Arizona Inn near the U of A.  It has been a landmark in Tuscon since Arizona became a state in 1912. Very elegant and private atmosphere.  Maybe a trip back during the summer when the rates go down a little :)

Local Storm Casualties

The day after the latest storm there was storm damage around the neighborhood, mostly trees blown over but also damage to roofs that caused or exposed leaks. But people did stay home during the worst of it and came out Saturday, flocking to grocery stores, malls and city streets.

Day one of this new blog. It's the end of the largest storm to hit Arizona in the last two decades. Interstate highways closed, floods, dry washes running as fast as the Colorado river. Living in the desert, you look forward to rain and snow each year. Partly to break up the monotony of endless sunshine, but also to replenish the lakes that provide water year around and lessen fire danger. We've been in a drought for nearly a decade, so we really needed the rain. On the other hand we didn't need it all at once. Getting nearly half the yearly total in only three days caused a lot of havoc and misery in rural Arizona including loss of life. But I'm not ready to look forward to summer and the heat just yet. Just some cool weather and some sprinkles, please.