Happy Easter! 

               

A Rare Event - Rain

        Yesterday it rained for the first time since December 20.    That's a long time, even by Arizona standards.     It was even more unusual because it was an all day, soaking kind of rain.    The kind that gardeners love.

       Usually we'll have violent, hard rains that obscure the road and soak you to the bone if you're unlucky enough to get caught in them.    Of course they do can worse than soak anyone unlucky enough to be caught in a canyon or a low lying wash area.    But yesterday's event had been forecasted for days and wished and planned for by everyone I know.    

        I took pictures of the clouds and the puddles it left behind, but Blogger doesn't seem to want to upload my pix today.    Maybe its because I've been AWOL for so long that it doesn't recognize me.    I'll try again later since rain is such a rare event here.   One that deserves to be celebrated.

 

Wolves in Yellowstone - A Sad Update

      It's been a little over 4 years since I went on the Wolf and Elk Fall Adventure in Yellowstone.  That week was a trip of a lifetime, and I wrote a number of posts on my (then) new blog about our trip.   One of the highlights was seeing a member of the Druid pack, a little pup that is barely visible in the photo.   http://www.desertdabbler.com/2009/10/druid-pack-our-first-wolf.html   But despite the fuzziness of the pix, I was thrilled.    We saw a number of wolves, visited an old den, and had a great adventure.
       The only even that marred our trip was the re-opening of wolf hunting in Montana.  This happened as we were nearing the end of our trip.   Almost immediately one of the Park wolves was shot, a female who was probably looking for a mate.   She was collared and not far from the Park boundary, but that didn't keep the trigger happy hunter from shooting her.
        Those of us who love wolves were appalled, but the hunting lobby won out.    At a distance a wolf looks an awfully lot like an Alaskan Malamute or a husky.   So this hunter could easily have shot someone's pet.   If he saw the collar and still knew it was a wolf, he knew he was shooting a research animal.   Either way, it was a tragedy.  I worried about whether the wolves would survive or be totally killed off yet again.      
      A year later our friends Pat and Jerry went with the same tour guides on the Spring Wolf Adventure trip.   They were lucky enough to see and photograph even more wolves.   One even crossed the road right in front of them while they were in Lamar Valley.  They snapped a great  picture of him.   I was optimistic that the wolves would survive and continue to thrive in spite of Montana's hunting season.
      Sadly, that is not happening.
      In a recent article on The Wildlife News blog, wolf expert Kathie Lynch reports that seeing wolves in Yellowstone isn't very easy.   You can read her report at http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2014/01/20/yellowstone-19-years-after-wolf-re-introduction/. 
       Although there are two very large packs (11 and 18 in each), the other packs are very small.  None of the wolves appear to be hanging out in the Lamar Valley on a regular basis. 
        The Wildlife News is an excellent source for updates about wolves as well as the history of their reintroduction. 
         In many states the killing of wolves is on the increase again.  U.S. District Judge for Idaho Edward J. Lodge has ruled that two wolf packs can be eradicated - totally killed - in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.   The Idaho Department of Fish & Game has hired a hunter to kill the wolves, and he has already killed nine.  Ralph  Maughan, Defenders of Wildlife, and other wildlife groups tried to get a temporary Order to stop the killing, but the judge denied their request.  The case is Maughan v. Vilsack in the U.S. District Court in Idaho, Case No. 4:14-CV-0007-EJL. 
        Years ago I wrote letters to help in the movement to reintroduce wolves back into Yellowstone and some of the western state.   I joined the Sierra Club and other wildlife organizations, too.  When wolves finally returned in the 70's, I was over joyed.    
         Throughout the years I have maintained my membership in the Sierra Club and also joined Defenders of Wildlife.     I would urge you to do the same if you can.  They are leaders in the fight to save the wildlife and its habitat.  
        You can also link to Ralph Maughan's blog, which is listed at the side.  
        And finally, it appears that it may be time to get back to basics.   I've traded my pen and pencil in for a computer screen and printer these days, but letters to politicians are still effective.  If they know people who vote are watching, it does make a difference.
        But whatever you chose to do, I hope you'll join me in trying to save the wolves.















             

 

Happy New Year!

 

         December flew by for me.    Suddenly its 2014!    Cheers, everyone!

 

         A few weeks ago, right before we left for our Christmas in Ohio trip, our neighbor gave us these cute skaters.   Since we've been living in Arizona, our yard has been empty of Christmas decorations because we always leave town.   We hang a wreath on the door, but nada else.  

          Our neighbor's yard, on the other hand, is decorated with lots of bright lights and cute Christmas scenes.   I love looking at her place and all the other homes that are decorated so nicely.  

          So I was surprised when this neighbor came over and told me she didn't have room for these two skaters.  She wanted us to have them.   I told her we were leaving soon and might not keep them on, but she said that was okay.   She just wanted to share the fun.   Otherwise, she said, she was going to have to toss them away.      

         I'm not convinced she would actually throw them away.  More likely she was giving us a really nice hint about showing a little seasonal spirit -- so we did.

         Kent placed the skaters on the river rock and set a timer so they would come on while we were gone.    When we returned he added the twinkling lights to accent the "icy" river.    (Glad that ice is as fake as the river!)   

        Now we look festive and fun.   A great way to start the new year.

        Thanks, Neighbor!

 

         

Sedona Christmas Shopping

     Sedona is one of Arizona's most beautiful places, especially this time of year.    When the red rocks are layered with snow they look magical.    Last week I had the chance to see the beginning of their winter season.
     We took a bus trip to Sedona for a day of Christmas shopping.   It had been warm and balmy for weeks during the day here, but a winter storm was descending on Arizona that Wednesday.     It was overcast and cloudy when we left Sun City Grand, which is rare here.   We are almost always sunny.   As we traveled up I-17 it began to rain.    By the time we reached Sedona it was still raining and in the 30Fs.   Brrrr! 
      Instead of walking around in the rain, we did the only sensible thing---we enjoyed an early lunch.   Oaxaca Restaurant was warm and inviting, with Christmas carols (in Spanish) playing in the background.   I ordered the Red Rock Omelet, which was both tasty and matched the scenery.  Here's the view out our window:

Snow is beginning to stick to the red rocks.

 

        Even though the weather wasn't great, Sedona was still beautiful.   As soon as the rain stopped, we began shopping. 

        After a couple of hours in downtown Sedona, we boarded the bus for Tlaquepaque Village.   What a great place!   Lots of little artisan shops and beautiful art galleries set in a wonderful Spanish villa.   

    

 

      They were featuring a "Festival of Trees".   Different groups and artists created themed Christmas trees.  The trees were being sold to raise money for Toys for Tots.    There were over 50 different trees (maybe more) in every imaginable theme--dogs, toys, cookies, adventure trips, etc.

      Two of my favorite trees were the Quilt tree and the Italian Glass Bead tree.   They are even prettier in real life, but I had to try a few pictures.

 

A close up of one of the ornaments and a picture of the tree skirt.

 

 

The tree is called "Together" and was designed by the Red Rock Quilters.

  

The Italian glass bead tree was created by an artist, but I didn't see the artist's name.

 

       What a wonderful way to raise money for children while giving the rest of us a treat, too.

 

        After the Festival of Trees we shop, shop, shopped.    There were art shops, Christmas shops, and even a bead store, Cocopah Beads.   What more could I want?

       We ended our great day the same way we started, in one of Sedona's best restaurants.     We stopped at Rene for a glass of wine and bit of bread.   On this trip we only had time for wine, but I would love to return for lunch or dinner.   It was warm, with beautiful Christmas decorations and soft music. 

         Too soon we were boarding the bus for home....but we'll be returning in the spring.   

 



 

Christmas in July

    I'm so excited!  Christmas has come early!  One of my bracelets, the aventurine and pearl spiral one, was featured in today's Christmas in July blog.     It's the third one listed.  
    The focus of the article is on the latest Pantone color for fall, which is Koi.   I wasn't familiar with that name for a color, but when I saw the picture of it I recognized it immediately.  It's the same color of the aventurine beads I had used.  
     Until now my bracelet had reminded me of orange sherbet.   Now it will remind me of Koi, Nemo (as in the movie "Finding Nemo"), and all things fun and wonderful.
     Thank You Christmas in July for making my Monday special!
 

Listed on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/listing/161601856/aventurine-pearl-and-crystal-delicas?

 

Aunt Virgie's Jewels

    Aunt Virgie, my father's sister, was my favorite aunt.    She was fun to be around and, since she lived out of state, her yearly visits were always a special treat.   
     As the years rolled by, I grew up and the family changed.   My father, my grandfather, and my uncle all died.    When Aunt Virgie came to visit, she stayed with my mother.   
   

    In 2004 Aunt Virgie gave me an envelope that had broken beads in it and a note.   She wrote that the crystal necklace and bracelet had been given to her in 1950 by her church friends when she and my uncle moved to Chattanooga so he could attend school.   They knew they weren't going to return to Ohio.  They later moved to New Orleans and made that city their home.   At some point the necklace broke, but she kept it because it reminded her of her friends.
     I'm not sure why Aunt Virgie gave it to me.   I didn't make jewelry back then, and I didn't wear fancy crystals.   But, like my aunt, I kept the beads and the note because it reminded me of her.    When I moved to Arizona, I brought the broken jewelry and her note with me.

     Last Friday I took a workshop on how to make a crystal pendant.   I wasn't very happy with the one I made in class, and I thought I would try again at home.   That's when I remembered Aunt Virgie's broken jewelry.    I found the envelope with the beads and the note.

     I had to modify the pendant a bit in order to make it work with her crystals.    The workshop used 11/0 Delica seed beads in between the crystals and to form a bail.  But when I tried to use them, they were too small for Aunt Virgie's crystals.  The seed beads kept going inside the large crystals.  Their pretty effect was lost. 

     I tried Toho #6 gold beads, and they worked better.   Then I tired gold Czech glass, and I liked that look best of all.       

 

   The workshop used all 6mm bicones, but Aunt Virgie's jewels were larger.  They were also in graduated sizes because they had come from one of the broken necklace strands.   I used larger ones on the bottom of the pendant and smaller ones near the top.  I used the smallest ones for the earrings.    I added gold filled ear wires and a gold chain that I had been saving.   The beads have a new look, but they are still Aunt Virgie's jewels.  
     Next week we're going to a music show entitled "Sentimental Journey".   I plan to wear my new/old jewelry there.   I think Aunt Virgie would approve.