Sun and friends

The days are slipping away and it is near time to drag the suitcases out of the closet and stuff them with my belongings. Still have a week before me that is jamb-packed with activities. Last week, I had the opportunity to spend time at an unbelievable ranch that was once owned by the owner of the RAMS, Georgia Frontiere. She was an opera buff so built her own opera theater and since she had many guests—a hotel. She died 8 years ago and no one has lived in the house since. It is hard for me to equate to such opulence.

Yesterday, it rained—the first since I arrived 4 months ago. It did rain one day in Sedona but not here in good old Cornville. However, my planning was impeccable as I was going to be at the opera any way. Thursday Jessica and I headed out to our favourite haunt on the creek in Page Springs and stuffed ourselves with fish-and-chips washed down with an amber ale—Yum.

I spent an unusual Easter Sunday. Invited to join an eclectic group of people to celebrate, the common thread was we all had some Polish blood. As you might imagine, the food ranged from cabbage rolls to ham to an array of sweets to temp a saint. The Rabbi (female) gave the blessing, a retired nun sang a chant and I sat with an Episcopalian minister and there was nothing religious about the gathering. One elegant and charming elder (well into he 90’s), was a Holocaust survivor. The conversations were lively and full of fun. I was honoured to meet one of the original team who went to Africa to try and find a cure for HIV and as a result did produce one of the early medications.

Each day brings new and delightful experiences into my life, even if it is sitting reading in the sun watching the hummingbirds and finches in the backyard. As my time here draws to a close, I search for yet another bloom to capture. One of my favourites is the sage blossom.

Leaving is somewhat like arriving. I am being fetted and spoiled all over again. There is no doubt, I will be sent home well fortified with delicious food.

Spring in the desert

Perfection comes each day—I wake up to glorious skies and warm weather. Every climate has its seasons though and this is springtime in the desert, a time when delicate flowers appear everywhere. When I look at the stark, dry sand strewn with rocks, I never cease to wonder how such beauty can survive here. Yet every walk reveals more and more varieties, splashes of colour that catch my eye. Of course, my camera is slung around my neck and I greet each perfect blossom with “oohs” and “ahs” then digitally capture them for my forever pleasure. One of the most delicate and, an unusually large flower for the desert, is the Desert Primrose. In past years I would thrill to find a few but this year they are in profusion creating carpets of white

Even perfection has its awkward moments and mine seems always to involve my car. Yep, I backed over a rock and shoved my tailpipe back. The local mechanics look forward to my regular visits!

Each day is filled—yesterday I walked for over an hour at one of my favourite places, rushed home, had lunch then joined three others to climb white cliffs outside Camp Verde to investigate some old ruins. It was probably not the smartest thing to do as the temperatures soared to 90 degrees (but there was a constant breeze). Three of us made it to the top and crawled through the ruins in awe, knowing we were in the homes of natives who had walled in these caves and lived there 1400 years ago (nothing deteriorates in the desert). We were high up, the valley spread before us, and the panorama was spectacular. We returned to Cottonwood where a friend had prepared a dinner of burritos and good wine. Oh, that was not the end of our day—three of us went into Sedona to a lecture on art history. My days are full!