Greetings!
A Santa Barbara sunset
We have to think twice about what season February connotes
when we are in Tucson, Arizona. What would you say to daytime temperatures in
the 70s and 80 and nights in the 50s? For several years running we have said,
“bring it on!” So we find ourselves playing Native flute concerts, riding bikes
and living on comfortable Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in our familiar
springtime home – wait, make that wintertime!
~ Brian and Andi
Wish You Were Here
Although it may be difficult to imagine desert landscape as being
lush, the sights and smells of the Sonoran Desert are actually quite rich and
varied. One of the most bountiful examples of this environment is preserved in
the 517 square miles of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southwestern
Arizona. The park is named for one of the 28 types of local cactus, a particular
multi-stemmed species which occurs naturally only here and in adjoining
northern Mexico. We found ourselves enthralled by the varied cactus shapes,the sweet gardenia-like fragrance of the desert mistletoe, the mixed songs of wintering birds, and the sharp ozone smell of damp creosote bush. The area is equally captivating after the sun descends, laying a coppery band along the western horizon beneath a lavender sky. After sunset, the complete blackness is broken by bright chips of starry light, and you begin to understand the difference between small (you) and large (the universe.) Perhaps this is what the coyotes are telling us as they yip and sing in the dark of night.
Life on the Road
This year begins our 11th season of playing
Native American flute and percussion concerts during our travels. This past
week we played at the very first retirement home that ever heard our program.
Who would have imagined that 500 concerts later we would still be tooting and
traveling? Today, we gleefully charge into each new season of life on the road
with eager anticipation of favorite, familiar sights and a sense of excitement
about the new experiences we will encounter.Coffee Chat
Here’s a new one: we were toiling long and hard with a
hairdryer and scraper to remove some old, peeling decal stripes from the side
of our motorhome when one of our RV park neighbors came over with a pair of
covered plates. “I hope you don’t think I’m crazy, but I brought you dinner,”
she said. She complimented us on the cheerful, compatible way we worked
together; we later returned praise for her tasty meatloaf, green beans, rice
and pintos.
Did you Know
Did you realize that a 16.1 megapixel camera with a 42x
optical zoom (equivalent to a 24 – 1000mm lens in 35 mm format) can capture
distant images better than the naked eye – such as the craters of the moon?!
(Why yes, Andi did get a new toy…)
First images with the new camera:
