Joshua Tree

Over the weekend my husband and I traveled to Palm Springs for a birthday party.. more about that later but on the way we spent the night near Joshua Tree National Park. We only had one day but managed to spend some time climbing around on the rocks, driving through the Ocotillo forest and at the end of the day hiked a few dusty and hot but beautiful miles out to the spectacular 49 Palms Oasis. We saw no shortage of Coachella refugees with  inappropriate footwear and questionable drinking options along this somewhat challenging trail. We wondered if they would be among the several hikers that have to be airlifted out of the canyon every year....

 The unique weather conditions this year provided one of the most spectacular Yucca blooms ever. Although we were at the end of the bloom there were still fluffy cream-colored blooms in abundance. The Joshua Tree is not really a tree at all but the result of a yucca plant growing in a climate with unique pattern of freezes that cause the plant to branch out in an unusual manner. 

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Huge ocotillo and desolate but beautiful mountains beyond. 

Giant boulders in the park.

Yuccas in bloom.

Eric leading the way to Fan palms growing in the 49 Palms Oasis.

Looking towards the valley.

Have a great week!

All sorts of seed going on...

This week we had an especially foggy morning.. which only happens once or twice a year as my neighbor and I commented to each other in passing by the traffic circle. I took a few pictures and was especially intrigued with the octopus agave activity nearby.

Octopus agave-- agave vilmoriniana--- grows abundantly around Tucson. I don't often see them growing in the desert, but everyone seems to have one in their yard. Why?... they are very prolific propagators..

Here is one, muscling its way up a tree trunk, long articulate arms curving around its prey...

After several years, they bloom in a spectacular manner--providing ample pollen for the local bee population. 

A year or so later, the stalk breaks off and crashes to the ground.

Thousands of baby plants drop  to the soil and the wind but mostly the neighbors'  willing hands. I pulled a few off and started them in an old planter....Another year and I will move them to the garden. 

They are everywhere!

Spectacular February sights in Tucson

 Last week I had the opportunity to take two "newbies" (as in never been there) to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. My swanky new camera had never been there either and I had a great time taking photos of the birds!

Screech Owl-- she weighs in at less than a pound. 

Female and Male Cardinals... they breed BRIGHT out here....

It is a really good thing we went on Monday-- In shorts and bright sunshine it was a treat for our friends from Montreal. Tuesday evening started with a blizzard warning on my daughter's I phone. The next day we ventured out into a spectacular show: a full on storm in the desert. We haven't seen snow like this in twenty years...global cooling??

Lovely hair "do" on the Santa Rita prickly pear cacti

Have a great weekend!

Succulent Heaven

Christmas Eve in my mother's greenhouse, is it ok to covet? 

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Asian dreaming.

This morning I visited one of my favorite Tucson places...Eastern Living, on Park in the Lost Barrio. I was looking for a specific piece for a client-- I found it (below) and was fascinated with a few other gems. 

 I phone , blurry shot. A truly beautiful dresser to add some atmosphere to a guest room in a smashing new contemporary home. It took some convincing but I think the clients will love it.

Stylish grisaille oil painting from China.

Wouldn't this make a spectacular jewelry cabinet, with storage and display? I think I would add a few small lamps to the inside. Delightful! I'd have to buy some more jewelry, though. Lots of drawers.

Stunning table base. I think I wouldn't waste them down where they can't be seen.....

Another beautiful oil painting.

Groundcherries, Poha berries, Cape Gooseberries

I found one of these lovelies garnishing my plate at  Auberge des falaises in Malbaie, Quebec. "groundcherries" is what the waiter called them.  They taste like a very sweet tomato, but grow like a Mexican Tomatillo. I picked these up at a farmer's market in Tucson where they were called Peruvian Poha berries. Whatever the name, they are quite colorful on the plate and apparently make a great tart. If I can find them again after the weather is more tolerable for baking I will give it a try. 

Sweet Montreal

Montreal is one of my favorite cities. My husband has family right in the city, so our visits are frequent. While I love to see Westmount blanketed in snow at Christmastime, summer is spectacular! 

Produce at the Atwater Market.

At the Montreal Museum of  Fine Art.  An adjacent, abandoned Romanesque Revival church has been converted to a concert hall and boasts original Tiffany stained glass windows. .The contemporary addition to the church is an architectural highlight and houses Canadian art from many eras. 

Actually, the entire city is an architectural highlight.

Copper roofs abound, many are being refurbished to the original bronze, many have the green patina developed over hundreds of years.

View from above the city.

Great shopping in the Mile End neighborhood.

Classic views in Mile End.

Every time we go to Montreal we discover a new neighborhood or district -- this time it was Mile End. More Vintage Shops per Mile, it should be named. Bookstores, funky coffee shops. All adjacent to tree lined streets where families grow vegetables in the front yard  at the base of steep, snow efficient  stairways. The variety of foods and cultures is boundless, the atmosphere exciting and international. I almost didn't want to leave for the city of Quebec.