Boyce Thompson State Park

On Wednesday we went to Boyce Thompson State Park.
It's more like an arboretum than a state park.
With paths and gardens and a lake and a couple of creeks.

Here's is my mom and I with the dogs next to the lake.
My mom is allergic to the sun. So she has too cover up head to toe when out in it.
Not me. A hat, sunblock, and sunglasses are my only concession to the sun.

Boyce Thompson park is located 60 miles east of Phoenix, it is at the base of the mountains.

As you can see after a 4 mile walk the dogs were tired and thirsty. I was too.
It was perfect sunglasses and hat weather.
Not too hot. Not too cold. It was just right.

For $7.50 per person it provided us all a nice walk and something inexpensive to do while The Boy was taking his last final. This is a park that we go back to over and over again. If you are ever in Phoenix and it's not too hot you really should try to get up to Boyce Thompson.

Let's all jump up and down for my new camera. Oh sure, JR might think he has some claim on it but we all know that it's mine. All mine. Mahahahaha.

These photos are straight out of the camera. Not too bad huh? My poor point & shoot Kodak was dying a long and lingering death. First the exposure was going which necessitated constant fiddling in Photoshop (not that I don't enjoy fiddling in photoshop but it was getting annoying. I, also, don't have any photo editing software on my netbook. Anyone know of a free photo editing software that is good?) Second, the place where the cable I used to transfer photographs to my computer pushed itself into the body of the camera. Thus causing me to have to take out the memory card which I would forget to put back which would mean that I couldn't transfer them. I could go on about my camera issues but you get the picture. 5 years for a digital camera seems to be my limit.

The wildflowers were blooming.

Some of the cactus were blooming, also.

I love the look of this trellised path. The dappled sunshine and the lovely flowers made it the perfect place to rest a'spell.
This photo and the trees above are my next painting.
They have been rattling around in my head every since I took them.
I saw some great paper at the art supply store that I think will make great tree trunks.

After all the walking we enjoyed a great lunch of veggies, hummus, cheese, nuts, chips and bread.


Have you got a park that you go back to time and time again?

Love,
M

Walking the Dogs in Tempe, Arizona

We took the dogs for a walk at on the urban lake parks.
This park is located on Baseline Road in Tempe, AZ

The weather is perfect. 80, sunny and dry.
So dry in fact that my poor heels have dried out and cracked.
Lack of moisture is not a problem in Houston.
Now, I'm sort of hobbling around.

The breeze was blowing the leaves and flowers on the trees
but it wasn't enough to make our walk unpleasant.
Just enough to make that air fresh and perfumed by the flowers.

It was so nice that the mama ducks decided to take their babies out.
Aren't they sweet?
Tripper usually likes to chase birds but
he ignored the baby ducks.

Today we will be heading to the Botanical Garden or Boyce Thompson state park.
My mom wants to see some cactus flowering.
I figure those are just the places to go for that.
I think we'll take the dogs and a picnic basket.

Love,
M