Political BarBQ with views

The weather gods smiled on Georgene's political Bar-B-Q Sunday, unlike an earlier picnic which was a contest with gale force winds. We had our monsoon rain in the morning well before time to leave and thus enjoyed a beautiful, cool, though overcast day at the hilltop pavilion at Willow Lake Park.

Good people... a good crowd... many of 'em in western or historic costume.

Good food... but then, what else would you expect at a proper Western Bar-B-Q?

A report on the progress of the campaign from the candidate plus a thorough political report from State Sen. Tom O'Halloran (below).

The setting, on the western edge of the Granite Dells, overlooking Willow Lake was gorgeous. (Sorry, my photos aren't nearly as dramatic as those by Rich, but I'm trying!)

Of course, there had to be a view of a scraped hillside, this particular specimen a road leading into the Prescott Lakes development. A very strange scene when you look at it closely, BTW. Lots of boxy landscape thingies to the left of the pavement.

But urban clutter aside, the pavillion site afforded splendid views of all the mountains that surround Prescott, from the Bradshaws to the south...

the Prietas to the southwest...

Thumb Butte, of course...

Granite Mountain, with Embry Riddle buildings in the foreground.

And in the far distance to the northwest, these two peaks barely peeking over the horizon. I'd like a chance to retake all these pictures on a sunny day. In the meantime, if you'd like to know more about the District 1 race for county supervisor, take a look at Georgene's campaign web site.

Picnic in the winds

My last political picnic was some eons ago, in Chicago. A friend was a precint (that's how they say it) captain for the Democratic party and he needed numbers to prove his value. Twas great fun; Riverview Park. Hot, in the middle of summer. Hot dogs. Beer. Potato salad. Lots of grubby Chicago pols. My memory of that picnic reminds me of the wonderful political rally music in Virgil Thompson/Gertrude Stein's opera, The Mother of Us All. (FYI, it's about Susan B. Anthony). This Sunday's political picnic was a more Western version of the classic American pastime. Except for the wind. Close to gale force.

Examine all the pictures -- you'll see blowing hair in almost every one. And the wind added a chill factor, as well.

However, there was great music -- Western-style, of course -- by the Cheektones who regularly play at Coyote Joe's.

And the candidate --Georgene Lockwood -- sang, too. But then you may have heard her sing folk music and play guitar or autoharp on Acker night.

The setting for the event: Watson Lake Park in the Granite Dells. Look closely -- those are huge granites, a popular challenge for rock climbers.

But the purpose of the picnic -- electing Georgene in the September Republican primary -- was front and center. Even the dog sports an in-your-face Lockwood for supervisor button. Buttons as well as magnetic signs for cars were available. Curiously enough, the law limits the period during which signs can be stuck in the ground -- but says nothing about vehicles such as the fine period pick-up truck below. (It belongs to Bobbi, who shows up in the comments here.)

I hadn't seen this part of the park for a long time; it was grand to see all the water this winter brought us. The lake had been very low and showed ugly white bathtub style rings on all those rocks.

Do note the white caps, thanks to the winds. This is unusual; as a rule, the lake is quite placid. A splendid place for birders, too. It's a stopover point on a minor spring and fall migration route for water birds.

Of beading & books

Spring has sprung. A lovely walk downtown today; tomorrow, down to the desert for wildflowers. Woohoo!

Today's walk included a definite goal -- friend Georgene Lockwood was one-third of a book signing trio at the Arts Prescott Coop. Also present, Bobbi Wicks and Rowena Tank, both beaders with projects in Georgene's new book, Complete Idiot's Guide: Beading Projects.

Beading currently on display at the gallery includes jewelry by Rowena...

...and by Lana Ante, who also has a beaded bonnet on display -- a project that took a good six months to create...

...plus some very handsome belts (above) and hat bands by Rolling Thunder.

On my way to the gallery, I noted this group of wrist bands in the window of another gallery. Beading is currently enjoying a major renaissance among craftspeople. Of course, Arizona is a mining state and our local rock shops have featured gem stones as long as we have lived here.

Visiting a bead shop reminds me of the great fun I had as a child going through my grandmother's button box. You never know what you will find. These pictures were among several taken at Rowena's BeadIt beadery at the back of the Sun West Gallery.


Beaded Easter eggs?? Why not. Rowena and Georgene hold open the pages where you learn how to do it.

There were beaded Easter eggs among those displayed in the window of the gallery. Looks like my best shot didn't include any! However, here's my chance to wish everybody a Very Happy Easter.

Linkage: A reminder of my older flower posts links -- in the right hand column, directly below my blogroll. And how could I allow an Easter season to go by without a link to my granddaughter 's annual egg dyeing project?