All-Weather Costume

I took this picture on December 15, less than two weeks ago. Today I shiver when I have to go out for the mail or the newspaper; no, I haven't done any major walks for a week or so, even if bundled up. It's cold up here in the mountains, tho we haven't had more than a smidgen of snow. However, I'm much more interested in the young lady above, whose feet and head shout cold, but whose arms and body declare it to be unseasonably warm (which it was that day.) Perhaps a reader can explain her state of mind or preparedness or some such. I await your answers.

Gurley Street Mural

You probably weren't aware that there was a mural at the back of those neat little shops on Gurley Street, just west of Granite Creek. I wasn't, until either Mike or Laura over at the Outfitters suggested I take a look at what I had totally missed on several occasions. In case you want to see the paint job, turn right on McCormick and pull into the parking lot behind the shops.

The theme of the mural appears to be the changing seasons, starting with winter on the right (below), and warming up as you move to the left. Somehow it's kinda backwards, to my way of thinking, but then I couldn't paint a picture if you paid me big bucks, so I should complain!

By me, the coolest elements are the great giant hot Arizona sun and the flock of ravens, Prescott's civic birds. On the other hand, I note that I missed much of what's going on at the lowest level -- I'd best get out there now that the leaves are gone and get a couple of pix.

Local Link of the Day

If matters art win more than their fair share of links, it is because there's something interesting to look at. Here I am again, with a link to a local artist whose studio is called Jaguar Glass. I've borrowed a piece from a full window to give you a taste of the work you'll find at this site. It includes a multi-panel glass mural of the Mona Kea volcano as well as a stained glass picture of the Space Shuttle that was owned by the late Ronald Reagan. I should mention in passing that I am very, very fond of stained glass.

Arizona Highways Outdoes Itself

It seems like I've never been without Arizona Highways. When my parents and I lived in Florida all those years, oh so long ago, my Aunt Iola down in Phoenix started a gift subscription -- and I've been on the mailing list ever since.

The pictures are always beautiful, in an Arizona Highways sort of way that one begins to expect. That's why I was blown away by the January issue that just arrived. The theme: Arizona from the air, with articles about soaring over the desert in sail planes ... Charles Lindbergh selling the idea of archeological prospecting from the air...

... plus some of the most smashing photographs I've seen in years -- aerial views taken from a homebrew aircraft by one Adriel Heisey. This is the first time I've been tempted to take advantage of the magazine's offer to sell selected prints of photos that appear in its pages.

In particular, there is a view of Paria Canyon taken from straight overhead that looks like no photo you've ever seen of Paria Canyon. Yes, I am saying to go out and buy a copy of the magazine if you don't already receive it!

(That picture explains why I always choose a window seat when I fly -- in the years that I accompanied my Mom up to Victoria each summer, I got to know the Arizona/Nevada/ Oregon basin and range country from the air. Fascinating!)

All of this excitement led me to the magazine's website, where I found all kinds of goodies, including a photo portfolio, from which I borrowed the snippet above, as well as articles, trail guides and photography tips. Give it a whirl. And, if the sky is where you'd like to be, AH gave the URL for Venture Flight, a local hang-glider outfit. Me? I'm chicken. I'll settle for watching the hang glider pilots jump off Mingus or peering out the window of an Alaska Airlines plane six miles above the lonely, empty valleys and mountains of the Great Basin.

Make Trash Beautiful!

Here's one of the city's dumpsters -- over behind the Sharlot Hall grounds, I believe. Overflowing from some event or other this past summer. Hardly a real beauty, tho certainly practical.

Now, I like this trash can a lot better. It was the only one of this size container over at the Courthouse which was decorated nicely.

A wanted poster was taped to a standard downtown street side trash can; the occasion, the recent Acker Musical Showcase.

Here is my favorite -- eminently practical for a high school campus, which is where I saw it last summer.

103--Count 'em--103

Birthdays, that is! It was a big day for Mom, who was born in Phoenix at the turn of the last century, back when cars were very few and far between and radio had as yet to be invented.

Today we celebrated her birthday, first with a small family luncheon, which included two grandnieces down from the high country, as well as my small family.

It was an early goodbye to Mom's greatgrandaughter and granddaughter.

And over to a bigger party with friends she has made while living at her assisted living facility.

A pleasant and quite unexpected surprise came from a large group of carolers from Unity church. The wandering minstrels added "Happy Birthday" to their Christmas program.

And were followed by yet another unexpected visitor!

It was quite a day. I'm exhausted....

Note: the daughter has posted her version of our afternoon with the Nutcracker.

Nutcracker Season

They're off to see the Nutcracker -- a holiday treat for my daughter and her daughter. They blew in from Flagstaff, along with the cold front (which promises to be a dud, water-wise.)

However, despite the chill and the grey overcast sky, today was a wonderful day for little girls in their little girl holiday finery, much of it red.

The granddaughter discovered the huge mirrored doors at the entrance to Yavapai College's auditorium.

On the other side, inside looking out at more arrivals.

What should greet us once we were inside, but a splendid, tempting array of nutcrackers. For sale, of course.

But what the hell, TANSTAAFL -- there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Ballet folk have to eat, too. And buy beautiful costumes and colorful backdrops for staging.

And so we headed up the grand staircase to the balcony for the show. It was granddaughter's first Nutcracker; I don't recall how many years my daughter and I went when she was young.

The little one took one look at the snowflakes on the walls of the auditorium as the lights dimmed and announced that "they do it with light." She was right, of course, and caught on well before I did with my aging eyes.

More snowflakes, but this time on stage. Good performance! And the almost-five-year-old sat reasonably still through most of it! But then she's recently started ballet lessons.

And a grand finale with a cast that ranged from surprisingly small -- to grownup!

However, one look at the ballerinas signing autographs is a tipoff to the prime age group of Ballet Etudes -- most of these seasoned dancers are still in high school!

For our family finale, a picture of the granddaughter with one of the larger nutcrackers. An afternoon well spent -- and possibly a Christmas tradition established.

Local Link of the Day

If the weather doesn't get really heavy and if the daughter's fever goes down, I'll be pretty busy this weekend -- the Nutcracker ballet Saturday for the granddaughter (her first) and a 103rd birthday party Sunday for Mom. It hinges on various people coming down from Flagstaff despite those storm warnings I've been hearing all day on NPR radio. And so I present you with a link of the day that is apropos the weather warnings: the US Geological Survey's real time stream gage site for Arizona. Scroll down a bit to get to the relevant streams (the Verde, Granite Creek, etc.)

Wearing Your Heart On Your Guitar Case

The automotive bumper and the Tshirt are the usual spots where people declare themselves, whether their passion is politics (left, right, libertarian), a hobby, a profession or some other affiliation. But it looks to me like guitar cases offer another place to make personal pronouncements. For example, the chap who belongs to the case above was a folk singer at the recent Acker Showcase.

Not surprisingly, the white case above and below makes statements on behalf of a singer of cowboy ballads who appeared at a house concert I enjoyed this fall.

We're living in a wonderful world of self-publishing, whether the medium is an auto or paper or clothing or a blog on the internet. Or the container for a musical instrument. (My own opinion is that it was the Xerox machine that brought down the USSR -- it really opened the possibility for personal expression without the intercession of an editor or other censor.) Me? I'm cool. Tend to keep my strong opinions to myself -- mostly. Largely because I find that I wind up spluttering when I try to write with passion. That's why bumperstickers were invented!

Pot Shots

An all too common sight in the forest -- signs that have been all shot up.

Here's a closer look. I wonder how much the county has to spend replacing these wounded signs dying the death of a thousand shots.

I suppose it's related to tagging, like graffiti, or those century old Chinese ideograph tags I saw on the Great Wall. Except that there's no identity involved. Just the temptation to shoot up a sign. Husband and I gave into the urge one time, long ago; the target was a pretty far gone sign out the Perkinsville Road. Shame on us!

Local Link of the Day

Iron Springs Opera Company? Huh? That was my reaction, too, when I first found their URL. But if you go to their site, you'll find that this is indeed a group interested in vocal music, that it has a plan for concerts, that one of the founders is a Met Opera baritone who lives in Skull Valley, and that the organization is sponsoring two Renaissance feasts next Monday and Tuesday. Quite a start for a new local outfit!

Freshening the Mural On the White Spar

Just in time to brighten a dull winter's day, sculptor Steven Brock's friends have repainted the mural that graces his studio building. Note, too that the lot at the "corner" of White Spar and Montezuma has been cleaned up since I last took pictures. Just FYI, they're asking $125K.

In case you want to try a comparison, you can click here to go back in time. Quite a difference, eh? I'm not sure which I prefer.

However, with the lot cleaned up, other mural spaces were available. These smaller panels are new...

...as is a painted horizontal cement surface. Certainly different art ideas, too, from the graffiti-inspired work above.

The band of merry muralists also painted a new face on the alley entrance to Steve's Discovery studio. By the way, I still have a slew of pictures that the Memphis niece took of his art and his yard; good material for a winter day post when I'm (hopefully) snowed in!

It's Like Old Oz, Behind That Curtain

Too bad! The current big emphasis on Christmas lights creates a wonderland at night -- but often results in less than decorative daytime displays. In fact, confusion. A few examples that I noticed the other day...

I think this display says something like maybe "Seasons Greetings." Not sure, though. Wrong time of day for reading.

The reindeer skeletons are great when lit in the dark. But it was nearly high noon when this picture was taken...

A little plain, old fashioned color makes a big difference...

...although the cords and fixtures do detract from the illusion. Ah well, one of these days, a great designer will come along, design decorations that work for day and night (for big bucks) and the next year, copies will be made in China for WalMart and we'll see them everywhere!

A Magical Walk Around the Square

J.S. Acker died in 1955, with no heirs. A real estate operator, he left a portfolio of properties in a trust to the City of Prescott, with the provision that they be used for parks and to enhance local children's performing arts talents. The Meals on Wheels operation on Aubrey Street is located on Acker land and there is a big, 80-acre hilly park out the Senator Road at the edge of town, the J.S. Acker Park. As I recall, both the park and the Acker Musical Showcase were not established until the 1980s -- note that long gap in time from the benefactor's death! My cynical self says that there were developers lusting after such choice properties. However, the trustees managed to hang in there -- and so today we can enjoy these very grand inheritances!

At 5 p.m. yesterday, it was time to head downtown to join the crowds at the 18th Annual Acker Musical Showcase, one of the major holiday events in Christmas City, as well as a fundraiser for scholarships. I had never spent a full evening at the Acker so this was all very new to me.

Businesses stay open and provide a venue for an amazing variety of local talent to perform from 5:30 til 8 p.m.

Not surprising that there were a lot of western-style entertainers and guitar players.

However, the night was by no means limited to the cowboy theme. I was taken aback by the number of wind players...

...such as this man with his mellow Indian flute...

...a classful of flute students at one of the banks...

...medieval ladies forming a recorder consort...

...and a couple who blended the flute with a clarinet.

There were buskers on the street, as well -- the mural mice promoting the all-city mural over on Granite street

Plus a handful of kids who had decided on the spur of the moment that they wanted a piece of the action. Note: it was apparent that they really hadn't rehearsed even a little bit!

Musical scenes were visible through the shop windows...

...but after all that walking, it was dark, getting cold and my feet needed a rest. So I stopped at the bank serving hot cocoa. Whew! But there was a lot more to see and hear!

My good friend, the folk music lady singing carols accompanied by her autoharp...

...a quartet of keyboard artists who set their instruments to ring like Christmas chimes...

...a lively flock of banjo pickers...

...East Indian textiles and saris to lust over...

...while I listened to an Indian jam session...

...and my grand finale -- the sexy belly dancing troupe around the corner from West Gurley. At which point, I gave out and headed home ... missing the flamenco dancers, a lot of jazz and the chamber choir, among others. But I did have the Salvation Army brass band still ringing in my head!