Arizona 2017 . . .

I have been home from my annual Arizona adventure for four days – the little cuts and scrapes on my legs from the trails are starting to heal – and there is SNOW in the forecast early next week.  They just couldn’t get winter out of their system while I was gone.  So it seems like as good a time as any to go through the pics and share the best with you . . .

Just me visiting the parents this time – Blake just couldn’t bear to miss the daily changes in Amelia during his first few weeks of grandparenthood.  And I can’t blame him a bit.

If there was a theme for this visit, it would likely be “Hiking and Food” – like last year, a food truck came calling the first evening I was there.  This one was Italian – Mom and I got a pizza and some chicken parm.

Friday, 5:30 a.m. – Mom and Dad didn’t see me take this as they got ready for a morning walk around their complex.  I enjoy being a fly on the wall and watching their daily lives – and participating when I can.

 

Found a change in the complex as Dad and I went to play pickleball – someone has constructed a mini-observatory.  Didn’t get to see it in operation while I was there.  The picture at right was important to my family – Dad has finally retired a hat that he wore out over the years.  It was time that he invested in a new one.

 

Back to the food theme.  Mom always loved to make chocolate chip cookies for me when I was a kid – when I was an adult – when I came to visit . . . now I send the ingredients out ahead of me and return the favor.

 

No trip out west is complete without a stop or two at In-N-Out – this time before our annual evening at the Gaslight Theatre for an evening of slapstick silliness.

Shot with a cell phone, and I would have paid hundreds of dollars for a shot this good.  I titled it “An Evening at the Theatre with My First Girl” . . .

Saturday morning, it was time to hit the trails for the first time.  I like to experience life as Mom and Dad see it – and the one thing I have not experienced in 20 years of visits to Arizona is hiking by myself.  Dad is not hiking as much anymore – I think after his little mishap at Seven Falls last February, he decided that as he approaches his 81st birthday it might make sense to slow down a bit and cut back on the risks that stumbling on the trail might involve.

 

This gave me the opportunity to revisit a hike that we took seven years ago – 20 miles starting at a trailhead in Saguaro National Park and ending at one a few miles north.  So I bid my parents farewell in the darkness about 6:00 in the morning and started off.  I have hiked the first part of the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail many times, but not in the dark – I have heard that my cell phone takes great pictures in low light, and it proved to be true because I could barely see what I was shooting in these two.

 

For the first time, the view directly in front of me was not the back of Dad’s legs.  For years, I have enjoyed rock cairns as an art form.  This time, they became a lifeline in areas where the trail was hard to find.  Someone had obviously found a hat along the trail and left it for the owner to find on the way back – a couple of other hikers mentioned it during the day.  But perhaps he was like me and was going one way . . .

 

First view of the sun peeking over the mountain.  Early morning shadows are great for the ego of short people . . .

 

Found an old fenceline when I strayed a little off the trail – so I backtracked until I found one of those lifeline rock cairns.  Later in the morning, I found one that had fallen over – so I rebuilt it to benefit the next hiker.

 

Signs like these are a rare but welcome sight along the way – Cow Head Saddle was just past the halfway point on the day’s hike.  One of the rewards of several hours of hiking is a view like this at lunchtime – that’s Tucson way off in the distance.

 

Dad says this is one of the old signs that used to be on the trail – most have been replaced by the metal variety.  The pic at right is the main reason why I wanted to take this hike – I referred to it as the Joe Smallwood Manzanita Bush – Dad stumbled coming off Tanque Verde Peak seven years ago and scraped his leg falling into this bush.  It has grown a lot since then.

 

Another reason I wanted to take this hike was to see if the warmer winter at home had spread to Arizona.  Same spot on the trail – seven years apart.

About 30 minutes after I left Tanque Verde Peak and started heading downhill, I took this picture – the highest point you can see is that peak.

 

Another “same spot – seven years apart” pic.  Not nearly as much water in the stream this year.

This picture is nice and big for a reason.  In nearly 20 years of hiking in Arizona, I had seen exactly three rattlesnakes – until today, when I saw three more.  Two of them were in this picture (look underneath the bush).  The one in the middle of the trail was not a bit happy to see me and was rattling his tail violently.  No, I’m not stupid – I kept my distance and cropped the pic later.

End of the trail – 19.8 miles and 10:45 from the starting point.  Mom and Dad are in the car obscured by the bush directly in front of me, with two Cokes and a full cup of ice in a cooler waiting for me.

 

Sunday was a recovery and work day.  And back to that food theme -- Mom and Dad love my chocolate pie (it is SO incredibly not hard to make), so I made one for them while I was here. Within a minute or two after I finished it, a quarter of it was gone . . .

A peek at Dad working on some research for me while I was busy answering your e-mails and placing a big order for Spellbinders dies (which I suppose I could have driven the 120 miles to Phoenix and picked up – but I let them ship it instead).

Monday, I left the Sabino Canyon Visitors Center at 5:45 a.m. to repeat another hike from four years ago.  My intent was to loop around and come back past Seven Falls, where Dad stumbled and cracked his head open last year.  Didn’t quite work out that way . . .

 

Not much has changed along the Sabino Canyon Tram Road except for a new sign here and there.  And I am still attracted to the sound of running water . . .

 

First view of the sun on the mountains – it is fascinating to watch it creep down into the canyon as time passes.  Yes, the views really are magnificent.

 

Just because I thought that lone cactus illuminated by the morning sunlight with the mountain in the background was distinctive (and for those of you who know that I am not an artsy person, this is about as artsy as I get).  First view of the direct sunlight as I went around a corner.

At the end of the tram road, 3.7 miles from the visitors center, the trail starts climbing into the mountains.

 

Here’s something that you rarely see in Arizona – green grass.  That’s the same patch of grass in the other pic – but perspective makes it look much taller.

 

I could have listened to this little waterfall and babbling brook for a long time.  I heard it from at least 100 yards away and it just drew me to it – so much so that I missed this sign just before I turned left to walk the last few feet to it.  Found the sign much later in the day – instead of turning right to stay on the East Fork Trail, I turned left to the waterfall and continued on Palisades Trail once I decided to move on.  Whoops . . .

 

If you look carefully, you can see a trail that looks a bit like the Mark of Zorro on the right side of the hill (and again on the same hill in the right picture – with another hill in-between).  That is the trail I was supposed to be on – I just knew it – but by this point I had hiked so far, and the views were so spectacular, that I decided to just keep going and find out where I was headed.

The trail was little used, but well marked.  And I could always look behind me and see where I had been – and the City of Tucson – in the distance.

Another priceless lunchtime view, with Tucson way off in the distance – and that Mark of Zorro still in view at about 11:00 (at least for me – doesn’t show up well in the pic).

 

Found out later that the old telephone line once stretched from Tucson all the way up to the top of Mount Lemmon.

 

About four miles from where I missed my turn, I came upon a beautiful ribbon falls going into Pine Canyon.  The trail goes on for nearly four more miles to the Palisades Trailhead, but at this point I decided it was time to retrace my steps back where I came.  The trip downhill was much easier after climbing for 2½ hours to get to this point . . .

Got off the trail after 22.4 miles and more than ten hours, and headed straight to In-N-Out for a Double-Double and a big Coke.

Tuesday was a morning full of pickleball with Dad and his friends (I always start to get the hang of this game just before I leave for home – and a year later I have to figure it out again).  After lunch, it was off to the airport.

The trip home was uneventful (which is always a good thing).  But I got the added bonus of a new plane from Tucson to DFW, with TVs in the seatbacks and more than 100 movies to choose from – some of which were still in the theaters.  Once I discovered that the trip was just a minute or two longer than Jackie, the choice was easy . . .

34 Minutes on Why You Need Distress Oxide Inks . . .

Our sales of Tim Holtz’ new Distress Oxide Inks have gone through the roof (again) over the past ten days or so.  We don’t always know why – there aren’t enough of us around here to keep up with all of the blogs and videos and such.  But then I started getting e-mails – and people came into the store – and they were all saying the same thing – “I saw Jennifer McGuire’s video and I just had to have them.”

So this morning I searched for it – in case you haven’t seen it yet, grab a cup of coffee ahead of time because it lasts 34 minutes . . .

I know that often when I put a video on this blog, the e-mail feed only shows a black box – so here’s the link you can click on if you need it.

And here’s a link to the Distress Oxide Ink product page if you need to order your own set – did I mention that they are still 20% Off the MSRP if you order the entire set of 12 colors?

When I am in town, Saturday is one of the few days of the week that I can be involved in filling orders.  So this morning, Zoe and I came in and I did this while she got settled near the front window – sent out orders for Distress Oxide Pads.  We have lots of them – so if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, watch the video. 

A box like this could be on its way to you soon . . .

Whoops–Missed Two . . .

Gary was sitting at the shipping computer next to me this morning, confirming Sizzix shipments of their March Tim Holtz New Releases.  I wasn’t even paying attention until he mentioned that he was surprised that we hadn’t received any orders for two April releases that he thought would be very popular.  It appears that I missed them back in January . . .

 

Two new Bigz dies for the holidays – Layered Holiday Wreath and Layered Tattered Poinsettia – they were on the notice we received from Sizzix in December, and I just missed them.  They are on our site now – with the usual 20% off the MSRP and free shipping for advance orders.

    

While we’re at it, here are five more rascals expected from Sizzix in May – The Hipsters Are Coming!  I supposed this must be the next generation after the Crazy Birds and Cats and Dogs from last year – each matches one of the stamps in the Stampers Anonymous Hipster Cling Mount Set.  You’ll find matching dies for the Bird, Cat, Chimp, Goat and Ostrich (each sold separately).

   

Also expected in May, I finally got around to adding the new Tim Holtz storage ideas – there are several of them, so you can click on this link to see all of them at once.

Back to work – the Idea-ology New Releases are supposed to arrive today or tomorrow and should complete all of the Tim Holtz goodies expected in February.  So we have some shipping to do . . .

Tim Holtz Extravaganza Week Starts Monday . . .

It starts Monday, February 20 – only in our retail store in Dayton.  This notice is probably a little late for those of you who would require a flight from California – but for the locals, and those who might just need a rest break while traveling along I-70 or I-75 . . .

It’s Tim Holtz Extravaganza Week – a celebration of all things Tim Holtz.  There will be classes and make and takes, along with 30% off all in-stock Tim Holtz items (in store only) and selected items chosen each day at up to 50% off.

  

And of course there will be fun stuff – every $20 purchase in our store gets a ticket for a giveaway of autographed Tim Holtz items, plus other Tim Holtz goodies provided by Marco’s.  The giveaway will be held Sunday, February 26 at 3:00 p.m., but you don’t have to be present to win.

Click on this link for the schedule for the week!

Escape from Non-Wintery Ohio . . .

I spend most of the three weeks or so after I get back from Texas in January longing to escape winter in Ohio.  And then the first of February arrives and my wish comes true, with shows in Georgia and Florida.  But this has not been a normal winter – temperatures have bounced back and forth between the teens and the sixties – we have had almost no snow . . .

And the daffodils had already broken through in the third week of January.  That said, I still couldn’t wait to head south.

 

But first I had a very special event to attend.  A few days before I left, my uncle turned 100.  Everett is an amazing guy – he and my grandpa’s sister Sarah have been married for 67 or so years, and still live in their home with daily visits from their daughter.  Talk about stamina – Sarah and Everett and their kids and grandkids and great-grandkids went out to eat the evening before the party, and then the party lasted for three hours at their church.  Everett had so much fun that he announced the next day he had decided to stick around until 105 and do it all again.

Spotted in a McDonald’s in Duluth, Georgia – there were several of these signs there and from the copyright info, they obviously came from McDonald’s Corporate.  I guess the spellchecker was off that day . . .

The Lawrenceville show did not have to share dates with the show in Florida, so everything was pretty much back to normal.

 

When things calmed down a bit, customers had a chance to spend some time going through the embossing folders and the clearance table.

 

After the Georgia show, I headed south to spend a few days in the sun during the day (and working during the evening).  Size sometimes has its privileges – I got to park the truck right across the drive from the main entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Travel alert – about 1/3 of Hollywood Studios is under construction while new Toy Story and Star Wars lands are built.  If you were a fan of the Backlot Tour, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, or the Nascar Stunt Show – they are gone.

I suspect that sometime in the not-to-distant future, my great-niece Amelia’s stroller will be found in an area much like this one . . .

 

The Star Wars theme is everywhere – there is a Storm Trooper march through Hollywood Studios several times a day.  And I heard a rumor that Spaceship Earth at Epcot will eventually become the Death Star (which would be its first update in more than 30 years).

This is – easily – the single food item I have encountered in my many Disney trips that is absolutely worth what you pay for it.  The Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor in the Magic Kingdom (on the right at the end of the first block on Main Street) is $5.29 – and I could barely eat all of it.

After Disney, I spent a day with my childhood friends Jack and Beth – this was the view out my bedroom window.  And that huge lake is only about six feet deep all the way across.  Played golf with Jack, then headed for the gulf coast and played once again on my own.  Then it was back to work . . .

Spotted in the hotel parking lot as I was leaving to set up the booth in New Port Richey.  It isn’t considered politically correct anymore and was replaced by a made-up bird years ago, but for Miami grads of a certain age (like me), this will always have meaning . . .

 

With Sparkle ‘n’ Sprinkle at both shows on this trip, I can’t tell you how many people (vendors and customers alike) came up to me and asked if I knew how Margaret’s husband George was doing.  He is doing fine – spent a good part of the day helping/hindering Margaret as she set up her booth.

My honorary aunt Dee Mielke always surprises me with Florida citrus – and yes, that is Ellen from Tessler’s in the background.  Ellen came up to me again and asked that I thank all of you for your cards and prayers and kindness – she said she received so many that there is no way she can ever reply to all of them.

 

Two shots taken through the looking glass above the show floor – one at 6:00 on Friday evening, and the other at 12:00 on Saturday.

Karen left a message on my phone on Saturday afternoon to remind me to bring what was left of the discontinued Spellbinders dies to the store when I got back.  Obviously, by the end of two shows there wasn’t a lot left.  But I got word while I was gone that more than 200 dies had been added to the list – all at 50% off the MSRP – you can click on this link to see the new batch.

Monday morning after I made it home on Sunday night – the crocuses have appeared.  From the picture my brother sent me while I was in Florida, his appeared several days earlier.