If I Had a Reindeer

Okay, before we get to the end of the year and this is no longer topical...a post from guest blogger Audrey, aged almost eight and a half, about what it would be like if she had a reindeer. Sorry for no images on this one, my PC is on the blink (works fine except no internet connection...) so I'm using an alternate device...

If I would ever have to raise a baby reindeer, I would raise it like this. First I would look up on the internet what reindeer like to eat and drink. Then I would have to buy I it all, and a bed. That could be a challenge, I may not have enough money. I would feed it, take the reindeer to the vet to make sure it was healthy. I would take it on walks.

When it got old enough I would take it to the North Pole and sell it to Santa. There it will learn to fly and one day it would be a reindeer in the sleigh team, and it would deliver the presents I want, and lots of other people's presents they want, too.

By Audrey Orzech

A guest post from Audrey, age 8. 
This was a piece of writing she brought home today; I've cleaned up the spelling a little for maximum clarity.

What if You Could See What Other People Were Thinking...

If I could see what other people were thinking, I would see what the boys were going to do when they got home.  And when they came to tell me, I would finish their sentence for them.  They would be so surprised they would run away, and never come and bother me for a long time.

I would come up to them and say "Hi."

They would say nervously, "How did you know what I was going to say? Do you have some magic powers?"

 "Maybe," I would say. "Maybe I do."  
"Let's run" they would say, and they would run away.

They would never ever bother me again in the last three terms left (in school this year).  

ISO: Perfection

Mostly I don't post about politics on Facebook, or even Twitter.  I know that social media is where most people I know get their information nowadays, but it still seems wrong to me to disucss politics - or religion - in the very mixed company that is social media.

I have let a few hints slip, if you're paying attention - some likes, the occasional partisan post.  And if you're Facebook friends with me you probably have an idea of my political leanings anyway, because you know me in real life.  Maybe you were even in high school government class with me, where we teenagers who identified as democrats in millitary-heavy Northern Virginia were outnumbered two to one by young Republicans. Maybe you worked with me on Leslie Byrne's campaign and helped become the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1992. The first woman congressperson from a (fairly large) state...1992. I couldn't believe it either. She lasted one term before a Republican man defeated her.

But I wanted to write today for posterity. Maybe one day my now-eight and five year olds will read this post and think, "What was mom so worried about?" Of course Hillary Clinton became the 45th president of the United States. How could she not, given her opponent in 2016! Trump dug one hole after another with his racist, mysogynistic (and many more adjectives, too numerous to mention here) comments. And through it all, Hillary was the voice of reason.  The woman with the Plans. The smart woman who was really the best person for the job, hands down.

But I'm worried, and it goes back to my title.  If this divided United States was posting a Match.com profile, looking for the next president, I'm pretty sure it would be "In Search of: Perfection."  Being president is a big job, so we want someone who is charismatic, perfectly aligned with our views on key issues, and a smooth talker without seeming fake.  We want a Washington outsider who will be elected and magically be able to get anything on their agenda (and ours) done. We want someone who looks and sounds presidential - preferably someone tall and well spoken, but not somone who "flip-flops" or ever changes their mind based on new information.  We want someone who embraces the diversity of the United States, but not too much diversity, because we want to hang onto what is rightfully ours, and a lot of people in the United States seem to believe that diverse people have come to take things away from them and cause trouble, rather than to seek a better life for themselves and their families. In short, we want someone who's just like us - except a completely perfect version of us, and someone who's crazy enough to want to open their private life up to the entire country and allow everyone to riffle through it like it's their own closet.

What worries me, beyond the impossible search for the Perfect President, is that those people who decide neither party's standard bearer is perfect enough, so they're going to vote for a third party candidate. The Green Party (you can't call me sexist, look, I'm voting for a woman) or the Libertarian. And what if just enough people vote third party - maybe 7% - and the race between the two front-runners turns into a photo finish. And Trump starts yammering about how the election is rigged, and just enough people in power believe him. And we trade an admittedly imperfect but still pretty damn amazing woman with a Plan for a man for whom there are not enough derogatory adjectives in the world, in my humble opinion.

So, please vote. Vote your conscience. But also vote for the good of the county.


And just for the record, and for posterity:

      

Legoland, California

Imagine a world full of Lego.  Lego people greet you, mostly inanimate ones, though there are a few live-action versions as well (for little girls, the live action Lego Friends were exciting).  Although it's not (quite), it seems like the whole world is made of Lego:

North and South America, in the parking lot of Legoland

But, it's fun.  And not too much of a rip-off.  If you are planning to go to an amusement park with your 2-10 year old child(ren), I recommend this one. In addition to the Lego-everywhere feeling (see Elephant, below - not pictured, many other Lego animals, including dinosaurs), there is also Miniland, which is pretty amazing - recreations of California (San Francisco Victorian houses, Golden Gate Bridge, a California mission), New York, Las Vegas, and other landmarks.  Plus a special "Star Wars" feature section.

The Lego New York Skyline, from the "Coast Cruise" boat

It is amazingly detailed.  But sometimes something happens to break your reverie that you're actually in New York harbor...like extra-large seagulls. I also took a picture of ducks looming large near the Brooklyn Bridge, but it didn't turn out so well.

As we marveled at the  impressive Lego buildings we found ourselves flashing back to the Durham Cathedral fundraiser - build the cathedral from Lego - that we saw in 2015.

Partially complete Durham Cathedral in Lego

They even had "stained glass"!

In addition to amazing Lego structures, Legoland also had things you'd want in an amusement park - a few roller coasters (which the 48"+ child could ride all of, and the almost 40" child could ride most of).  The tame (but fun) roller coasters were our highlight on Day 2 (Yes, there were 2 days - the "let's try to see eveything" day, and the second day included in our AAA multi-pass, which we were glad for because it made Day 1 somewhat less stressful because we knew we had another day coming up). We discovered that between 10 and 11 am is prime time to ride with short lines...after that, it starts getting crowded.  But, there were plenty of non-ride things to do, including the Water Park (also included in the AAA ticket, and not pictured due to a lack of waterproof camera) and other water features in the park.

Water feature in Heartlake City, home of the Lego Friends

There were also several playgrounds and many kids rides, including a fair few that involved flying or driving.

Getting ready for takeoff

Driving School for 6-13 yr olds...I love that it looks like that Lego guy is ready to valet park her car

In conclusion, we found plenty to keep us occupied for two days in Legoland, California.  We didn't go on every ride, but we visited most parts of the park.  The kids LOVED the Water Park. We loved that they let us bring our picnic lunch in, and that there were a lot of options in the park that meant you weren't constantly standing in lines. We may not go back every year, but it was a fun vacation!

Driving Lego boats in Miniland

Nothing to see here!

The Highlands of Arizona

So here I sit, on the fourth of July.  So far, the day has been pretty uneventful - I worked on paper revisions while Paul played with the kids.  Then I made lunch for the kids while Paul started working on learning Z-brush.  Yes, we must be back in America, because this is what we do on a national holiday...work. At least a little.  Then shoot off some fireworks once it gets dark, just to mark the occasion. (And to celebrate that fireworks are now legal in Arizona, which is a change from 5 years ago, although I'm still not sure it's the wisest thing in the world to legalize fire-y explosives, even temporarily, in a dry desert.)

Yesterday was really our celebration, though - we packed a picnic and went up the mountain to the Highlands of Arizona - Mt. Lemmon.

It's about an hour drive, and the terrain changes fast.  First you drive through the city of Tucson, then the outskirts.  Finally you reach the mountain foothills (or the "low mountains" as Audrey was calling them yesterday). Then you start traveling up - once through the foothills, it's switchbacks all the way up, which can lead to some lovely nausea if you're sensitive to that kind of thing...which everyone in our family is.  But you persevere, and finally you're mid-mountain, and there's a rest area:

Windy Point Vista, Mt. Lemmon

Exploring

In addition to using the restroom, this is also a good place to practice your expansive "I own this place" look:

Audrey,Windy Point Vista

Claire, Windy Point Vista

Or, indeed, tell a fantastical story about how the rock on top of this rock is a secret book that was given to you by "the brothers" because you were "the little one," and you placed it here at Windy Point in the time before you were a part of this family (which sounds mysteriously like the plot of the Book of Kells animated film that Claire did not watch with us...but it could also be one of the plots of Winx...)

The book given to her by "the brothers"

Once you have done all your resting, it is time to get back in the car to seek the true Highlands, that area where it is cool and pine-forested, where there is even the Southern-most ski resort in the United States, which conveniently, runs the ski lift during the summer so the can still stay in business (being the Southern-most ski resort in the U.S. not exactly being a 100% winning business model).

Going Up!

Look who rode up behind us!

Elevation at the top

Flowers and ladybugs

Heading down the mountain

Audrey headed down

Once we rode the ski lift, we drove down the mountain a little and stopped at the Butterfly Trail.  Though mid-summer isn't quite the right time for butterflies, it was still a lovely (fairly flat - important with the kids) trail.

Butterfly Trail

View from the Butterfly Trail

We walked on a big log, investigated (and frightened!) a blue log-bug, and built a fairy house using found materials in the shade of a fallen log.

The completed fairy house

Finally it was almost time to head back home, but first there was the obligatory "King and Queen of the Forest" picture! Happy 4th of July!

To the North: Arizona's Apache and Navajo Counties

When we lived in Scotland, my travels took me around the country, but now that we live in the U.S. again, and I work for a State agency, my travels take me mostly to different parts of Arizona.  Although it's not as glamorous-sounding as going to Edinburgh or London for work, going to Northern Arizona is definitely a different experience.

Last week I traveled to visit Apache and Navajo Counties - my route took me up through the White Mountains to see Whiteriver and Fort Apache on the White Mountain Apache tribal lands, then up to Holbrook, Chinle on the Navajo Nation, over to St. Johns and finally to Eagar/Springerville before heading back down south.

My route from Tucson up and around through Navajo and Apache counties

So what was I doing? Well, in Whiteriver I was just looking around, trying not to stick out like a sore thumb with my pale (ish...not so pale as it was in Scotland) skin and my University of Arizona car.  I stopped at the gateway to the White Mountain Apache tribal lands: Salt River Canyon- beautiful area, and the only rest area for miles.

My colleague and I stayed in Holbrook, whose claim to fame is proximity to the Petrified Forest National Park, and of course many places where you can buy petrified wood in all shapes and sizes:

Since petrified wood is from dinosaur times, there's a not-so-subliminal theme going on among the local shops:

Holbrook is also on Route 66, something it's hard to forget when the central square sports this sign painted on a rock.

Because of its proximity to the Navajo Nation, another unique feature of Holbrook is that it has a kids tribal dance group that performs for free each summer weeknight. The biggest dancers are probably in their early teens, with the youngest ones barely able to toddle around the arena. The boy pictured below was maybe 9 or 10 and performed the Hoop Dance; it was very impressive.

Here is one of the tiniest dancers, a little boy whose dad is heping him to do the Grass Dance:

From Holbrook we drove onto the Navajo Nation up to Chinle (2 hours away and 1 hour earlier, because the Navajo Nation observes Daylight Savings time, while the rest of Arizona does not). It's pretty up there - and sparsely populated.

In Chinle we found some items in the grocery store that showed us we were in a rural agricultural area - horse pellets and salt licks - and then we went on to the Summer Meals SNAP-Ed event, which was why we were there.

After Chinle it was back to Holbrook for meetings and visiting sites (mainly SNAP-Ed supported gardens), then over to Apache County (St. Johns and Springerville/Eagar) the next day to see more gardens and also more Summer Food activities.

When I woke up in Holbrook and went outside on my way to St. Johns, this was the scene, thanks to the Cedar Creek wildfire, burning near Show Low, 47 miles away. I could smell the wood smoke from the hotel parking lot:

I had the honor of seeing the best garden in St. Johns (the county seat of Apache county, population about 3,500) - lovingly planted and tended at the Apache County Cooperative Extension. Becuase it's colder in Northern Arizona the growing season starts later, but they made their own greenhouses and nurtured tomatoes and other plants so they were thriving in June instead of just getting started. They even had broccoli ready to pick! They told me people were pulling over to the side of the road to ask them how they grew such lovely plants.

On my way back to Tucson, I decided not to drive back toward the fire (which by this time had grown from 1,000 to 8,000 acres, had shut part of the highway, and had Show Low under a pre-evacuation threat) so I added some time and went through Alpine, AZ (complete with an Alpine lake) and down through New Mexico.  I didn't take any pictures, mainly because there was nowhere to stop and pull over...just winding mountain roads snaking through trees and more trees, with the occasional town flashing by.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end, and now you

1) Know a little bit about what a SNAP-Ed evaluator does in Arizona.

and

2) Have seen some of Arizona that's off the beaten path, that you might not see unless you are getting your kicks on Route 66.

Happy Trails!

Four Signs You Are in Tucson

Reid Park Zoo Humor

 I realized as I logged into the blog today that it had been more than a month since my last post. I have put some thought into why it is that I post less here in Arizona - the truth is, in Scotland, things were more "exotic."  Even a trip to a local town (like St. Andrews) was picturesque and foreign to readers back in the States.  I suppose I could say the same thing about Arizona. It sure is foreign here sometimes.  But it is still the United States and so...less exotic.

That said, I've been collecting pictures of (often literal) signs that you are in Tucson, Arizona. These signs and images epitomize Tucson for me. Every day on the way to work I drive by a strip mall [note to British readers: not what it sounds like] that I always want to stop and take a picture of because it contains the following:

• a tamale shop [one of the high points of Tucson food]
• a medical marajuana dispensary [which have mushroomed in the five years we've been gone, thanks to state legalization of medical marajuana]
• a store called "Metaphysics World" [which, although I've never been in, sums up Tucson's hippie leanings for me]

All have brightly colored storefronts with big signs - as you do in Tucson.  But on to some things I do actually have pictures of, because they aren't located on a busy thoroughfare between home and work.

Tucson Food

There are many great things about Tucson food - you take your pick of everything from multiple styles of Mexican food to sushi to Ethiopian dishes and everything in between.  Frybread, while certainly not exclusive to Tucson (it can be found throughout the Southwest) is something that you can find in Tucson, but definitely not Scotland, or the East Coast.

Frybread stand at a University of Arizona event

Another food (if you can call it that) native to Tucson is the Eegees slush.  For the non-Tucsonan Americans, imagine Subway decided to serve pretzels and french fries in addition to their subs, and instead of proper drinks, they served 7-11 slushes, in flavors that changed monthly. Imagine that you grew up with "Eegees" (the name of the restaurant as well as the slush) as a staple of children's parties, and as an adult you transitioned to "Iced Teagees" which are ice tea mixed with lemon slush.  Now imagine it's 100 degrees. Every day. For four months. Okay, you've got the picture.

Eegees truck at a University of Arizona event

Reminders that you are in the West

These reminders may take many forms - for example, homage to the horse culture of the West, like this sign spotted outside a park restroom:

Or, warnings you might not see anywhere else, like this reminder in the parking lot of the Desert Museum:

Or, this sign from a rest area parking lot (technically not in Tucson, but in Central/Northern Arizona):

Note: "Unloading of Livestock" is prohibited

Also not typically seen outside the West - reminders at highway rest stops that the local fauna could kill you:

 

Reminders that This Area Used to be Part of Mexico 

An additional, though distinct feature of the West is that for a long time, it was part of Mexico, and this influence is still strong.  Witness the selection of pinatas for sale at Target:

 

  

Truths About Tucson

I'll close with a few images, that like the juxtoposition of tamales, medical marajuana and metaphysics, express truths about Tucson. 

For example, the schools are aspirational...this actual sign from Audrey's elementary school heartens and distresses me at the same time:

Although it rains heavily during the summer months (and occasionally outside the summer months), very few roads in Tucson are built to withstand water.  In the best-case scenario (shown here, outisde our house), the middle of the road becomes a river, with some space to drive on either side.  

 In a worst case scenario, the road floods and you can only drive when it's raining if you have a high-clearance vehicle.  Which brings me to my last two photos - the truth about how big your car is if you drive in Tucson (that's my car on the right, next to a typical Tucson truck):

And finally, a sign that recognizes the complicated and ever-changing relationships between pedestrians, horses, and cyclists in Tucson: