Chronic Ama

 Hear me out here, we have a shower bucket.  Wait, that's not a fair place to start.  Let me rewind to February, the month that I usually start my garden. I've been gardening for about 4 years now and have gotten better at it over the years. (It honestly is great for quelling anxiety and getting my mind off whatever is bothering me at the moment!) This year, I planted more tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, basil, more red chiles, thyme, and some other shit that I can't even remember. You see, it's been a dry ass year and I've lost plenty of plant babies, including two of my coveted lavender starts, to the extreme heat that all us Arizonians should be used to by now. I got a little smart this year and made room on the patio for lots of things, but that wasn't enough. I was growing bored of trying to schedule what to water when and how to mourn the lost little green things and how to make a shade cloth impervious to the haboobs. (Not my boobs! Haboobs! Just google it al

Today was the perfect overcast spring day for an adventure. I'm beginning to want to explore again. I have all these ideas and a growing destination list that begins right around the corner. I better get started, so here's my take on a little afternoon adventure before the summer hear set in.  We started the day at Mercado San Agustin, mostly because we were hungry and partly because I had been craving something from Seis Kitchen. Breakfast tacos are an odd concept to me, but my mouth watered as the chorizo and sriracha hit my palate. I cleaned my plate and washed down the spicy goodness with an icy jamaica, which I hadn't had for a long time. It's my favorite, even over horchata. Jamaica is a Mexican drink, or agua fresca, made with hibiscus flowers. It's dark pink and sweet and refreshing. Full bellies called for some walking. I finally got to visit the MSA Annex, up the block from Mercado San Agustin. It's a trendy little outdoor shopping and dining

About an hour and a half drive from midtown Tucson is indeed a summer haven for those brutal Tucson summer temps. At the top of Mount Lemmon lies the town of Summerhaven. With temperatures at least 20 degrees cooler, hiking trails and restaurants, it's the perfect summer day trip for locals and visitors. We had the perfect day trip in July, during monsoon season. We got to Summerhaven early enough to enjoy a short hike on the trail at the end of Turkey Run, aptly named for the wild turkeys roaming around in the early morning and calling out through the day. We stopped to photograph a fairy garden and leave our own momentos for other passerbys to enjoy. It was at least 25 degrees cooler than down in Tucson, which was a nice break from the dry heat. After building up an appetite, we walked to the Cookie Cabin for a carb fuelled lunch of giant pizzas, decadent oversized cookies and calzones that took an extra while longer to arrive. Waiting outside at a picnic tabl

If you're at all like me and have even the most minute sense of wanderlust in your heart, the easiest thing to do is to start with what's around you. With that, I welcome you to my first blog about one of my favorite spots here around Tucson, Arizona. Gates Pass is just about a 30 minute drive from midtown Tucson and so very worth that commute. Gates Pass is a scenic area of the Tucson Mountains that I have enjoyed visiting since I was a kid. It's one of my favorite places to take out of town guests for a close to town look at the majestic saguaros. Gates Pass was named after Thomas Gates, who in 1883 bought the land to build a road which served as a shortcut through the Tucson mountains to his mine in Avra Valley. Over 100 years later, it's a popular spot for a hike, or to just stand at the overlook and take everything in around you. The sunset views are spectacular and after a summer monsoon, the familiar smell of creosote fills your nose and lungs. Bring t

I've been searching for interesting writing prompts for October. I haven't really found any that make me excited to write. I really can't describe jumping in a pile of leaves, because, well, Arizona... or why I love sweaters and boots, because, again, Arizona. The high yesterday as 97 and we hit 99 today before the rain came. I was hoping to open the door and let the cool air and the smell of rain in, but there is no cool air. Maybe we'll cool down the next few days since we're expecting rain. I think tomorrow I'll take out more Halloween decorations. I just have to postpone decorating outside until after vacation. I don't need some asshat stealing my decorations or lights. I really don't trust anyone around here lately. Are you scratching your head wondering what decorations I could possibly take out being as it's pretty much Halloween every day in my house with the life sized skeleton behind the recliner and the bat curtains in the dining room? I