tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83749712997913935852024-03-13T05:24:27.523-07:00Arizona Skies CreationsCreating is my passionArizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-46871425119706834212011-04-10T13:47:00.000-07:002011-04-10T13:52:54.173-07:00Paracord 550 Woodland Camo Tiger Eye necklace<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt73v2bZN463EE3Qln-JT2P_4sv0DXApeVIdok3_jWBMe06PKcU1MgwbYvu_1FRA_Mtdbb10khVFmqsU38f2RDqTVSj8NAwEsvnwfTDwAuqqFxg7CpiplViC5PBjPRuKnmHxzZ7ckXUc/s1600/IMG_5937.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 347px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt73v2bZN463EE3Qln-JT2P_4sv0DXApeVIdok3_jWBMe06PKcU1MgwbYvu_1FRA_Mtdbb10khVFmqsU38f2RDqTVSj8NAwEsvnwfTDwAuqqFxg7CpiplViC5PBjPRuKnmHxzZ7ckXUc/s400/IMG_5937.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594060149709744786" /></a><br /><br />This is a handsome unisex necklace made with a Woodland Camo Paracord 550 and a pendant of reddish brown Tiger Eye Agate pendant. The Agate stone measures 1 1/2 inches long and the total for the necklace is apprx 20 1/2 long (52cm). Silvertone spring cord closures and lobster claw.<br /><br />NOTE; The pendant on my monitor looks orangeish, the actual color of the agate is more like a maroon.<br /><br />Check out my Paracord 550 section for more Paracord items:<br />http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArizonaSkies?section_id=7140258Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-21917051244346345202010-03-17T17:34:00.000-07:002010-03-17T17:42:46.634-07:00Sunflower earrings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaM-j56ZA93HjYg2pzBRaqE9Ss_739zkyKHydcyqLHLmjcMdrGslxbLyr3-KPmJe5yL18EsfGskUN8YbGxkyGDrPOX0LXKH23v___k_6ZTNUgQuHKL22dj15QTtxs5lKyvOJuVhZ04pCo/s1600-h/IMG_5075.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 381px; height: 371px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaM-j56ZA93HjYg2pzBRaqE9Ss_739zkyKHydcyqLHLmjcMdrGslxbLyr3-KPmJe5yL18EsfGskUN8YbGxkyGDrPOX0LXKH23v___k_6ZTNUgQuHKL22dj15QTtxs5lKyvOJuVhZ04pCo/s400/IMG_5075.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449767143819975378" /></a><br />I love most flowers, but one of my favorites are sunflowers, especially the ones with white petals and yellow centers. I found these lucite cabochons that I found irresistible and decided to make earrings and a necklace for my shop. I love how they came out!Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-49353102673958315302010-03-17T17:05:00.000-07:002010-03-17T17:26:23.280-07:00My beautiful Mescal tree<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUHHClMqO095bWw4AiVNzxmIhBaahclUJUxI-Tu-cFMGQPotsOOtnmajJ67grkCtWE_BH3GXNMDrdinytYl3aoEwYm7HoaW58eUvrLRBkGL7O1Q2kKE6rXe5WUp23jzZgsx4gWcOChDw/s1600-h/IMG_5124.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUHHClMqO095bWw4AiVNzxmIhBaahclUJUxI-Tu-cFMGQPotsOOtnmajJ67grkCtWE_BH3GXNMDrdinytYl3aoEwYm7HoaW58eUvrLRBkGL7O1Q2kKE6rXe5WUp23jzZgsx4gWcOChDw/s400/IMG_5124.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449758833271787362" /></a><br />I once went shopping at a Wallgreen and when I got back to my car I noticed this short bush growing with gorgeous fragrant purple flowers and golden tan seed pods. I just had to get me one of those. I've had mine for about 4-5 years now. They're very slow growers, this one is about 6 feet tall. I'm training mine to be a tree, but they don't get very tall, maybe 8-10 feet or so, especially in our hot desert. It is quite drought tolerant and fit for a xeriscape garden.<br /><br />I went out to my garden this afternoon to check on it and found it had many blooms already. The whole area around it smelled of grape kool-aid. Love the plant, but don't love the one inch caterpillars that invade it later on in the year. <br />Mountain Laurel<br />Mescal<br />Shophora Secundiflora <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPRcVg2pzv-HeAmvbQo1No08DRSM1oseC3JDC4tqzp-TLcCgxUuvDaMSKXyYs3yICKcRIa5qTWXEcaUIFhJeukvBkM19J09E5oBRJ0eZCHuiCAr1pfdaPW_FwOfNvlI6azjZKQXEl_4w/s1600-h/100_2444.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPRcVg2pzv-HeAmvbQo1No08DRSM1oseC3JDC4tqzp-TLcCgxUuvDaMSKXyYs3yICKcRIa5qTWXEcaUIFhJeukvBkM19J09E5oBRJ0eZCHuiCAr1pfdaPW_FwOfNvlI6azjZKQXEl_4w/s400/100_2444.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449762898492312834" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-87481934080001112772010-01-15T12:34:00.000-08:002010-01-15T13:04:37.100-08:00Doves waiting for breakfastWhen I moved to this newly built house four years ago, the backyard was leveled bare land. I quickly planted my beloved Peruvian mesquite and a couple of Red bird of Paradise bushes and quite a few more plants. I noticed one or two doves visiting the yard.<br /><br />Then I started throwing some bird seed and then added bowls of water. Now the word has got out that there's a human sucker who comes out every morning to replace the water and throw some wildbird seed on the ground. Here's a picture of maybe 50 doves (and one pigeon) waiting for me on the top of the roof of my neighbor in back. They wait about five minutes to make sure I'm safely inside before they swoop down to their breakfast. Click on picture for a closer look.<br /><br />Feeding them puts a positive note to the rest of my day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMT79r0q3KHv0N36-BNkLL4mQlq3jEjuNYCmJYbxsWDs6FTvyBegJcVb5cUud911fYvJ-EU5GrodsJlqimHGjQPnc9v7duSGP5GPlIItBBtD-pn9NJ_h9zecziVByAV4SMMJH6dpzisqQ/s1600-h/100_2905.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMT79r0q3KHv0N36-BNkLL4mQlq3jEjuNYCmJYbxsWDs6FTvyBegJcVb5cUud911fYvJ-EU5GrodsJlqimHGjQPnc9v7duSGP5GPlIItBBtD-pn9NJ_h9zecziVByAV4SMMJH6dpzisqQ/s400/100_2905.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427069209591647442" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-33925816069146384182009-12-29T10:08:00.000-08:002009-12-29T10:12:53.959-08:00Arizona Skies by Jim BeckwithI just got a Google Alert this morning for Arizona Skies and got these lyrics to a song written and sung by Reggae singer Jim Beckwith in Tampa, Florida. Here is his website so that you can listen to this song. I just love it!<br /><br />http://www.reverbnation.com/jimbeckwith<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Arizona Skies - Lyrics by Jim Beckwith<br /><br />Desert Life is precious, a place of all extremes <br />Sun’s too hot to handle, it’s brighter than it seems <br />Nights are cold and lonely, Days hot as hell <br />You might survive living here, it’s just too soon to tell.<br /><br /> Look in all directions, there’s a billion stars tonight - <br /> the suguaro cactus stands like a sentry, looking for a fight. <br /> couples may be broken, river rocks may fly; <br /> but the clouds are always beautiful - in the Arizona skies<br /><br />We are the stones - smoothed by the river <br />Rough is the sand, and the water makes you shiver <br /> <br />Living here in desolation you expect some things to die <br />it’s strange, but true - no on even cries <br />Celebrate for the living, remembrance for the dead <br />We light a candle - at one end <br /> <br />Put the candle in the river - watch it float away <br />remember back in time to another day <br />life was good - we liked it then <br />but we must go on and on <br />till the candles come floating back again<br /><br />Rarely in the desert comes a pouring rain <br />but it’s joyful when it happens, you can feel alive again <br />Standing in the shower it feels like rain <br />there’s nothing like the feeling of the absence of pain<br /><br />We are the stones - smoothed by the river <br />Rough is the sand, and the water makes you shiver <br /><br /> I said look out across, send word down <br /> to reach the boss on the way to town, <br /> `if your going in the right direction... <br /> Here, then we’re gone, but a little part lives on, <br />living life, dying death, <br />and the earth just took one breathArizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-2955871831589245162009-12-25T15:02:00.000-08:002009-12-25T15:17:10.258-08:00My own backyard TangerineThis is my Kinnow Mandarin in my back yard. The plant is three years old and this is the first time it has had an actual harvest. Before this it was just a few fragrant flowers and nubs of fruits that soon shriveled and died. I'm wondering if I am not giving it enough water, I have never fertilized it. Next year I will look into this and try to do the right thing.<br /><br />I just ate my first the other day and it's nothing like you buy at the store. This is not bland but a very strong taste, a little sour but I like that. The only thing I don't like is that it has some big seeds. All in all I'm happy with it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyA30Yip375V7gpN3iZOb9I6nXvDKC1YeXiPbiq7fEWmCoiqm3Dzu8gcGmMbH-CTOT7YpFh3PU5_KSN6WfsWh-D31xndtq9HMMwCb6HLtUYkkXR8CBkB_rbaYQE-ctLc7TKhnF3MhmHq4/s1600-h/100_2871.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyA30Yip375V7gpN3iZOb9I6nXvDKC1YeXiPbiq7fEWmCoiqm3Dzu8gcGmMbH-CTOT7YpFh3PU5_KSN6WfsWh-D31xndtq9HMMwCb6HLtUYkkXR8CBkB_rbaYQE-ctLc7TKhnF3MhmHq4/s400/100_2871.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419315350629566882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIH_zxNR9Bce03zOBHbM7pLy8OkKV1gFlaccQ7owpaMRo-wibCqryYQduRgyAjAMi27rrkpHh83HlMlkNJn_NOi3d2a9TQwq-y5Dr2ZrL-lbkNl8O6tVavwtQezbKMwj0A_uEqY3QMjQ/s1600-h/100_2869.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIH_zxNR9Bce03zOBHbM7pLy8OkKV1gFlaccQ7owpaMRo-wibCqryYQduRgyAjAMi27rrkpHh83HlMlkNJn_NOi3d2a9TQwq-y5Dr2ZrL-lbkNl8O6tVavwtQezbKMwj0A_uEqY3QMjQ/s400/100_2869.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419315343030667810" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-68441300807348959142009-12-10T14:03:00.000-08:002009-12-10T14:20:24.340-08:00Turning a lemon into lemonadeI just came across an article by Cathie Gandel in an AARP publication.<br /><br />Teanne Harris was supposed to be married in a late October Halloween themed bash when six days before the wedding her fiance got cold feet. She then found out it was too late to get a refund for the reception. Rather than having all that money and hard work expended go to waste, she decided to turn her wedding celebration into a holiday party for the 340 residents of Ashbury Court Retirement Community in Des Plaines, Illinois.<br /><br />She didn't know anyone there but moved everything - food, flowers, table decorations and even the DJ - to the community. Harris, 34, said, "I worked really hard on planning for the perfect party, and it would have broken my heart even more to have it go to waste". Instead she received joy watching the residents enjoy the holiday.<br /><br />This was a perfect example of the adage, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade". And what a wonderful gesture to be able to remember that bitter day as a joyful time for many strangers. Great karma to you, Teanne Harris!Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-42393584562099485072009-11-14T12:38:00.000-08:002009-11-14T13:16:30.514-08:00Chocaholic in Heaven"And now I lay me down to sleep<br />I pray the Lord my soul to keep<br />If I should die before I wake<br />I pray the Lord my soul to take<br />I pray they bury me beneath showers<br />Of heavenly scented Chocolate Flowers"<br /> by PVC (me)<br /><br />The Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera Lyrata)is also known as Chocolate Daisy, Greeneyes, Lyre-leaf Greeneyes, Brooch Flower. It has a strong chocolate fragrance in the morning when it's yellow daisy flowers are open. It closes them in the afternoon. The plant is drought tolerant when established and reseeds itself. It is native from Kansas and Colorado south to Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and northern Mexico to San Luis Potosi. It attracts butterflies and bees and other beneficial insects. The dried seed heads are attractive in dried arrangements. I have it growing in my fig tree area so that it will get some shade from the harsh Arizona sun when the fig tree matures.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lyd4DI1RvRhYY0H4uLHjrwu5grgIlYLIxuFDKm2ycr9YmqRu8ROf_kNxbsI0UH4a0uqAEwzgRqkGE0vS44gOeVqE4JP250vURAjo3vcrXmvt_sheClc4KHYsY4cIooaWh8E6JjxxhE0/s1600-h/100_2812.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lyd4DI1RvRhYY0H4uLHjrwu5grgIlYLIxuFDKm2ycr9YmqRu8ROf_kNxbsI0UH4a0uqAEwzgRqkGE0vS44gOeVqE4JP250vURAjo3vcrXmvt_sheClc4KHYsY4cIooaWh8E6JjxxhE0/s400/100_2812.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404071001267941298" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhji62f0rQCYe1Ml9a3Ti-9xFR8yfRLX2vurpOG5FGoRYiM3pVGsPA-MUJaPU6zLEtd5GENKQiUqQPhpikiVVdGhQ-AxDm0WUEn4vCoOCS-koKjx2weXE2_ggUu1CwjhhCG3hrGDAHqGH0/s1600-h/IMG_4759.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 343px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhji62f0rQCYe1Ml9a3Ti-9xFR8yfRLX2vurpOG5FGoRYiM3pVGsPA-MUJaPU6zLEtd5GENKQiUqQPhpikiVVdGhQ-AxDm0WUEn4vCoOCS-koKjx2weXE2_ggUu1CwjhhCG3hrGDAHqGH0/s400/IMG_4759.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404064195002660978" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3fHsnbEjEdrWXe0Ts41Zk1dN3OWP3f0RStm_Af9N45ucJTAitIUfTDwnlj_4Uiege88QOCebxaSzB6pIhDlFu6zflbzYQrvc5BeAjq66fr1dVP8kh69K5qdb98pomO2_N795phms9aM/s1600-h/IMG_4758.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3fHsnbEjEdrWXe0Ts41Zk1dN3OWP3f0RStm_Af9N45ucJTAitIUfTDwnlj_4Uiege88QOCebxaSzB6pIhDlFu6zflbzYQrvc5BeAjq66fr1dVP8kh69K5qdb98pomO2_N795phms9aM/s400/IMG_4758.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404064184158675714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6QYnstr_2HFE04wa1gxcbV_1d9boMdO8k_LBZ0TMbrBJ_mJeaYGpGiz-ZDao7qMmImvucMt2Zbrhyphenhypheno_u200zx-qAnPiLmxzdR2Xle5MBciMhmJsoGHgmDeOdwLlg0IYVI1bEBljeydg/s1600-h/IMG_4760.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6QYnstr_2HFE04wa1gxcbV_1d9boMdO8k_LBZ0TMbrBJ_mJeaYGpGiz-ZDao7qMmImvucMt2Zbrhyphenhypheno_u200zx-qAnPiLmxzdR2Xle5MBciMhmJsoGHgmDeOdwLlg0IYVI1bEBljeydg/s400/IMG_4760.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404067345162826482" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-87608271879380261832009-10-22T00:39:00.000-07:002009-10-22T01:15:42.372-07:00"How time flies" is an understatement in this case!WOW, it's been SIX long months since my last entry!<br /><br />I have only excuses, not reasons. The only reason is plain laziness. The excuses are many. The two main ones are:<br /><br />1. This summer here in Tucson was a real pain. Very hot and a long one. It was in the high 90's just a couple of days ago. I had shut off the central AC for the winter in the latter days of September and was not about to turn it on again. I can be stubborn that way, even if inside the house it was about 92 degrees. I just turned on a fan and opened the window in whichever room I was in.<br /><br />2. Excuse number two is that since August I've been moving all my jewelry from Earthly Creations into my craft shop Arizona Skies. I see no reason having two shops in Etsy.com since jewelry and crafts are fairly similar. This started out as a hobby, turned into an obsession, and now I've relegated it back into a hobby status. After the holidays I will also close my shops at Dawanda and 1000Markets and then keep Arizona Skies as my official "outlet of creativity".<br /><br />So, hopefully, now that my favorite season is here at last, Autumn/Winter, I will be more inclined to write in this blog. Perhaps twice a week? We'll see.<br /><br />My newest creation, a pair of earrings that remind me of a frozen winter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPBo7I6a4WhvveT3zJv8C6sfjTS0Js127gV-OH8w90-VJHKqz77MJR-9O3LuEV3hCqVxiS_ft_8aZa5JcgORmO0J9n8ENbXnLTGwWQukPhn1d-99aRKsf0Ea3S8PbO3WNIiqXfhKw7ZA/s1600-h/IMG_4661.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPBo7I6a4WhvveT3zJv8C6sfjTS0Js127gV-OH8w90-VJHKqz77MJR-9O3LuEV3hCqVxiS_ft_8aZa5JcgORmO0J9n8ENbXnLTGwWQukPhn1d-99aRKsf0Ea3S8PbO3WNIiqXfhKw7ZA/s400/IMG_4661.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395328926614015506" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-23829108103781869682009-04-16T15:02:00.000-07:002009-04-16T16:24:33.979-07:00The time fliesWow, how time flies! I had no idea it's been 12 days since my last post.<br /><br />I can truly say I've been working, though. Last year it rained so much in the spring that my backyard was overrun with weeds. I was overwhelmed and did what ostriches are supposed to do, I buried my head in the sand of denial and refused to do anything about it. This year I resolved that I wanted to reclaim my pretty and tidy back yard, tend to my neglected plants, and sit again in my back porch to eat a lunch or sip coffee and watch the wildlife (mostly birds) enjoy my little spot of earth. <br /><br />It's all done and mentally I feel proud of myself. Physically, every muscle of my body aches. But, it's a good ache, like when you've just worked out at the gym. Sore, but proud of yourself for taking control of your body and your life.<br /><br />Here are before and after photos of a portion of the backyard =<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtqiQ4trp6MvIVzHJnMdlHlBqf6WRA10XCgyCwIJzAoBgwMEYkOhpOQ6og816DyRMgx3FrpPvqeM68emZGaTCw4HLCMyNgyOWRrhMdL6eskCEfUMMIIfDwG7ETyzc4JqyWD2Q506tbXU/s1600-h/100_2365.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtqiQ4trp6MvIVzHJnMdlHlBqf6WRA10XCgyCwIJzAoBgwMEYkOhpOQ6og816DyRMgx3FrpPvqeM68emZGaTCw4HLCMyNgyOWRrhMdL6eskCEfUMMIIfDwG7ETyzc4JqyWD2Q506tbXU/s400/100_2365.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325433612348174530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRAXaXzltSnhbJgeFySGc12s5BfAOKgOIk7peFGgrgT8ZNlnBxaNIH230DHwp6m9974WU0SqYLEjhEP_Vkeu5iHfhRjCTU40DVjI5oMykdp265ueqRYWQLPnHjjIwZQ2kN2z7NRF_nBk/s1600-h/100_2394.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRAXaXzltSnhbJgeFySGc12s5BfAOKgOIk7peFGgrgT8ZNlnBxaNIH230DHwp6m9974WU0SqYLEjhEP_Vkeu5iHfhRjCTU40DVjI5oMykdp265ueqRYWQLPnHjjIwZQ2kN2z7NRF_nBk/s400/100_2394.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325433614828869026" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-32223393588641885682009-04-04T17:27:00.000-07:002009-04-04T17:40:32.133-07:00RecipeDid I say in my last post that I was feeling lazy today? I changed my mind. Make it LAZY LAZY LAZY!!!<br /><br />So here's a recipe for you to assuage my feelings of unworthiness. Heh heh!<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM BREAD<br /><br />1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1/2 cup butter, room temperature<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />2 eggs, room temp<br />1/2 cup dairy sour cream, room temp<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 cup coarsely chopped fresh strawberries<br />3/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts, if desired (I use untoasted)<br /><br />Grease an 8x4 loaf pan; set aside. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In small bowl of electric mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beat one minute or until light and airy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in sour crean and vanilla. Stir onto flour mixture only until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in strawberries and nuts. Turn into prepared pan, smooth top. Bake 60-65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand in pan 10 minutes, tun out onto a rack to cool. Makes one loaf.<br /><br />** Although the title says "bread", I treat it like a dessert and have a slice with my coffee. Yummy!Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-18403935600511415442009-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:002009-04-04T16:43:53.752-07:00Flickr accounthttp://www.flickr.com/photos/arizonaskies/<br /><br />I'm a born procrastinator. It's been "ages" since I've been wanting to sign up and open an account at Flickr. Somehow I never found the time. Today I feel kind of lazy and decided to open the Flickr account so that I can honestly say I accomplished something. I love taking photos and some of them are quite nice, so why not share them?<br /><br />It wasn't so bad, even a tech idiot like me was able to set it up and upload 11 photos. Next I have to learn how to contact groups I'd be interested in and add them as contacts. The internet is a lovely and educational resource, but it sure sucks up a lot of time in your life. On the other hand, I would never want to go back to a life without the internet.Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-48672539186330100792009-04-02T10:51:00.000-07:002009-04-02T11:21:10.624-07:00My backyard HummingbirdWhen I bought this house three years ago my main aim for my backyard, besides being a visual delight, was to make a cool and green haven for birds but especially hummingbirds. I planted many plants that appeal to them, but my one (or two?) little green hummer is only interested in the yellow tube flowered Chuparosa (Justicia Californica). I even read that they liked the red flowered one and I planted one but he still wants nothing but the yellow flowered one. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaegoiwoyyt_BobkpoJh1m3YfxhTxMjM5fFZEHAle-v-4S0CLvYFDqNoYSwvX_fjAjBsaSzhBhv3mhUTlFFxXszUXdGZQIfPLDKC1kPvPfEe6_oFSuUp0vzL31UDxbWH0vRy0JHqsOO4/s1600-h/100_2323.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaegoiwoyyt_BobkpoJh1m3YfxhTxMjM5fFZEHAle-v-4S0CLvYFDqNoYSwvX_fjAjBsaSzhBhv3mhUTlFFxXszUXdGZQIfPLDKC1kPvPfEe6_oFSuUp0vzL31UDxbWH0vRy0JHqsOO4/s400/100_2323.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320156005684600610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uNHUbcAcQ70qqta-he_E3P83fi6G4bR1ulAgO6QIGhmzbZa7QzM55x9ICQo6g-o3jfaxe6nnj8Nbkb9m6DW99d_StgpR10WZPDF1XfltVGxMXAEm3_1KypI5NapNjECTROMpr941s6s/s1600-h/100_2325.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uNHUbcAcQ70qqta-he_E3P83fi6G4bR1ulAgO6QIGhmzbZa7QzM55x9ICQo6g-o3jfaxe6nnj8Nbkb9m6DW99d_StgpR10WZPDF1XfltVGxMXAEm3_1KypI5NapNjECTROMpr941s6s/s400/100_2325.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320156014175726802" /></a><br />This morning I was filling a bucket with water to water a newly transplanted Salvia Coccinea and suddenly he was hovering over the running stream of water. He got close to it and drank, just a little, but then he is a very tiny little fellow. Just the nectar from the flowers is probably enough to sustain him. He was SO close to my left hand, I wanted to put out my finger and encourage him to perch on it. But, I was afraid I would frighten him so was just happy to observe him. Once he perched on the hose to rest, three inches from the spout and perhaps eight inches from my hand. I felt flattered that he trusted me. <br /><br />I saw pictures of a woman with a red hummer feeder in the palm of her hand and four hummers perching on its rim. I also heard of a woman whose hummer came every spring and summer for five years and would perch on her shoulder as she sat on her porch. I just think they're adorable.Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-25265210778136024272009-03-29T13:43:00.001-07:002009-03-29T13:52:48.351-07:00An ironic seven year old boy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRD3P2Nf9eE2uh2ASpUCHcMBzYn0l-1PCy9c1KobSpzSB7CgcACMANfVFVgyJMSNaXpYlLMjcYJLX_4vxbiDLPvoTU0gjVJPzsqwXXhlNWE57pte6C-o2Z6jH0xx7ttfzsFGkulP2ZzOg/s1600-h/IMG_4326.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRD3P2Nf9eE2uh2ASpUCHcMBzYn0l-1PCy9c1KobSpzSB7CgcACMANfVFVgyJMSNaXpYlLMjcYJLX_4vxbiDLPvoTU0gjVJPzsqwXXhlNWE57pte6C-o2Z6jH0xx7ttfzsFGkulP2ZzOg/s400/IMG_4326.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318713800742055954" /></a><br />My grandson Jake is 7 1/2 years old. It never ceases to amaze me some of the comments he makes about life. But, I never thought he could be ironic at his age. When he visited on Friday night he drew me some sketches. One of them was of a man with a cigarette dangling from his mouth while wearing a T-shirt with a no-smoking decal. On the man's arms are tattoos of skulls. Something to remember for parents who puff away while telling their kids not to smoke. The irony and hypocrisy is not lost on their children, even 7 year old kids are aware of it. I don't know why Jake made the drawing since neither I nor his parents smoke. I'm saving the drawing to show him when he's older.Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-28867421035101645322009-03-28T17:24:00.000-07:002009-03-28T18:17:11.508-07:00The smell of the Desert after a rainWhen I first moved to the Southwest I learned to love the distinctive odor of the desert after a rainfall. It had a strong, musty odor. Some people love that smell, others hate it. I couldn't figure out why the rain smelled that way and assumed it was the rain drops hitting the dry sandy soil. Then eventually I found out the smell came from the raindrops hitting the leaves of the Creosote Bush (Larrea Tridentata). I could even smell the rain falling far away and knew the rain was coming my way.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JW1P7_P-xZtuw7WPTqKcX8-RensZndRbCCpMABzMLSGbUT7ZbHaSmaXWqRBEUXVvj7Wuqhh3ood_wBDHTt9bDLf5lS55Q1bgKLfaNb1TY2_XBXKHqohjg33EolCsIR3LAs0vvHGlqPo/s1600-h/100_2316.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JW1P7_P-xZtuw7WPTqKcX8-RensZndRbCCpMABzMLSGbUT7ZbHaSmaXWqRBEUXVvj7Wuqhh3ood_wBDHTt9bDLf5lS55Q1bgKLfaNb1TY2_XBXKHqohjg33EolCsIR3LAs0vvHGlqPo/s400/100_2316.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318408404484449170" /></a><br />I always wanted to have one in my backyard garden, to make sure I could smell the rain when it fell. Sometimes I tire of waiting for the rare desert rains and just throw a bucket of water on my plant so that I can smell it. As a result it has grown fast and bigger than the desert plants that have to wait for the rains.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKwhBfP9Yx9xTiN-QBoC6ZoLF33TQhE6wC0lx01vv4WvO2YPb1r9y3uw1sWhT9NiBydo6Yawpf4zb9uOhVH3rFEjJ1GKbhZfdOudxSSCU2mJ3ADWHTtUQdnIPbyQ4y4DpBva9LAUZutw/s1600-h/IMG_4320.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKwhBfP9Yx9xTiN-QBoC6ZoLF33TQhE6wC0lx01vv4WvO2YPb1r9y3uw1sWhT9NiBydo6Yawpf4zb9uOhVH3rFEjJ1GKbhZfdOudxSSCU2mJ3ADWHTtUQdnIPbyQ4y4DpBva9LAUZutw/s400/IMG_4320.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318409048922870018" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Creosote bush is one of the most common desert plants and helps to make the southwest desert look green. It is extremely drought tolerant and adapted to the desert. It will shed most of its waxy, resinous leaves but not all during extreme drought. It competes for the available water with other plants and usually wins. Creosote lives a long time, some plants are thought to be over 11,000 years old.<br /><br />Since the leaves contain many anti-herbivory resinous compounds, the plant is seldom eaten by grazing animals of any kind. The plant itself is visited by many bees for its pollen, but it is not a good source of nectar. Burrowing animals dig holes around the base of the plant and use these during the heat of the day and then emerge to forage at night. Snakes,spiders, and scorpions sometimes use these holes. <br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.desertusa.com/creoste.html"> Desertusa.com </a>:<br />This medium-to-large evergreen shrub has numerous flexible stems projecting at an angle from its base. It is usually less than 4 feet high, but can grow to 12-foot heights with abundant water. Its small (1/4 to 1/2 inches), pointed, yellow-green leaves have adapted to conserve water and dissipate heat. The bush may lose some of these waxy, resinous leaves during extreme drought, but never loses them all. These leaves are especially pungent after a rain, and have been used as antiseptics and emetics by native peoples. Its foliage provides refuge for crickets, grasshoppers and praying mantids.<br /><br />The Creosote Bush is NOT the source of the commercial creosote used to preserve wood and other uses.<br /><br />Below is a photo of my "baby" Creosote in 2006. They are hard to transplant so I bought a nursery specimen.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5TIGwdUL68ht-nssZD2XChR1AHHIzY0_Ez2WquqjCIkxZBeO5Q7T335vvAqksfRxsVDtF9bzaS_8IkzoKdZLcZhVUuZ-wMWu2hmJFCX2tzKwMr6VpHtqGKEHJ7Xgm7vGJDk9s2bfkG8/s1600-h/100_0190.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5TIGwdUL68ht-nssZD2XChR1AHHIzY0_Ez2WquqjCIkxZBeO5Q7T335vvAqksfRxsVDtF9bzaS_8IkzoKdZLcZhVUuZ-wMWu2hmJFCX2tzKwMr6VpHtqGKEHJ7Xgm7vGJDk9s2bfkG8/s400/100_0190.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318411466029456146" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-73761227614975044262009-03-23T15:26:00.000-07:002009-03-23T15:56:02.287-07:00My nap time fur babiesMy cats Amber the Tabby and Raven the Black are today exactly eleven months old. They were litter mates but I'm not sure if they are true sisters, since their mothers were raised together and allowed to breed at will. All of the mothers nursed whichever kitten nuzzled her at the time. Next month I will be taking them to be spayed. I wanted to wait until they are one year old so that they will achieve their true body size. They're indoor cats and I was not afraid they would become pregnant.<br /><br />Amber is the quiet, more stately, cautious type. She eats a lot and sleeps a lot. Raven was the runt, only two thirds the size of Amber when I adopted them at six weeks old. She is now the wild one, very inquisitive and playful and stubborn. If she wants to go into a room or do something she will persist until she finds an opportunity. I think she's smarter than Amber in some ways, but Amber would likely be the one with better survival skills in the great outdoors.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScqK9qVBc4vXNwIYRKBKuE3CFkw0iOUJXhp1wJ6JSaKZJ81uazOmQs2S4jECLpxzouVoq2OxqlnausN1AM8USdWcywELCYxzVO8RD_2e7tc0wGeHWUYF0HF5O3gjJNFtXa3ZZ0NkXntg/s1600-h/IMG_4309.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScqK9qVBc4vXNwIYRKBKuE3CFkw0iOUJXhp1wJ6JSaKZJ81uazOmQs2S4jECLpxzouVoq2OxqlnausN1AM8USdWcywELCYxzVO8RD_2e7tc0wGeHWUYF0HF5O3gjJNFtXa3ZZ0NkXntg/s400/IMG_4309.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316514431885375154" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS2n4xGFR_yNClYW04l00lFIG2nBzP8H6vrTKsYUO73ecBImQkvKyohTE6pHD-24VzyfjKJHY1sV8dpzCOZlXJL83nYAceL8raz7XaKBJwzHtpYORFleMxy4ep2I095VI1UI8-Q4YJ8Y/s1600-h/IMG_4316.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS2n4xGFR_yNClYW04l00lFIG2nBzP8H6vrTKsYUO73ecBImQkvKyohTE6pHD-24VzyfjKJHY1sV8dpzCOZlXJL83nYAceL8raz7XaKBJwzHtpYORFleMxy4ep2I095VI1UI8-Q4YJ8Y/s400/IMG_4316.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316514449339074098" /></a><br /><br /><br />And here is an extreme closeup of Amber's face showing the latent wildness of her distant ancestors. The original cats were tabbies. The tabby stripes and spots and earthy colors were perfect for camouflage for succesful hunting. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZ3uqfss4gHExOHVDMBq6DMuJcH0P6SeCdg1l4D2GK16WmyD_49Agr_pWifExcH2ZDUH8MqP5UiIZkQDssuYM_z29_YKu_1ebCkbf4u5YKT511H4ee28nXk7N7sHveDc1lxuPJSRk4Sc/s1600-h/IMG_4310.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZ3uqfss4gHExOHVDMBq6DMuJcH0P6SeCdg1l4D2GK16WmyD_49Agr_pWifExcH2ZDUH8MqP5UiIZkQDssuYM_z29_YKu_1ebCkbf4u5YKT511H4ee28nXk7N7sHveDc1lxuPJSRk4Sc/s400/IMG_4310.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316518656218355218" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-3218818258233936712009-03-22T17:13:00.000-07:002009-03-22T17:36:29.485-07:00The 200th Heart Award!Reading through the Etsy forums months ago I read about someone planning on giving a free gift from her shop for the person who gave her X amount of hearts. I thought that was a nifty idea and decided to give a gift to the person that gave me the 100 heart and every 100th thereafter. Somehow it happened and I completely forgot about it. Then the other day I noticed that I had 198 hearts, so I waited excitedly to see who would be the person to give me the 200th heart. It turned out to be Pam of <a href="http://www.pmcookie.etsy.com">pmcookie</a>, a art shop. She also has a jewelry shop at <a href="jttp://www.kittywoman.etsy.com">kittywoman</a>.<br /><br />So, I convoed her with my offer of a free item from either of my shops and she chose my Amethyst and Powder Rose earrings.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46DkTdt6FIGszxzSnQJfQoMsf6yKxU9zwMY8VXyMW4Xf458jT5Zw9q7MhAAeqi5aVPgfYvnGhLdrpiizH_IPoK5872PYXKdGYub_6A02eZ0U1u8wm93CiyQy2LGIcMtil7E194XcX2FE/s1600-h/IMG_0389.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46DkTdt6FIGszxzSnQJfQoMsf6yKxU9zwMY8VXyMW4Xf458jT5Zw9q7MhAAeqi5aVPgfYvnGhLdrpiizH_IPoK5872PYXKdGYub_6A02eZ0U1u8wm93CiyQy2LGIcMtil7E194XcX2FE/s400/IMG_0389.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316172929596340946" /></a><br /><br />Pam is a very talented artist and jeweler. This is my favorite item from her art pmcookie shop: "The Blue Bird of Happiness Original"<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WNd-fCQ63yhF-UpxuT951xm-MwMHEkrc_y1ej0Au62IXuzV7kbW8Ln7MXgKxDd998MW7qpd2wJul87lYxnFtwmQiiP4SrYEgoZ2MPWwCp_c70eoTfQYnb_RxCQdiSa0Di-9ytgoNisc/s1600-h/The+Blue+Bird+of+Happiness+Original.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WNd-fCQ63yhF-UpxuT951xm-MwMHEkrc_y1ej0Au62IXuzV7kbW8Ln7MXgKxDd998MW7qpd2wJul87lYxnFtwmQiiP4SrYEgoZ2MPWwCp_c70eoTfQYnb_RxCQdiSa0Di-9ytgoNisc/s400/The+Blue+Bird+of+Happiness+Original.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316174382065204210" /></a><br />And this is my favorite item from her jewelry shop kittywoman: "Turquoise and Glass Necklace"<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZjHl3Zgjp85aHNPTLB5HX6NtD5Sm90eeSKqLM8gjSOf4B_uZKFGQyoNOpGAhoSrwCU85vU592GLVyrAzNfZ8KxCJh39IJPsxuYeJa1524Q4wxSt3a0dbflx7thjIUJLE1nQqj4QFiKY/s1600-h/Turquoise+and+Glass+Necklace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 393px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZjHl3Zgjp85aHNPTLB5HX6NtD5Sm90eeSKqLM8gjSOf4B_uZKFGQyoNOpGAhoSrwCU85vU592GLVyrAzNfZ8KxCJh39IJPsxuYeJa1524Q4wxSt3a0dbflx7thjIUJLE1nQqj4QFiKY/s400/Turquoise+and+Glass+Necklace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316174873350585314" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-23796387732340513662009-03-19T15:26:00.000-07:002009-03-19T15:43:20.828-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtVOUa0giOBggQXlq6leyvEA8_o-eKKzb8lgOHslinkp1qAJML219jn1iTDhgUiTtclISCWXQdSkD97P5vdx4GDlGH77gtWy9f9fngsxtdh_sL1JVLsqWFDwjF32IzGzc2oNXi2KzEiM/s1600-h/The+soul+of+the+southwest.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtVOUa0giOBggQXlq6leyvEA8_o-eKKzb8lgOHslinkp1qAJML219jn1iTDhgUiTtclISCWXQdSkD97P5vdx4GDlGH77gtWy9f9fngsxtdh_sL1JVLsqWFDwjF32IzGzc2oNXi2KzEiM/s400/The+soul+of+the+southwest.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315030958148899058" /></a><br /><br />I have always loved the USA Southwest, even before I ever came to live in this country. When a pubescent in Caracas, Venezuela I used to read crime stories and western paperbacks handed down to me by a family friend. I learned about mobsters and cowpokes. And I always dreamed of someday visiting this land of cowboys and cattle drives. But, somehow I imagined it as a dusty brown desert land. When I finally came to live in Arizona I was surprised that it was so green with creosote and desert brooms and the mighty "sentinel of the desert", the mighty Saguaro that can live 200 years and grow to 50 feet tall. And the mountains are so tall. They've hints of purple during the daytime and glow red when hit by the light of the setting sun. This is the Treasury I made about the Southwest, it evokes the colors and the "soul" of this great region.Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-32482768478486103812009-03-05T15:31:00.000-08:002009-03-05T15:57:45.342-08:00Learning curvesI started my online jewelry selling officially on January 8, 2008 at Etsy.com with my main shop, Earthly Creations. I'm self taught with some help from books. That part I've loved and I love designing and making the jewelry. What I HATE the most about this venture is the need for promotion and advertising. I simply am too cheap to spend the money on advertising and simply don't "get" merchandising. I can't see spending $150 a month on it when I'm only making perhaps $20 in profit a month.<br /><br />Yet today I visited a popular blog, <a href="http://www.modishblog.com">Modish.com</a>, with ads spending $40-65 or more a month and three sellers that I checked out also spend a lot of money listing and renewing on Etsy. Two of them sell high point jewelry but the third one sells for my lower points. Perhaps in the beginning I need to dish out the money for advertising and perhaps make it up later, if and when I actually become a good seller? <br /><br />Sometimes I'm sorry that I started this jewelry business, have invested more than $6000 in equipment and supplies so far, but I just don't have the heart to quit now. I really like making it and designing it and I don't feel that I've done everything possible to make the shop(s) a success. And right now the economy is in real bad shape and people are tightening their belts quite a bit. The last is just an excuse, because plenty of high volume sellers on Etsy are selling daily.<br /><br />I just don't know, wish I could afford to hire someone to do the pesky marketing chores for me. I'm simply inept at these things. Sigh!Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-82025775552661820732009-02-28T16:43:00.000-08:002009-02-28T17:25:18.883-08:00My newest TreasuryThis is my newest Treasury at Etsy.com, titled "What goes Around, comes Around" featuring some of the curators that featured me in their past treasuries. It's a Karma type treasury, and I enjoyed the heck of it putting it together.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iqoWjP2DDY5Mzpplktix2U8f-DDbRWn2LCuLtvvlFwxGUEMOovzfGNINZXp1RzDzrKKLOK91R5szxAyiRkAHXIX6NwqVuOxtaJnrMuy40p2pHhnroEqY4nlW5kaC6fELRBx8lsh9d5Q/s1600-h/What+goes+Around+comes+Around.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iqoWjP2DDY5Mzpplktix2U8f-DDbRWn2LCuLtvvlFwxGUEMOovzfGNINZXp1RzDzrKKLOK91R5szxAyiRkAHXIX6NwqVuOxtaJnrMuy40p2pHhnroEqY4nlW5kaC6fELRBx8lsh9d5Q/s400/What+goes+Around+comes+Around.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308015654439353746" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-34162656838097474702009-02-28T15:57:00.000-08:002009-02-28T16:22:06.514-08:00International visitors at Etsy.comI went to the web traffic site <a href="http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/etsy.com">Alexa.com</a>to check on Etsy.com and found the statistics for the percentage of international visitors that visit the site. It was very interesting.<br /><br />Of course, as expected, the majority of the traffic, a whopping 69.6%, come from the United States. Another 9.4% comprise of unnamed countries. Here is the list and percentages supplied by Alexa.com:<br /><br /><br />United States 69.6%<br />United Kingdom 4.3%<br />Canada 4.3%<br />Germany 3.5%<br />Australia 2.6%<br />India 2.5%<br />China 1.4%<br />Turkey 0.9%<br />Italy 0.8%<br />South Africa 0.6%<br />Indonesia 0.6%<br />Russia 0.6%<br />France 0.5%<br />Other countries 9.4%Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-83694936330951025342009-02-26T15:04:00.001-08:002009-02-28T17:32:31.732-08:00I made it to the front page at Etsy.com<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKq7A0wHcQ3DtBOGEehHGEIYyjvUXDL2hXVltXwpO7KA-NpYJQOuSjGjhYdwYEFig_1G5ddV_R5f4wGQmubzx4kB_ObzZei5L1BGzMOXu9uFDm5vqUSr1dHrTnkFZd4OnbMDCJxgOXJJQ/s1600-h/3312453958_a40d49719d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 367px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKq7A0wHcQ3DtBOGEehHGEIYyjvUXDL2hXVltXwpO7KA-NpYJQOuSjGjhYdwYEFig_1G5ddV_R5f4wGQmubzx4kB_ObzZei5L1BGzMOXu9uFDm5vqUSr1dHrTnkFZd4OnbMDCJxgOXJJQ/s400/3312453958_a40d49719d.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308020864499722210" /></a><br />Early this morning, while I slept, a treasury by Cyd at "<a href="http://www.botanicalbird.etsy.com">BotanicalBird</a>"> hit the front page at Etsy.com. It featured my Yellow and Smoky Gray earring. Being featured on the front page is a rare occurrence for most of us. I missed my chance to see it in real time, but the earrings sold to a new buyer who bought it for her friend. I hope next time I'll be able to catch it and enjoy my half hour of fame. My other shop, ArizonaSkies, made it to the front page on February 1st. I sold that item right away. Here's hoping for more, I can still wish, right?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENRQHUmxdC4pCRVDEn20qPisFUhhnTtz2UauH-qUuax2x0EAIs9QxclU-ciw2btxwpyfFOYH9c3hIsdbzomFqskm_DNrjsIsVoCKlaDPS693cejalLZtirpbrewb2DJ_5BjeLDpN6rhU/s1600-h/IMG_3818.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENRQHUmxdC4pCRVDEn20qPisFUhhnTtz2UauH-qUuax2x0EAIs9QxclU-ciw2btxwpyfFOYH9c3hIsdbzomFqskm_DNrjsIsVoCKlaDPS693cejalLZtirpbrewb2DJ_5BjeLDpN6rhU/s400/IMG_3818.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307246368745096850" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-26187361325185878792009-02-22T15:34:00.001-08:002009-02-26T15:00:44.583-08:00Be careful what you wish forI have always wanted a brand new house with a big back yard. When I was in the market for a new house about three years ago, most of the subdivision track houses had very small yards. Then I found this house with lot dimensions of 73X103. The backyard is approx 50X73 feet. I was overjoyed and planned the back yard for months while the house was being built. <br /><br />The plans included a "Japanese Garden" on the east side with a path and dry creek bed and even a wooden bridge. I planned on graph paper and slowly started planting the plants. Then I found out that the small bridge would cost more than $500. Later on I realized the work involved in watering all those plants in dry Arizona. I water them with buckets since I don't trust drip irrigation, having lost many plants to the system in the front yard. Now I have a total of 120 plants in the backyard alone, not including the Oasis, a planted strip on the north side of the house that gets shade year round and where shade loving delicate plants thrive. My backyard is a veritable botanical garden now with lots of species. I suppose I could kill most of them and reduce my watering chores, but that would be like murder. Sigh!<br /><br />So, now I dream of having a small house with a tiny backyard with only the plants I truly love from the above experience. One of them would certainly be the Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina Domestica) which is always green, gets reddish leaves, and twice or so a year puts out beautiful red berries. Another favorite would be the yellow flowered Feathery Cassia (Senna Artemisiodes) which is a trooper and takes abuse from the Arizona heat. There's lots of other plants I love, but those two would get honorary spots in even the smallest yard.<br /><br />Here are photos taken of the bare back yard and two years ago after the planters were built and before the big time planting began. I need to get an updated photo.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bh_vyy-64i9MTyEnuyQweVIiDw9kf10ia6e-c3yENXVB_oJOpvs2Y7hgtu5dq2jP3eokjE8mgVLUZKGjYs7lj9N0beGoxun9VEVQy2ztbtY1qAR_M53hsVAZloPprDAKpugqiBWc8Nw/s1600-h/000_0035.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bh_vyy-64i9MTyEnuyQweVIiDw9kf10ia6e-c3yENXVB_oJOpvs2Y7hgtu5dq2jP3eokjE8mgVLUZKGjYs7lj9N0beGoxun9VEVQy2ztbtY1qAR_M53hsVAZloPprDAKpugqiBWc8Nw/s400/000_0035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307243011940001842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrIADvP-ZFf6Ex10eItLooaRxfOgX0tGV4_sVQIlGJHTp1H7fyHXoCSl0r7o93F2CUZH25MNroatvWcPrTqiqz_oIjYhfelns0Jh3aVgXJSJ7i9N-BgbZ0Lzzi6_nSo2UIYX5y6h8lI4/s1600-h/100_0118.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrIADvP-ZFf6Ex10eItLooaRxfOgX0tGV4_sVQIlGJHTp1H7fyHXoCSl0r7o93F2CUZH25MNroatvWcPrTqiqz_oIjYhfelns0Jh3aVgXJSJ7i9N-BgbZ0Lzzi6_nSo2UIYX5y6h8lI4/s400/100_0118.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307244682721814034" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-76483281843846873682009-02-21T22:53:00.000-08:002009-02-21T23:13:14.318-08:00Project Wonderful adsSince last year, my first year in online selling, I did little to no advertising, I figured this year I would try harder to promote my shop Earthly Creations.<br /><br />I tried their campaigns and didn't like the choices or results, so now have chosen three websites to carry my ad for one week and then see the results. One of the websites is for fashion and it's called Broke and Beautiful. I figured a fashion website would be a good match for my jewelry shop. Let's see how it does.<br /><br />http://brokeandbeautiful.com/Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374971299791393585.post-4982266508877732982009-02-20T16:13:00.000-08:002009-02-21T23:10:03.054-08:00Homage to the DeadIn Tucson, Arizona people of Mexican descent pay respect and tribute to their dead. It is the belief that the location where a person dies is where his soul departed this earth. Some build little shrines along the road where their loved one died in an accident or other ways. The city tried to have them removed, but the outcry stopped it in its track. Since a big percentage of Tucson residents are Hispanics, I guess the city figured why rock the boat. Somebody once remarked that just seeing these shrines along the road must remind people of the consequences of speeding or driving while drunk. Amen!<br /><br />Here are photos I took of those shrines.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaQ98a749-6l5GsTFqMGsmOdWMIyZ9PrwitGNLyOHxpaqWuKrFpPM4oby7bUeT77voSvhWzjUKRH2gIUAW4ZoH2-PuTSmPYq7Yf-Ud0CH1h6XjCWw_J96Lt54O9wShRL-KbiCO_vtMa0/s1600-h/100_0251.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaQ98a749-6l5GsTFqMGsmOdWMIyZ9PrwitGNLyOHxpaqWuKrFpPM4oby7bUeT77voSvhWzjUKRH2gIUAW4ZoH2-PuTSmPYq7Yf-Ud0CH1h6XjCWw_J96Lt54O9wShRL-KbiCO_vtMa0/s200/100_0251.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305045296459027250" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe5bE-nef9G8eomACHlO8j4qDb_JMwXvMBy5UWkv2_FlwBrw4aHZbndDtsC9PQupjrC7n_H5dBzPd_JBqiEivBIfOfuSa8nLq9dPBeylnPzbtcy34UryUlenBWrkNZ_UcAgCa3E8rdac/s1600-h/100_0252.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe5bE-nef9G8eomACHlO8j4qDb_JMwXvMBy5UWkv2_FlwBrw4aHZbndDtsC9PQupjrC7n_H5dBzPd_JBqiEivBIfOfuSa8nLq9dPBeylnPzbtcy34UryUlenBWrkNZ_UcAgCa3E8rdac/s200/100_0252.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305049044225617058" /></a>Arizona Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114900973595924005noreply@blogger.com0