2023 - Walks with Elsa

Welcoming a dog into your life can be life altering. I have been blessed with quite a few dogs in my lifetime, many of them "rescues", but who rescued who?

My current dog Elsa (age 2) is mostly "shepherd" and apparently shepherds have a reputation. Well deserved, I might add. She is bright, attentive, protective, affectionate, and STRONG willed. Her first year on the planet is not a total mystery, and sadly, was a year of people leaving her. I don't know all the details, but she bounced between homes and shelters multiple times; her written history accounts for at least 8 addresses in just 12 months. Needless to say she had some behaviors that needed to be addressed.

Love and consistent rules have been important in her socialization. We walk twice a day; long walks in the neighborhood. She is 80+ pounds so when she decides to chase a rabbit, or attack a passing vehicle, I have to be hyper-vigilent. She definitely keeps me on my toes.

Jan 1 - Afternoon walk in the wind, rain, a bit of hail, AND a beautiful double rainbow!

Jan 2 - My first attempt at 12-strand Kumihimo. Love the patterns!

Jan 3 - A birthday gift from Jules.
Fabulous photos! https://www.middleredstudios.com/

Jan 4 - Does a car covered in polka dots make YOU smile? I did.

Jan 5 - Arizona flag mural painted on a neighbor's shed. Looks great with the saguaros and wagon wheel.

Jan 6 - Tortoise - 2023 Spirit Animal.
Self-Belief, Commitment, and Protection.
https://pow33.com/wp/

Jan 7 - WOW - What a sunset!

Jan 8 - Ready to twine!

Jan 9 - Endless Possibilities!

Jan 10 - What brings you joy?
https://flyingedna.com

Jan 11 - Blowin' in the wind...
Allergy material - Aachoo!

Jan 12 - Twined rag rug, 11" so far.
A labor of love.

Jan 13 - Diorama alongside the road in my rural neighborhood. So much detail...

Jan 14 - There's just something wonderful about this little chest of drawers. The colors, the patterns, the randomness of the drawers... cute!

Jan 15 - Prickly Pear Lace aka a cactus skeleton.

Jan 16 - Day two of gentle rain, still more to come. I so enjoy our little creek bed when it rains...

Jan 17 - Elsa patiently waiting for the rain to stop so we can go for a walk.

Jan 18 - Storm headed this way!
Note: the rain never arrived, just beautiful clouds.

Jan 19 - I could live here...

Jan 20 - Shabby chic and carved wood - This bench speaks to me!
https://www.sundancecatalog.com

Jan 21 - Did you know Jojoba plants are either male or female? Yep. This one is male and quite prolific.

Jan 22 - Another gorgeous sunset. Enjoyed the last glow of sunshine playing on the nearby mountains.

Jan 23 - Zucchini chips.

Jan 24 - Iridescent.

Jan 25 - Which one are you?

Jan 26 - The angels came for Lily Ray (Robin's girl) yesterday. She was such a sweet girl and dearly loved. We already miss you Lily!

Jan 27 - Have you ever noticed the markings on a Blue Agave's large fleshy leaves? Gorgeous!

Jan 28 - I agree.

Jan 29 - Michael D'Ambrosi's
larger-than-life Native American sculpture greeting the morning sun.

Jan 30 - We have a lot of ravens in our neighborhood. The couples sit in the eucalyptus trees and chortle to each other. I find the sound quite amusing.

Jan 31 - Local raven.

Feb 1 - Saguaro Skeleton. Very kewl.

Feb 2 - Ground Hog Day. A Saguaro sees its shadow, six more weeks of awesome! It was on the news so it must be true.

Feb 3 - I think I might "need" some of these Micron Graphic Needle Pens.

Feb 4 - Great looking landscape feature, a Prickly Pear Sculpture. No irrigation needed.

Feb 5 - A prickly pear cactus with a cochineal infestation (all that fluffy white stuff). The cochineal is a parasite from which the natural dye carmine is derived.

Feb 6 - Mystery Shrub.

Feb 7 - Photo credit - Karen Elaine (Facebook)

Feb 8 - Weather headed our way??
Not in the forecast.

Feb 9 - Looking for the little jewels in our landscape. Spring is coming!

Feb 10 - Woo Hoo! Barely long enough to braid, but getting there!

Feb 11 - Comfort food.

Feb 12 - Viral protocol from Dr Jen

Feb 13 - Happy Birthday to Mom,
90 years loved!

Feb 14 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Feb 15 - Larry back from Florida!

Feb 16 - BRRRR - Todays Temp at 6am

Feb 17 - Google Street View Vehicle was in our neighborhood.

Feb 18 - Looking for a mate.

Feb 19 - Yum! Breakfast at the
Black Mountain Coffee Shop.

Feb 20 -
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Feb 21 - Aloe Vera getting ready to bloom! The hummingbirds will be happy.

Feb 22 -
How do you photograph the wind?

Feb 23 - Jojoba Female.
Yep, this one's a girl; almost ready to bloom and be fertilized by the boy next door (see Jan 21 above).

Feb 24 - Saguaro sprouting its first arms. Love the pleating on this one too.

Feb 25

Feb 26 - Aloe in bloom.

Feb 27 - What is this? Mistletoe; a parasite that can kill a desert tree.

Feb 28 - Fiery sunset at Black Mountain in Cave Creek, AZ

Mar 1 - Every year for at least a decade this "oil lamp holder" has been home to 2-3 dove families with two babies fledging each time. Here we go again!

Mar 2 - Our back porch view, snow on the mountains. Brrrrr.

Mar 3 - Sign on a dumpster at Gold Mine Thrift Shop. Message received.

Mar 4 - New Studio curtain.

Mar 5 - Mystery shrub in bloom; see Feb 6 photo for comparison.

Mar 6 - Our morning surprise was a family of four mule deer. Even with Elsa going crazy I was able to photograph three of them on the hillside.

Mar 7 - In this gnarly "chain fruit cholla" (aka "jumping cholla") is the nest of a Curved Bill Thrasher.
She must feel very safe!

Mar 8 - I upcycled an old book into a sketchbook today for a Sketchbook Revival workshop!

Mar 9 - One Zentangle A Day

Mar 10 - Love token from a local raven.

Mar 11 - First of the Yellow flowers to bloom along our daily path.
Spring has arrived.

Mar 12 - Trying something new,
bead crochet.

Mar 13 - Calligraphed quote about books hanging on the wall at our local library.
Photo Credit - Jo H.

Mar 14 - A Pink Fair Duster. Native. So nice to see these blooming in the local landscape.

Mar 15 - I spent a few hours at El Encanto Restaurant (Cave Creek) with my friend Pam, her daughter, and her 3 grandchildren. They loved the pond!

Mar 16 - Me and my shadow.

Mar 17 - Amazing what a little rain can do in the desert. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Mar 18 - This little Fish Hook cactus reminds me of a Faberge egg.
Beautiful detail.

Mar 19 - Stinknet (Globe Chamomile), an invasive species. Very lush and green, too bad we can't eat it.

Mar 20 - Lots of Brittlebush in our neighborhood, and it looks so pretty when it's in bloom.

Mar 21 - "Plants that keep bugs away", Facebook-Simplistically Living,

Mar 22 - Our lavender is loving the rain, and the bees are loving the lavender!

Mar 23 - Turtles at El Encanto Restaurant in Cave Creek, AZ

Mar 24 - Pretty cool "reverse trike" (two wheels in front) parked at the Desert Foothills Library.

Mar 25 - Remember to look up! Our clouds have been especially magnificent recently.

Mar 26 - We counted at least 17 balloons in the sky on Sunday morning while driving west on Carefree Hwy.

Mar 27 - Looking forward to seeing this columnar cactus in bloom. So majestic.

Life is good!

These days she actively avoids the rabbits quite deliberately by walking to the middle of the road until we have passed the temptation. Elsa has learned to sit and stay if we hear a car or truck coming, we're still working on electric vehicles. She is NOT a fan!

Since we walk early in the morning, sometimes before dawn, and early evening, just as the sun goes behind the mountain, the ambient light is amazing. We observe the local wildlife either just waking up or headed for their evening sanctuary.

I am dedicating this page to a daily photograph; something that catches my eye, tickles my fancy, or just reminds me that life is good!

We welcome the New Year 2023.