How do you learn about new places? I do the online research, look up houses on real estate sites, look at demographics and planting zones and images, but how I really learn about a new place in the world is through books. We are visiting two different couples and traveling through Alabama for two weeks…
Category: Field Trips
Old Stuff (why buying used is the way to a sustainable homestead)
Shielding our eyes, we stared up to the tops of the building facades stating 1885 or some odd old number in stone. Buildings stretch along the street that would have once held the needs of a western town. The train station held its ground- now a senior center- near the downtown streets. I could just…
Visiting Small Towns (a fun day away just down the road)
We meandered through jewelry and antique stores. We stopped for a cup of coffee. We walked through art galleries and stared in awe at the buildings. We walked hand-in-hand idly down the sidewalks. We stopped and talked to a grandmother who has lived in Trinidad her whole life and listened as she recalled memories. They don’t build…
A Walk Through History (visiting your local museums)
My daughter, Shyanne and her boyfriend were recalling one evening to each other memories of the family vacations of their youth. His family takes daring, exotic vacations that sound thrilling. They took Shyanne with them to go zip-lining in Costa Rica and they went deep sea fishing in the Florida Keys. Shyanne described to him the streets around…
Two Days in Santa Fe
I am sitting in a coffee shop on the Plaza enjoying a delicious brew in a corner booth overlooking the frost covered buildings and the vast sky that promises warmer weather today. I read a study that compared the frequencies of people and places and how we thrive best when matched with our own similar…
A Visit to the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona
The Desert Botanical Garden was my favorite outing this week in Phoenix. It was the only day my friends that we are staying with had off work. At the Botanical Garden, I learned about the ecosystem and plant life here. The long, meandering paths lead in circles around the living outdoor exhibits, so it was easy to traverse. …
Queen Creek Olive Mill Tour
The day was dusty and blustery, actually cool. We passed a screened in garden filled with Five Color Silverbeat Swiss Chard, already two feet tall and rows of kale and flowers. We looked out on the expansive grassy area dotted with olive trees then ducked into the store to avoid the wind. The shop is charming with…
Japanese Friendship Garden
The gardens are beautiful here in Arizona. Today we visited the Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix. These wild ducklings befriended me. This park is filled with ideas that I would love to incorporate into my own gardens. I love the rain chains. They softly carry water down its rings into a place designated for water…
The Inspiring Arizona Landscape and Paint
Arizona is even more beautiful than I could have imagined. The brightly colored flowers landscaped down the highways splash raspberry pink along the desert city. Palm trees and giant Saguaro cacti intersperse. I had never seen a Saguaro cactus. I am inspired to paint. Just last week I was wondering what might have happened…
Gone Vintage and the El Rancho Hotel
There is nothing like the excitement of going on holiday. I love the lists of things to remember and dreaming of places to come. My friend, Mindy gave me one of these suitcases and the other I inherited from my Grandma. To me, they represent the golden era of travel with sleek, hard covers, ready…
Farmgirl School 