Desert T-Shirts

Living in what I call a designated tourist area such as Phoenix, Arizona has both positive and negative aspects. Of course during those months that are cold in a good part of the United States and Canada, we have an influx of tourists, part-time residents and guests.

When guests come to visit us, one of the areas we like to take them is Old Town Scottsdale. There are some historical attractions which we look at, but the gift shops of all varieties are the real draw.

As the resident Phoenician, I get a kick out of going to the tourist shops to see what new desert themed T-shirts are displayed. They generally come in two categories, 1 – The beauty or uniqueness of the desert or 2 – Poking fun at the unusual life styles and/or environment of the desert.

The t-shirt below reminds us of the beautiful wildlife we have in the area. We do have some extraordinary lizards, although nothing quite like the one pictured.

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Of course Phoenix is a big draw as well as Scottsdale…

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And to celebrate the heritage and uniqueness of the desert…

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Then there are those that make fun of the harsh environment and cowboy atmosphere and this one tackles both…
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115 degrees is hot, but c’mon it beats 30 inches of snow, doesn’t it?

One of my favorites this day was this punful one…

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All of these T-shirts were found at Scottsdale Southwest Gifts and Apparel just north of the Scottsdale Historical Museum on the same side of the street.

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I am not making a recommendation although I have made purchases there. Many stores offer unique apparel both authentic southwest as well as humorous or stylized southwest items.

When you visit Scottsdale’s Old Town, be sure to bring your camera and your sense of humor. I am sure you will have a good time. Don’t forget the Scottsdale Historical Museum in the center of Old Town.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151130

“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.” — Hal Borland

“Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be.” — Rick Warren

“When I tell any truth it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those who do.” — William Blake

“You can’t be a rascal for 40 years and then cop a plea the last minute. God keeps better books than that.” — Wilson Mizner

 

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Thanksgiving Break

Dear Friends and Readers of JBRish.com:

We are taking a short break from posting so we can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. More STATUS QUOtes and other stories will resume on Monday, November 30th.

Until then, we hope you are having a peaceful and reflective holiday weekend as well!

Warm Regards,

JBRish Staff

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie

 

Gratitude


Picture via

Fall Hike – West Fork of the Oak Creek, AZ – Pt. 2

If you missed Part 1 of our narrative of the hike along the West Fork of the Oak Creek earlier in November, you can see it here:

Fall Hike – West Fork of the Oak Creek, AZ – Pt. 1

We continued to hike along the West Fork of the Oak Creek and through the surrounding canyon trying to stay as dry as we could at each of the 13 (26 both ways) stream crossings. At first I thought this was a small iceberg or snow, but it turned out to be a foam pile created by the churning water hitting the neighboring rocks.


churning foam

I am always intrigued by “walking trees,” that is those trees that gained a foothold on a pile of debris or dirt which has since washed away leaving a good portion of the roots exposed. In some wooded areas, the term walking tree is used to refer to this phenomenon.


walking tree

Some of the trees assert themselves by consuming nearby rocks in their extended growth. There are several rocks being visibly smothered in the bark and roots of the tree.


tree smothering rocks

Perhaps my favorite photo of the day personifies the beauty of the canyon along the west fork. The golden hour was approaching with the beautiful light allowing the red rock walls to reveal their splendor. The reflection in the wider portion of the stream adds to the drama.


reflection of beautiful red rock cliffs

Even the less magnificent views along the stream were pretty in this Fall light.


fall creekside

At places the water was very placid and “easier” to cross than at others where it was running apace.


stream stepping stones

We approached this broad area of the canyon where the trees, sky and red-and-white rock cliffs join forces to create a symphony of color.


canyon expanse with trees and red rock

A rather large, cawing crow stopped by to voice his approval as well.


large crow

There was not enough light to capture all of the fantastic colors in this area, but I hope you can appreciate the contrast and texture of nature’s palette.


hoodoo-like cliffs

The tree below had gained a foothold along the riverbank despite the crowd of rock slabs. It was a very pretty green against the red rock which is not captured at its best in the photo, but I think you can appreciate it as described. It is sad that this tree has a struggle ahead as it tries to continue to grow in an area that is not well-suited. Nature does not play favorites.


lone tree standing

As we continued our wandering, we were somewhat surprised to find this very green area of horsetail grass. There was an abundance of flora that was shedding its summer color to adorn its fall visage throughout the canyon and this intense green created a unique juxtaposition at this time of the year.


green horsetail grass meadow

Horsetail grass has interesting segments that create addiitonal interest in its use as an ornamental. Note, however, that it can become invasive and it is recommended that horsetail grass and its relatives be planted in manageable areas or pots.


horsetail grass closeup

As I end this installment of our narrative, which will conclude next time in part 3, I would be remiss not to include on last picture of the beautiful red rock cliffs towering above the Oak Creek.


looking up at more red rock cliffs

Giving Thanks – Thanksgiving Reader: A New Tradition

We had a very good, 90 year old plus friend named Nat who served as the patriarch of our family during Thanksgiving dinner. Each year we asked him to prepare a few words appropriate for a Thanksgiving commemoration with family and friends. For a number of years he would read his newly written words of wisdom. I can’t explain why, but we archived these memories and kept them in a safe place.

Thanksgiving Reader

Now that Nat is no longer with us, each year we read one of his past statements. This has become part of our Thanksgiving tradition. I have written about Seth Godin a number of times on this blog. Seth has been generous and kind enough to make available what may become a new holiday tradition for us.

He has provided a series of thought provoking readings that may be read by individuals or in a responsive format. Here is his post and free download of a Thanksgiving Reader. Even if you don’t read all of it, there are certainly some readings which will draw attention to the real meaning of the day and help focus a family or group of friends on, what I think, is the true meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday; gratitude.

We will be using at least one of the readings at our gathering this year right after Nat’s words! I think you will find the Reader poignant and meaningful.

STATUS QUOtes — 20151125

“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“You know, all that matters is that the people you love are happy and healthy. Everything else is just sprinkles on the sundae.” — Paul Walker

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them and it will change your life.” — Amy Poehler

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — Winnie the Pooh

 

Don't wait for other people to be loving, giving, compassionate, grateful, forgiving, generous, or friendly... lead the way

 

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Pickleball Magazine to be included* w/USAPA Membership

Interesting developments are underfoot in the pickleball world. The USAPA is working hard to promote the sport we enjoy and to provide even better value for USAPA members.

It has recently come to my attention that a new pickleball magazine is going to be published by Dollard Publishing, Canonsburg, PA (6 times per year). The plan is for all USAPA members to receive an *emailed PDF (digital) copy of the magazine as part of their membership dues.

This is yet another reason to become a USAPA member ASAP. The first issue is slated for January.

If you would like the print copy there are a couple of ways to order:

1. Call 724-942-0940 and give mailing address, credit card information, etc. As a USAPA member, your PRINT subscription will cost you $12.00/year BUT YOU MUST GIVE YOUR USAPA MEMBERSHIP NUMBER. Otherwise, you will be charged $20.00 per year.

2. Mail a check payable to Dollard Publishing, 11 Mayview Road, McMurray, PA 15317. Be sure to give mailing address for delivery AND INCLUDE YOUR USAPA MEMBER NUMBER.

Wouldn’t a USAPA membership, which carries the digital subscription and an official USAPA T-Shirt, be a good holiday gift?

See USAPA membership details here:
http://www.usapa.org/usapa-membership/

STATUS QUOtes — 20151124

“To have a great idea, have a lot of them.” — Thomas Edison

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” — Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

“It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” — Aeschylus

“By midlife you are a cranky snowflake of personal history, political opinions and experiential scars. No one will perfectly align with you.” — Michael Grady

 

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Video – Man-aged Earth: An Explanation of Time

The three minute video below is an interesting animation that presents the history of our earth via a metaphor of a trip from Los Angeles to NJ showing important evolutionary events in earth’s history and where along that journey they would have occurred. As you will note, modern man has been around for a relatively insignificant period of time (only 5.6 feet of the journey) however we have had a huge impact on the earth.

You can read more explanations about my source for the video at the link below:

Science Alert

STATUS QUOtes — 20151123

“Don’t look for your dreams to come true; look to become true to your dreams.” — Michael Beckwith

“His mother had often said, When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. She had emphasized the corollary of this axiom even more vehemently: when you desired a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it.” — Lois McMaster Bujold

“Explain your anger, don’t express it and you will immediately open the door to solutions instead of arguments.” — Unknown

“Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn’t start a conversation.” — Kim Hubbard [corrected attribution 11/24/15 ]

 

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