It's definitely summer in the desert! I'm pretty sure that every day of June was over 100 degrees. And while people here in Tucson seem to relish complaining about it as much as people universally love to gripe about weather, I actually haven't minded it too terribly much.

My desert wildlife sightings have most certainly continued this month, and I got to check some previously empty boxes. New sightings included two bears (YES, BEARS) while hiking at Chiricahua National Monument, wild horses while tubing the Salt River, and two bobcats at my apartment. I've also spotted plenty more rabbits, lizards, and a javelina. I have still not seen a scorpion or a gila monster in the wild, but perhaps they're next. Oh, and before you lecture me about being cautious (which I am), I promise you that all of these critters were more afraid of me than I was of them, something that so many people seem to just not understand.

After a couple of months of saguaro cactus blooms (and some are actually still blooming!!), my giant prickly friends began to produce fruit this month. The fruit is green on the outside, but eventually bursts open to look almost like a red flower with its pulp showing. The birds have been seen delighting in this sticky, seed-filled treat, and the local Tohono O'Odham Nation has been harvesting it for their traditional uses. The saguaro fruit harvest and the arrival of the summer rains signal what their culture considers to be the beginning of a new year.

The monsoon season officially began on June 15, better known as my 42nd birthday. Unfortunately, we were in Phoenix that weekend, and while Tucson got a hefty storm, we got mostly sprinkles. I hear that we may get rain again next week, though. ((fingers crossed!))

We finally made plans to visit "Arizona's beach" this month. Indeed, there is ((almost)) oceanfront property in Arizona. Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, is located just over 4 hours from Tucson in Mexico, at the northernmost tip of the Sea of Cortez. Also known as the Gulf of California, the Sea of Cortez was clear, blue, and very warm. The landscape there is still very much the desert, with rocky mountains and dusty sparse landscape surrounding the water's edge. Aaron and I drove to Puerto Peñasco and felt completely safe driving through Mexico and while on our little getaway. It's so nice to be so close to the sea - we'll definitely be back!

My last little treat in June was the realization that Kate, one of my closest friends who lives in southern Indiana, was going to be in Sedona. I couldn't resist making plans to see her, and I spent a fantastic day with her and her family at Slide Rock State Park, where there are natural water slides carved into the rock.

And yes - despite all this traveling and activity - I was much more productive with my artwork this month! Hooray! I changed some things up and have listed my drawings for sale on my website as well as some options for framed art. I'm still deciding if it's 100% finished, but I'm pretty sure I have completed the first painting from my watercolor class with instructor Larry Wollam (also my drawing teacher), and I'm very pleased with how much I've learned in just a couple of months. I haven't listed it for sale yet, as I am considering entering it into an upcoming juried exhibition in town. Wish me luck!

Some of the pieces I made this month are sold, but several are still available, too. So if one tickles your fancy, you'll sure make my day if you shop now ›

**Armory Park, Tucson, Arizona: 5/19/18, 14:59:51 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Denver, Colorado: 5/30/18, 18:24:21 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Denver, Colorado: 5/30/18, 18:24:21 **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado: 5/28/18, 9:01:36 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado: 5/28/18, 9:01:36 **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Duck Statue Still Life (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Duck Statue Still Life **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Denver, Colorado: 5/31/18, 9:46:28 (SOLD)

Denver, Colorado: 5/31/18, 9:11:12 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Denver, Colorado: 5/31/18, 9:11:12 **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

This piece is not yet titled nor for sale. This is the first painting I completed in my watercolor class.

Shop now ›

I had a lot of really wonderful experiences during my four weeks at Red Mountain Cottages in Bisbee, Arizona. I gazed at the sunset over the Huachuca Mountains each evening. I enjoyed visits from mule deer, roaming cattle, and flittering desert birds, and heard the sounds of coyotes singing in the night. I visited Old Bisbee, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Coronado National Forest, Cochise Stronghold, Kartchner Caverns State Park, the Whetstone Mountains, the wild west town of Tombstone, and the border towns of Naco and Agua Prieta in Mexico. And last but not least, I devoured ridiculous quantities of delicious Mexican food.

Mom and me at Chiricahua National Monument

My mother came to visit for my last week in Bisbee and shared in the fun, too. She was perhaps even more mesmerized by the beauty of the desert than I was - standing outside each morning in her coat and pajamas to watch the sunrise, strategically placed to see nature's fireworks to both the east and the west. The time whisked past, and it was hard to believe it was time to pack up the SUV and head to the next adventure on January 21.

I had made a couple of day trips to Tucson (about two hours from my Bisbee home) to see Saguaro National Park, and decided that my run to the airport to bid "see you later" to mom was a good reason to spend a couple more days there.

Mom and I spent her last day in Arizona visiting the Arizona - Sonoran Desert Museum, which was an interesting and expansive combination of museum, zoo, aquarium, art gallery, and botanical gardens. It was home to an amazing array of cacti, interesting desert creatures (including my favorite - the javelina!), and some informative exhibits. Our four hours there flew right by, and we took a small rest at our Airbnb before heading to El Charro Cafe to meet my second cousin Kim, a Tucson resident.

Kim, who I hadn't seen in 15 or so years and had never really known, graciously invited me to her gorgeous home for a hike after I deposited mom at the airport this morning. We journeyed six miles into the saguaro-covered mountains, watching her sweet dog Murphy busily investigate the landscape and getting to know one another. As someone who has never lived near extended family, it was fun to make that connection, especially with such a lovely person.

After three hours with Kim, I had another social date. Kalisha, a friend from home, had recently relocated to Phoenix and we had arranged to meet up in Tucson. It was nice to see another familiar face, and we talked non-stop for the next four hours. I have to admit, she made me wish a bit that my next stop was in Phoenix so we could have a few more visits, but alas, my route is set through February. Perhaps my path will encounter hers again sometime in the next few months... time will tell.

For now, I'm westward bound in the morning. Stay tuned!

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