Pre-Birthday Fun

 

My birthday has passed by a few weeks now, but I haven't posted all the birthday fun yet, so here comes some more!   

A few days before my birthday, I met Jen in downtown Mesa to browse the vintage shops.  We wore our masks except while were were drinking some beverages outside.   

I like looking at all the weird and wonderful things in the used goods shops.
What's going on with Popeye's chin?  Why does it look like boobs or eyes?!
 

The tall skinny poster is of Hundertwasser, an artist and architect.  I first saw his interesting and creative work while I was studying in Austria, and I have happy memories especially of visiting the Hundertwasser Haus.

 I like this baskety thing quite a bit.   I could use it for magazines, books, blankets, cats . . . there are a lot of options!  But I didn't buy it.

Here's a very strange nude for you.  It looks like a very large naked person protecting a very small naked person with a spider dropping down on them from above.

All the stores required masks.
   

We found an interesting place called the Soul Center.  We investigated because the sign was so fascinating.  What is a soul center?  What are the cruelty free, handmade, vegan/plant based items we could find within?  We chatted with the guy inside for awhile.  They sell some things (which were pretty cool), but they are also a working space, a place for small businesses to expand business without having to pay the cost of a full facility - they have rooms in the back for acupuncturists or massage therapists to ply their trades), and a training place.  Very interesting and helpful to the community!

Here I am!

 

Then more vintage shops.
I enjoyed this funny "tension meter" - it's perfect for COVIDgression (that's COVID aggression!) 

 And who doesn't love raccoons?!  I love their pyramidal shape in this photo:

I don't know what these are, but I think they are art insects made up of seashells.  I've never seen anything like them!

On the way out, this gentleman scarecrow was being munched by cute little mice. 

Downtown Mesa has some pretty great murals!

We found this butterfly one . . . but it needed something in the middle.

 We provided the necessary addition!

 

 Jen bought me a birthday sparkling water, and we sat outside and chatted for a few minutes before heading home.  It felt like a little island of normalcy. 

Then we had one more store to check out.  It's one that has a lot of artist-made wares.

 There were crocheted corona virii! 

 

I like looking at the dinosaur breaking out of the Arizona Museum Of Natural History, and in honor of autumn, he was tearing apart pumpkin people!  Eeek!

 

 Don't forget the GAZPACHO! 

 

 

 

Sedona Day 2

 

Our second day in Sedona, we planned for another hike!



It was still warm (up to 80-something, which is warm when hiking in direct sun in the desert), but we were happy to be there!  We enjoyed even looking out the window of our hotel room because we could see the red rocks from there.

There's Clarabelle!  She got to enjoy the trickling of the fountain all night long!  I'm sure she had a good rest.

And she got to look at the mountains!

I looked at a map of our hotel when I was checking in, and to my surprise, the hotel sits right next to Oak Creek (really more of a river)!  There was access behind the hotel, so we decided to poke around a little bit.

I was shocked to find the pool on the back side of the hotel with this spectacular view!  Can you imagine just swimming away with this beauty all around?  I hope to stay in this hotel again so that I can do exactly that!

We walked a little further along the hotel and found 77 steps.

We were careful to watch for snakes!

This was the view at the bottom of the 77 steps!

The river is not this green anywhere else I've seen it (and I've viewed Oak Creek at lots of different points along its course).  It's very pretty.

We walked along the creek and saw this building, hanging off the side of the canyon.  We realized that we have eaten there - that is the restaurant Hideaway House!

Good things we don't have earthquakes here much!

Looks lush and fresh and calm like in a fairy tale.

After we explored the creek a bit, we decided it was time for our main event of the day: a hike amongst the red hills of Sedona.

We decided on Scorpion trail.  The trailhead is right behind the high school!

This is me pretending to bravely face a giant scorpion.

Here comes Greg!

We were pretty hot and getting worn by this time; we were feeling a bit silly.

Look at all the glorious colors and textures!

Close-up of an ocotillo (oak-uh-TEE-oh)

Here's another one of those plants with both wood and red skin!

It's a manzanita!

I tried to get another photo of the two of us together, but Greg's face did not comply:

This is where the trail would have wrapped around a mountain and gone in another direction, but we decided we would turn around and head back.

First we took some pictures, though, because the views were great!

Jumping Greg:

On the way back, Greg turned his hat around, but he still got a bit singed on his neck.

I maybe got a teensy bit browner, but no burn.

Back to the beginning!

My shoes had lovely red dirt on them.

By the time we made it back to Clarabelle, it was 2 pm and we were pretty hungry and hot and tired.  Happy, though!  We decided to go to Chipotle and then head home.

This is the view out the Chipotle window.

It was CHILLY inside, and I was happy to get out in the sunshine again!

Goodbye for now, Sedona!

The cats were glad to have us home.

What a wonderful day and a fabulous trip!