Left in Tucson

Tucson has its own twist on the annual OktoberFest. 

Driving is a privilege not a right.  That's why you obtain a license.  On August 23, 2011, while driving back home from running a series of regular errands around T-Town, I got photo flashed at the infamous Speedway and Kolb intersection.  I was about the 4th or 5th car in the flow of the traffic proceeding through the yellow light, when I saw the flash.  I prayed that it hadn't been for me but for the person behind me.  About three weeks later, I learned that flash familiar to all Tucson drivers had been for me.  The proof positive arrived in the mail from the Tucson Police Department; a photo of me behind the wheel of my BMW 325 CI, with hand raised as I swore at myself for being so stupid, along with a ticket for $335.  Ouch! A week later, I received my "invitation" to attend the mandatory Traffic Survival School, an 8-hour class to re-teach me the rules of the road.  While others I know have attended this class and similar ones, once or several times, this w

This spring, while reading other blogs related to growing figs, I discovered that here in the Southwest we are blessed with two crops of figs; one in early summer and the second in the fall.  Figaro was planted in the fall of 2007 and produced his first crop of figs in his new home in summer of 2008. Up until this summer, I was perfectly content with my summer fig harvests.  I never expected a second crop to come in the fall.  When I lived in New Jersey, anyone with a backyard fig tree or bush harvested their crop in September and October, and that was it.  This July, for the very first time, while picking figs from my tree, I began to notice a new set of tiny bumps along the branches; the budding of a second crop of figs!  You cannot imagine how exciting and rewarding this discovery was.  The thanks really goes to Jim for installing and monitoring our backyard irrigation system.  While I do the pruning, grass trimming, fertilizing, and fig picking, consistent watering here in our dese

MBs on Parade - Sept 10, 2011 Chaparral Club drive to Mt. Lemmon Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon The best of the best Note the "White Queen" in the far right corner View of sprawling Tucson below City of Tucson with Catalina Highway in foreground City of Tucson - Another angle A good place from which to take that leap.... Jim standing in the wash at Catalina State Park- sans Monsoon rain run-off. Bridge across historic Roosevelt Lake and Dam View of Roosevelt Lake to the south Roosevelt Lake sans boat traffic Rainbow over Tucson - East side Same Rainbow over East Side of Tucson Spring time in Catalina State Park "Great Horny Toad!" at Catalina State Park Same Horned Toad The trail at Catalina State Park Spring time view from trail at Catalina State Park Another spring time view from the same trail The wash (where's Jim?) at Catalina State Park Prickly Pear C

AS the 2011 Monsoon season in Tucson comes to a close, here some photos of funnel clouds that formed over the city on Saturday afternoon.  Click here.   And here. And here .

Businesses, not Obama or DC, must fix job crisis -- The Buzz - Sep. 8, 2011 This is a wonderful article.  I totally agree that only businesses can improve the jobs situation.  Once corporations and companies truly believe that the Federal Government will not hamstring their future endeavors with regulation, ObamaCare, and outrageous taxation, they will start hiring with a vengeance. Right now, every single employee is doing the work of not two people but three people.  The tech sector, the energy sector, and the manufacturing sector are all making great strides in innovation and efficiency.  Many US industries are poised to explode on the world market.  I strongly believe that our economy is like the hang glider standing on the edge of a cliff just waiting for the perfect wind current to allow us to sore like never before.  We are going to witness the most amazing 4Q2011 US economic results, and they will astound the world. 

Pima County GOPgun raffle offensive to some It is interesting to note that there were 125 raffle tickets sold at $10 per and they sold out in  45 minutes today at 7:45 AM. Another Glock was raffled off and it, too, sold out in minutes. This is Tucson !