Adventure 791: Day 14/Tucson/2023

As the grandson of immigrants, I've always felt privileged to have opportunity in America. I believe our country should live up to the words emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty. That said, border states in America are on the front lines of the immigration battle, so things seem more urgent her in Arizona. American immigration policy has always been based on expediency, but it would be nice if it were based on compassionate humanity instead. There was an opinion piece in Arizona Daily Star this morning written by Laurie Jurs, long time resident of southern Arizona and member of the Green Valley Sahuarita Samaritans. As a front line advocate, she offers some of the best suggestions on immigration I've read. I thought I'd share. She says first: Open up the ports of entry. Modernize the asylum systems. Add more processing functions at the border without sacrificing due process, legal input and just mercy. Upstream, add more judges to whittle down the case backlog.  Make it easier for good people to enter the country. Let law enforcement deal with the bad guys. Simply put, immigrants want to work and we have the jobs. Second, go after fentanyl where it is, the ports, not the desert. Third, focus on Congressional authority. Assuming there still is a rule of law in this country, make sensible laws that meet the moment, and not just a vendetta or some histrionic agenda. Fourth, agree to stop inflammatory rhetoric. No one is advocating for open borders, but many folks with power are continually talking "invasion". Proven alternatives to detention exist. Promote those. Finally, meet with more stakeholders. All solutions are not found in law enforcement. Try to walk in another's shoes. Maybe if more voices were allowed at the table, the policy implemented would be more effective, more humane, more sustainable, and more just. Just saying. I thought she made good sense. In other news, the Rillito River bed is dry. The raging flood waters have vanished. I'm still managing a $.33 cent lead on the Cager, and I got a three mile walk in today while Judy was put through her paces by her trainer, Rob. Another reason to think life is good, especially today.

Buddha figurine of the day: Namaste

Tonight's sunset.

Art shot of the day: Our air plants from home tucked neatly into southwestern mini pots.

The dry river bed.

Last week.

Adventure 790: Day 13/Tucson/2023

Judy and I have been married a few months under thirty-four years. We get along pretty well. Among our early compromises as a couple involved religious worship. I was raised Catholic; Judy, Mennonite. These two Christian approaches are as far apart as the MAGA world from the truth. In an effort to find the right path, we decided to meet in the middle and worship as Presbyterians. It's worked out pretty well. I bring this up because while we're here in Tucson, we're attending Northminster Presbyterian, a church full of friendly people who have a heart for social justice and the means to serve the community with a generous outreach program. The place has a nice feeling. Today's sermon was about getting along. The text came from Philippians 4:2-3. It seems that two Godly women, Eoudia and Syntyche, were involved in a ruckus. Paul took the occasion to teach a lesson on how to treat others when there is disagreement. He condemned what he called the carnage of hurt that manifests itself in  disparagement and ridicule. Instead he proclaimed that love is a servant of the will, not a victim of  the emotion. The message is to find a compromise by understanding that we have things in common: First, we have shared existence. Second, we have the shared promise of rebirth. Third, we have the same calling to respect one another and not succumb to the emotional urge to disregard another's humanity. This lesson could be learned by our country's leaders. While it's true there are many things we can disagree on, we should not stoop to being disagreeable. Name calling, dehumanizing, slandering, all of these practices should be discarded. I'd like to see a return to some political barbs that have a little polish as in the case of Morris "Mo" Udall, a Democratic Congressman from Arizona who had a bid for Speaker of the House in the early sixties. He lost. In his consolation speech he said, "I'd like to thank the ninety members who promised to vote for me, and the fifty-eight who actually did." If we could return to that sort of sentiment life would be good, especially today.

A message for all believers: The Gospel does not wipe out our differences. It does, however, insist we view our differences in a charitable fashion. Can I have an Amen?

I heard this Buddha babe sing: Those who are free of resentments will find peace.

Sixty-two and partly cloudy in Tucson today.

My Bunny under knitting under the lights.

Art shot of the day: It doesn't have to be hard.

Judy tending to Ginny's garden.

The silver flashing is effective at keeping the intruders out of the produce.

Ginny uses reclaimed rain to water her plants. 

Adventure 789: Day 12/Tucson/2023

Nothing but a small trickle, a lot of mud, and some fresh memories as far as the water goes in the Rilloto River. Very soon there won't even be that. Beyond the change in the water runoff, not much to report in the adventure department. We've settled in quite nicely to our routine, although today was a bit special because Judy took our friends, the Kral's, to the airport so they could fly to Los Angeles for their seven day Mexican Cruise. We, meaning Judy, has the added pressure of taking care of their garden. Ginny Kral is an avid gardener, and she has an elaborate system in place to keep her plants from freezing. There are heat lamps, night coverings, and clever devices to keep the pack rats out. It's very impressive. Judy will handle the care with ease. I got in a three mile walk to Tai Chi class while Judy shuttled the Kral's away. That's how I'm able to report on the water level. On the highest note, the cribbage worm continues to favor me. I'm now up $.39 cents with ten days to play. In other exciting news, we cleaned house today: sheets in the wash, mops on the floors, me hugging commodes, dust rags on the flat surfaces, and a  vacuum for the rug. It's just like home. In our not so distant RV days, we would also have a "house" cleaning day. It feels good because as they say, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". We'll see if that's true when we attend church tomorrow morning. Basically, even in the mundane, life is good, especially today.

Art shot of the day: Doorbell Art: Ring! Ring!

Buddha figurine of the day. I have no idea who she is, but she lives on the mantel.

The Wiley Cager looking long and hard for some points.

Last week the water raged through this area dangerously. Today, it would be possible to walk across barely getting wet.

Adventure 788: Day 11/Tucson/2023

In his book, A Gradual Awakening, Stephen Levine talks about the 'Wanting Mind'. He says the  wanting mind takes many forms: "It wants to be secure. It wants to be happy. It wants to survive. It wants to be loved. It also has specific wants: objects of desire, friendship, food, this color or that color, this kind of surrounding or some other kind. There's wanting not to have pain. There's wanting to be enlightened. There's wanting things to be as we wish they were. Our daydreams are imaginings of getting what we want; nightmares of being blocked  from what we want... Wanting is the urge  for the next moment to contain what this moment does not.... Wanting is seeking elsewhere. Completeness is being right here." 

Personally, I try to live by the motto: "Life is good, especially today." I try to remain in the now, but it's a difficult balancing act. For example, I want my Tai Chi art to improve, but wanting that takes me out of the present, out of the idea of being satisfied with the idea of putting one drop into the bucket at time. I've discovered that every time I learn something new, I must discard an old opinion. Sometimes that's hard. I love my old opinions. I'm comfortable with my bias. Why must things change? It's just plain ironic that wanting causes dissatisfaction, but at the same time without wanting there's no quest, no goal, no improvement. Does that mean I must forever struggle with being incomplete? I don't know. It's just a thought. I think I'm being mind bent by all of these Buddha figurines in this house. Or maybe it's the Tucson sunlight. That rainy weather has left. We had another blue sky day. Judy and walked about four miles. We've done a good job of starting slow. Both of us are feeling some used muscles, but neither of us is injured, so that's good. Speaking of injured. right now Judy's curled in the corner with every Buddha figurine in this house gathered around her like a temple full of Sufi zealots. She's begging them to intercede on her behalf with the god of cribbage which has abandoned her. She thinks a little purification is in order after suffering consecutive skunks. I now lead the Wiley Cager by $.15 cents, and she isn't really liking the way the fickle finger of fate has been waggled. I, on the other hand, am delighted, even though I know that if there's anything true in this life, it's that things always change, so while i'm on my high horse now, I'm careful not to get too attached to my prowess. After all, I've been witness to how the mighty fall. As they say, "I'm just happy to be here" because either way, life is good, especially today.

Art shot of the day: Mirror, mirror on the wall, why is life so wiggly?

It takes something like seventy-five years for Saguaros to sprout limbs. I wonder if they're patience is tested?

Most of the flooding has subsided. Talk about sudden change!

Rubbing some part of your lover's body, or reaching into a bag of dog poo. Both are mere sensations of touch. Why then do we perceive a difference?

Adventure 787: Day 10/Tucson/2023

Good night for the Cats; not so much for the Dogs. Arizona 81-USC 66; LMU 67-Zags 66. For Christmas Judy got us tickets to the Arizona-USC game. It was wonderful. The home team played well, the capacity crowd cheered loudly, and the Trojans left dragging their tired horse behind them. At home, the Zags fell short. The atmosphere at McKale Arena was electric, as I imagine it always is. The place seats twice as many as McCarthy, so you know the place was loud. I must say, even though there were more U of A students and a larger crowd, the place doesn't match the spirit of the Kennel. For our pre-game meal we ate at McDonald's. I now remember why I haven't eaten at a McDonald's in about two years. Not even the nostalgia of a 15 cent burger; 10 cent fries could make it palatable. So it goes. During the day, Judy worked out with her trainer who is introducing her to muscles she didn't know she had. She also made a return to the Native Seed Farm as a volunteer. A full day for my Bunny. She should be happy, but she's a bit chagrined because the cribbage gods have decided to favor someone else. After today, she's ahead a mere $.86 cents. As for me, I had my second private lesson with Sifu Jordan. It went well. Afterward, I got another hour in on the bike. For lunch we made our first visit this year to our favorite Taco Truck (Nene) down the road. We walked the three and a quarter round trip miles. It was well worth it. All in all, it was a solid day of desert living. Even though it was still cool (62), the sky was a cloudless blue, so needless to say, life is good, especially today.

The band was cooking!

This lady appears to be a fan of some years.

Hello, Bunny.

Cheer leaders at one end; acrobats at the other.

Art shot of the day: Meditation music.

Lute Olsen's statue waved to us as we entered the stadium,

The students cheering for the starting line up.

A Bill Walton sighting. We're glad we didn't have to listen to him.

Hello, Mister Cat.

Pitiful, but cheap.

Adventure 786: Day 9/Tucson/2023

It's interesting being in someone's home, trying to imagine what a person's like from the art on the wall, the knick-knacks scattered about, and the books on the shelf. It's an inexact science, and like most assumptions, it's fraught with the possibility of inaccuracy. Nonetheless, it's fun. Judy and Ginny left this morning for the monthly knitting group that Ginny belongs to. The ladies use repurposed yarn to knit hats, gloves, sweaters, scarfs, and whatever else for underprivileged kids in the area. Judy came back with a bunch of yarn and a sweater project. While they were gone, I did my workout routine and afterwards I plucked a book at random from our host's shelf. Judging by the six full book shelves, our host is quite a voracious reader. The book I selected is a novel called The Animal Way to Love by Sena Jeter Naslund, published in 1993. A line from the novel started me thinking. It read, "It's one of the fixed places in your life, isn't it?" asked Jane. The context is that another character, Trixie, searched and found a place of nothingness in which to take refuge after the death of a dear friend, maybe even a true love. The book seems to be about her search to fill the hole in her heart, which she attempts to do by sleeping with whoever she wants. I have a few fixed places in my life. Some are places searched for and found in nothingness. Others are fixed for reasons unknown, but I can return to those places just by bringing them to mind. They become fresh and real and breathe whatever emotion I was feeling into life as if I was actually there. I wonder why my mind captures and remembers such places out of the many experiences I've had while most memories and experiences fade. Most of the fixed places are places of pain, or places of lessons. Some are places of joy, such as hitting the game winning shot at the buzzer. The thrill of that memory never fades. But I digress. As I'm reading this novel, written in the intense staccato fashion of Salinger's Franny and Zooey, I find myself wondering what it says about the psyche of our host. Who knows? Back in the real world, Judy and I rode our bike this afternoon. The water runoff is still dangerous, but less than it was yesterday, although I heard on the news that the campers at Catalina State Park are stranded just like we were a few years back. On our ride, we came to a low spot in the trail. Thick mud oozed enough to make us wary of a crossing, and the water running over the road beyond confirmed our decision to turn around. Even when the water recedes to make the route passable, I'm afraid the mud will remain for some time. But not to worry, there are other routes, other days, and other adventures, which makes life good, especially today.

There's still plenty of water running through the river bed.

This road is usually one of the crossover points on the loop trail. Crossing not recommended today.

Some intrepid bikers choses to make the run across the mud. Us, not so much.

Hitting the game winner is one memory that comes back swishing me back in time like a ball snapping through the net. 

Art shot of the day: One of several little Buddhas smiling at us from a perch.

Adventure 785: Day 8/Tucson/2023

It poured buckets again last night, and the wind muscled in like a bouncer through a crowd. By seven, the rain let up and Judy and I scooted to the hot tub. It was fairly chilly and the flip flap of our sandals matched nicely the chatter of our teeth. The soothing warmth of the tub welcomed us and instantly we were able to peruse the ominous sky, which looked like an old Hollywood Noir movie. The wind streaked through the gray tones like a wolf on the prowl. The rain re-started shortly after we returned from our soak. By then Judy had fixed us two delightful servings of huevos rancheros for breakfast and she promptly beat me in our morning game. My record is  5-13 so far this month, which accounts for my two dollar and five cent indebtedness as well. It's the cards they say, but I'd welcome a change in fortune. After breakfast, we hoofed it down to the river to see the water. Incredible. So much so quickly. It's easy to see the danger when it's present, but a little harder to anticipate. It's a chilling reminder of how tenuous life is. I counted the blessing of this moment, and we walked back home. It was a little over three miles. No ankles issues yet, and a good start to our walking.  For lunch, we enjoyed the company of the Kral's. We served Tim Chee Soup over rice with sliced apples. Afterward, Judy knitted while I fidgeted. By then it was 3:00 and time for popcorn. At 4;30 I went to the Tuesday night Tai Chi at the park. It was a great dynamic. There were five students. Three were senior students of Jordan. One was brand new to the form, and there was me. We did a Chi Kung set, a little bit of the Tucson form (I got lost at the repulse monkey), and then some push hands work. I got to work with Jason, who is Jordan's most senior student. He's fortyish, built like a huge, solid oak barrel. He reminded me of my teacher, not only in body type and strength, but also in demeanor. I liked him immediately. He could take my balance at will, while i could offer no resistance to him. It was perfect. Despite the weather being brisk, the evening added to my notion that life is good, especially today.

Afternoon popcorn and some knittin'.

The owner of this home, Amy, is a yoga instructor. Her home is filled with Buddha like figures. Here's the guy on the patio.

Incredible water flow.

And it's not just water, but also debris of all types.

Good advice.

We talked to a local who said the water was up to this bridge in 1984.

Art shot of the day: azure gecko