sunset

So I'm puttering in the house, cleaning and whatnot. I happen to look out the balcony in our bedroom, and see this really cool cloud lying across the middle of Mingus Mountain. I can't resist getting the camera. Then I am up there a few minutes later, and the pink has shown up in the sky. I love my camera!

I have to get into the habit of bringing my fabulous Nikon D70 everywhere. This afternoon, I took the boys to see a movie(Simpsons) in Sedona. It is just wrong to go to Sedona without a camera-way too many photo ops! It was pouring when we left the house. That's my excuse today for leaving the D70 at home.

Red Rocks

Went to Sedona this afternoon and snapped a few pics. The main drag was way crowded, so we went exploring down some roads, and found some great places to hike. You can just pull your car off the road, and go off on the trail. All you have to do is purchase a red rock pass, which allows you to leave your vehicle parked, and find a decent spot to pull over. There are little pull offs interspersed along the roads. My friend Mary, had to get back to Phoenix, so we will hike another day. I'm sure there will be lots more pictures. Red Rock State Park has a guided sunset hike I would love to check out.

lightning

A storm rolled in a few minutes ago, and I actually got a pic of some lightning. How cool is that?!

This is the view from the front of the house. After the picture, it was a good twenty minutes before the rain got here.

7/27/07

I slacked on the blogging yesterday, but was actually playing carpenter's assistant(taking loads to the dumpster). The top picture is our kitchen at 9:30 am, and ends with the kitchen(or lack thereof) at 3:30. Note the dishes in the drainer. That is because there is NO dishwasher. Something I hadn't noticed back in March. Not a huge inconvience, but they sure are handy! The boys enjoyed destroying the cabinets, but it when it was time to throw the stuff in the dumpster, they kinda lost interest. That was MY job anyway:)

Eric is putting cabinets in today. I went looking at flooring. I was supposed to be looking at countertops, but I had sent away for some info on how to make concrete countertops this morning, so I stuck on that for now. Today, that seems like a good possibility, but we will see. I think it could be WAY cool!

july 25

I am told there are some Loungers visiting-WELCOME!!

For anyone curious, I have attached a couple photos of a couple pieces of my art work. The felted wool pieces are what I call 'treasure pots, and the necklace was made for Valentine's Day. In high school, I got a job as a jeweler's apprentice, worked for her for 10 years, then started out on my own. I really enjoy metalwork, and about 10 years ago, expanded to welding and blacksmithing. Having kids put all that on the back burner for a while, but now that they are both in school, I have gotten back into the jewelry/metal arena again, and am loving it!!

Last year in an evolution from hobby knitting, I started making felted wool stuff-bowls, vases, mittens, and other weird stuff. I love the process, and the fact that a lot of it is done with the laundry! I now embace piles of dirty clothes, and view them as an oppurtunity to create. I am hoping to combine the felted wool and metals when I get my shop all set up here.

I hope to hear from everyone in the comments section. If anyone is having trouble with this, I am not computer savvy enough to help you out. I THINK you have to have a google account(free). If you don't, the thing will ask you to sign up after clicking on the word 'comments' at the bottom of each post.

7/24

Max spotted this beauty while out riding his dirtbike at Haystack Draw, a HUGE piece of land with all kinds of trails for off road vehicles, about ten minutes from the house. It was getting to be dusk, and the tarantula was just walking along the trail Max and Doug were riding. My foot in the shot was intentional. It was very exciting!

July 24

We have officially started working on our new house. Eric replaced two windows today, and I even helped a bit! I'm very good at sweeping up and throwing things in the dumpster. I think my skills will improve over time, and as I told Eric, with the propper attire(pants, boots, GLOVES), I won't be so worried about spiders.

Max is also planning some building-a treehouse next door in their Mulberry tree. The boys next door did a little building so far, but Eric is not buying it. That treehouse will have working windows, hardwood floors, and AC when he gets through with it!

It was cool enough last night to open the windows in the bedroom. I had to close them around 4:00am though, when a rooster started crowing. At 5:45, I got up to see the sun on Mingus Mountain, snapped a pic, and went back to bed! (see top photo)

July 23, 2007

Yes, this is a box of toads. Last night, my boys and two of the three boys next door were very busy collecting the toads, and putting them in the box. The box was in our yard, the toads were next door, so they had a plastic shopping bag for transportation. After about twenty of the little cuties were captured, the box was brought next door for the release. I am getting more and more reminders every day of why we decided to move here.

Yesterday the previous owner of our house here, G. Blue, took us on a little tour of the area. First stop was the Verde River access area, about a half mile from our house. Fishing is good here, and we can launch rafts or canoes ending up down river at Beasley Flats-a couple of hours away by water.

Next was the blacksmithing supply store that also holds classes. The place is about a two minute drive down Highway 260 from our house. It was closed on Sundays, but I will be visiting that place again for sure, and signing up for a class or two after school starts.

From there we went back up 260 to Salt Mine Rd., which took us up into the mountains behind us in the swimming pool photo. It was a beautiful 30 min. drive, which started out on paved road and ended up on gravel at Beasley flats, where we would leave a pick up vehicle when taking canoe trips. There were shaded picnic tables and marked trails all around. The thing that was missing was people. NOONE else was there! Across the river were cliffs with Indian ruins carved into them. It was really cool, and when Doug gets over the Fire ant sting he received there, we will go back.

Next on our tour was G. Blue's home and worksite. He is a builder here, and is empolying Eric for some cabinet hanging and tiling of his new Duplexes. He is a REALLY good guy.

Lunch at Rio Verde was next-good Mexican food, and a very witty host.

Finally, we visited a huge ATV/dirtbike riding area, with all kids of tracks and hills and bowls. We saw two riders there, one of whom was about Doug's age with his same dirtbike. Eric is taking them there tomorrow.

I regret not bringing my camera on our tour. Next time.

July 22, 2007

So, it is monsoon season here in the Verde Valley, and probably the rest of Arizona as well. For us, that has meant, clouds roll into the area in the afternoon, and storms move through. It may or may not rain in our immediate vicinity, but it is raining somewhere nearby, and we get some pretty awesome lightning shows whether it is raining or not. I will have to figure out how to photograph lightning.

So far, when the rain does fall on us, it might only rain for five minutes and be gone. Yesterday, we had the biggest rain so far. Rain fell at a nice steady pace for a good 40 minutes! I think by Arizona standards that was a monsoon. By Chicago standards, it was a nice little rain.

I am attaching a picture of the sun setting through some storm clouds.

I do not Photoshop, so my pics are only as good as my photography skills.

First Post-July21, 2007

OK. Now that I have spent a good few minutes figuring out what font to use on my new blog, I can get down to it. This is not the font I thought I chose, but whatever. Apparently, it is the font I am supposed to have.

I decided to start this blog on the advice of my psychic friend, Robin, who also suggested the title, sarahzona. I think this will be a good way to stay in touch with everyone and I can post pictures easily. Thanks Robin!!

Blogging also seems like a good way to process this amazing journey we are on. So far, I am completely in shock and overwhelmed by the fact that we actually moved from our beloved home(and neighbors) on Darrow Ave, and our wonderful family and friends. I know we have shaken up the lives of people around us as well, but that could not be avoided. I think our relocation will be embraced more and more as time passes, and hopefully this blog will help with that. I also hope it will keep us close to everyone we care about, and perhaps bring some new people into our lives. Maybe this is a journey for all of us!!

I don't know exactly what I will write about each post, but will try to keep the focus on our new Arizona lives, and definitely document with photos! Feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

My husband, two sons(10 and 6 1/2), and I have just relocated from suburban Chicago to Arizona. I think central northern AZ is what one would call it. We are about 40 miles south of Flagstaff, in a town called Camp Verde. The population is about 10,000 and growing. So far, it seems to be a friendly, family oriented community.

Our new house is set on an acre of land, with fruit trees in the front and red dirt in the back. I think it's a nice balance for now. Right now, we have apples, pears, plums, figs, and peaches on trees. The apricots have gone for the season, and I have no idea when the pecans and pistachios will show up. They need constant watering, so I move the soaker hose around every day. Not a big deal. We have our own well, so no water bill! More on the well later.

Our back yard actually has two sections. A little grassed area behind the house all fenced in with a stuccoed wall, and the red dirt part, also walled in. The grassed area will be perfect to dig a pool in, and right now we have an above groud deal so we can spend more than two minutes outside without shriveling up from the heat of the desert sun.

Speaking of the heat, we arrived at the hottest time year. The temp has been passing the 100 mark every day since we got here. In the evening, it cools down to 85 or 90, which is completely comfortable to go for bike ride around the 'hood. It is a dry heat after all! We are told it is humid right now, because of the monsoons, but has nothing on Chicago humidity. I have not been drenched in sweat once. Not bad, huh.

I am going to try to post a picture now, of the boys in our pool. This cyber stuff is totally weird for me, but growth as well.