We went to the traffic bridge on Campbell, just south of St. Philip's Plaza at dusk last week to watch the bats wake up and begin their nightly hunt for dinner. For some reason, hundreds of bats live under this bridge, even though it is located in a rather busy section of Tucson. If you go there at dusk, all these bats will be taking off in big clouds! There was also a pretty big crowd of people gathered to watch the activities, when we were there, even all the way down into the dry wash. This nightly event is pretty well-known to some but not all Tucsonans.
It really is a small world when one comes to think about it. Our son went to Copenhagen for his college junior year about a month ago now, and the first day at school, he bumped into his middle/high school classmate. This has now happened to both our kids during their time in Tucson. They met school mates from their elementary school on the East Coast here in Tucson, and again where they went to college, respectively, in California and Illinois. Last week, I bumped into my former teacher from a few years ago. I took classes from her in San Francisco to get my realtor's Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation. We went out to dinner together that evening and had a great time.
We were in Tubac for a few days this past weekend and enjoyed the peace and quiet in this small town in Southern Arizona. We had some good Mexican food at the redecorated Stables Restaurant at the Tubac Golf Resort. We also met some friends and had another good meal at Soto's Outpost in Nogales. That restaurant is located on the historic Pete Kitchen Ranch, which was established way back in 1854. By the way, Tubac has been written up as one of the coolest small towns in the US in this month's Budget Travel magazine. The article is worth checking out if you're interested in the small town lifestyle.
The weather is getting a little cooler now with the arrival of fall, and we're spending more time outside, for breakfast or dinner or a late afternoon cocktail. We really appreciate that Tucson is one of the sunniest cities in the United States. It helps keep us cheerful even though there are so many things in the world and life that are extremely stressful these days. A nice walk around the block in the early morning fresh air keeps things in a better perspective.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Summer is Over
Summer is practically over now. I am back to my normal schedule. This past summer was very busy and I have neglected my blog. The summer was spent in traveling, doing things with the family, and getting some of the medical issues of the family resolved.
My husband and I were in Las Vegas meeting up with his long-lost elementary school friend and the friend's family. That was a very good trip. It was great reminiscing old times and what they did as children and adolescents. A couple of weeks after that, our family was in Northern California near the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just north of Lake Tahoe. We had never been to that region before. It showed us how big and varied the State of California is. We all had a wonderful time.
My husband and I just got back from Denmark after helping our son settled in his Kollegium (dorm) in Copenhagen. He is going to spend his college junior year studying there. My husband had spent some time in Copenhagen after college, years ago. So there again we met up with some of his old friends, whom he has not seen in many many years. We had some very friendly, thoughtful, and joyous times together.
Now we are back in sunny Arizona. It was great to see old friends, whom you have not seen for many years, eat different foods, and experience a somewhat different culture, but it is also great to be home. Lots of things have happened in Southern Arizona over the summer. The most regrettable is that so many shops, grocery stores, and restaurants have closed because of the economy. In the area where we live, a solid middle and upper middle class neighborhood, there are many houses that are in short sale or foreclosure. One does not have to be an economist to see what ripple effects all these are having in the county, the state, and the country.
On a happier note, our daughter seems to have decided to return to the Tucson area to work after getting her Masters of Social Work degree next May. Our son is doing well in Copenhagen and is making new friends and learning many new things about Danish history and culture and European economics and literature. We are getting re-acquainted with our friends and neighbors. We started going back to our old haunts for example, Gee's Garden restaurant for dim sum on the weekend. We have also went to Dove Mountain Grill and Jax Kitchen for dinner. We enjoyed our dinners at both restaurants. Next week we are planning to take advantage of Tucson Restaurant Week and go to a few more area restaurants that have special package offers for that week. We are also getting ready to attend some of the events at the Tucson Culinary Festival running from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4. Stay tuned for the latest news and events!!!
My husband and I were in Las Vegas meeting up with his long-lost elementary school friend and the friend's family. That was a very good trip. It was great reminiscing old times and what they did as children and adolescents. A couple of weeks after that, our family was in Northern California near the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just north of Lake Tahoe. We had never been to that region before. It showed us how big and varied the State of California is. We all had a wonderful time.
My husband and I just got back from Denmark after helping our son settled in his Kollegium (dorm) in Copenhagen. He is going to spend his college junior year studying there. My husband had spent some time in Copenhagen after college, years ago. So there again we met up with some of his old friends, whom he has not seen in many many years. We had some very friendly, thoughtful, and joyous times together.
Now we are back in sunny Arizona. It was great to see old friends, whom you have not seen for many years, eat different foods, and experience a somewhat different culture, but it is also great to be home. Lots of things have happened in Southern Arizona over the summer. The most regrettable is that so many shops, grocery stores, and restaurants have closed because of the economy. In the area where we live, a solid middle and upper middle class neighborhood, there are many houses that are in short sale or foreclosure. One does not have to be an economist to see what ripple effects all these are having in the county, the state, and the country.
On a happier note, our daughter seems to have decided to return to the Tucson area to work after getting her Masters of Social Work degree next May. Our son is doing well in Copenhagen and is making new friends and learning many new things about Danish history and culture and European economics and literature. We are getting re-acquainted with our friends and neighbors. We started going back to our old haunts for example, Gee's Garden restaurant for dim sum on the weekend. We have also went to Dove Mountain Grill and Jax Kitchen for dinner. We enjoyed our dinners at both restaurants. Next week we are planning to take advantage of Tucson Restaurant Week and go to a few more area restaurants that have special package offers for that week. We are also getting ready to attend some of the events at the Tucson Culinary Festival running from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4. Stay tuned for the latest news and events!!!
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