This is my morning drink. A favorite! Iced Espresso Tonic from Peixoto Coffee Roasters in downtown Chandler, Arizona. The tonic is a Sonoran Desert inspired Prickly Pear and Lime. This was the first time I've had this flavor and it did not disappoint. The tonic is topped with a freshly brewed shot of espresso. The...

Saguaro and Cholla - Superstition Wilderness, Arizona Yesterday, it reached 112 degrees in Tempe. The low was 86. That is about as good as it gets this week. 🥵 I know. It's the desert, what do I expect? But the high temperatures seem to be getting higher and the lows remain brutally high. The past several summers...

Repurposed Grocery Store - Miami, Arizona It is difficult to be honest in my writing. I am not referring to creative liberties and mild exaggerations. I assume all writers are guilty of this from time to time. It is part of the storytelling process. When I share my writing, I want it to provide the reader with a...

And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. - Meister Eckhart Today, I am declaring blog bankruptcy. I've been a bit overwhelmed with my cumulative postings in this space. Some I really like. Others, not so much. I feel trepidation when I review my posts, and it has...

I have not posted for ages. After about a month away from home, I updated my "now" page and changed the photo on my "home" page. I am using those efforts and this brief post in an attempt to resuscitate my writing habit. I am hopeful that just a few words today will serve to inspire a few more tomorrow. Momentum....

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Lower Salt River, Arizona When I moved to Arizona (in 1997), I read an interview with an emergency room doctor about rattlesnake bites. He referred to them as “testosterone poisoning” – most bites occur in young adult males who unsuccessfully attempt to pick up the snake. There was...

If you have perused any of my previous writing, it may be evident to you that I am a list maker. I recently wrote a post about using caution with “life lists,” but that doesn’t stop me from making them. I was recently clearing out clutter in the notes app on my phone and came across a list entitled, “New Rules.” It...

East Clear Creek, Arizona - a place of peace and quiet Peace and quiet. Rare commodities. Perhaps, a bit like peanut butter and jelly (sorry if you are allergic, or not a fan). It is possible to have one without the other, but they are better together. In my time as a junior high principal, I often found peace...

Every day I carry a little creature with me. It sits near my right ear, perhaps perched on the intertragal notch (that little divot at the bottom of the external ear), where it has easy access to my brain via the ear canal. Throughout the day, it whispers only a few words, over and over. “You need this. You need...

The Purveyor of Wisdom I spend a lot of time with my nephews, and in doing so I am the frequent beneficiary of wisdom (and laughter). The four-year old is especially verbose and has given me a number of lines that I mutter to myself as I navigate a discombobulated society. ”What you said?” Typically used when he...

Lone Tree, Oklahoma - iPhone 12 Pro I have always dreamed of being a writer and photographer for National Geographic, or maybe Arizona Highways. I am captivated by the imagery in both publications. Good photographs tell a story, making the written word secondary, if necessary at all. Photography can be an expensive...

My brother’s backyard has a small strip of dirt that is a hotbed of tectonic and geothermal activity. It is prone to severe weather events (dust storms), explosions, mudslides and the occasional meteor strike. Earthquakes, geyser and volcanic eruptions, dust storms, and various natural disasters occur with frequency...