It's good to be home

It is good to be home.  Our travels took us in search of warm weather and sunshine.  We spent almost a week visiting with friends outside of Phoenix.  They live half the year in Arizona and half here in the Cache Valley of Utah.  That lifestyle sounds so inviting especially when we are still living with snow.  While there we spent a day (of course) visiting galleries in Scottsdale and enjoying the Celebration of Fine Art 2010 show which is 100 artists busily making great art under big white tents.  20% of those 100 artists are from Utah and each of the galleries we visited in Scottsdale had painting from artists right here in the valley.

Each morning we would awake to fresh oranges and grapefruit from the trees of Barb and Bill.  I don't think I've ever tasted fruit more sweet.  We brought home two lemons to support our tales of how big and delicious the fruit is in Arizona.  This photo is of a sweet lemon NOT a grapefruit.

Our time in Tucson was divided between traveling down memory lane (Bob's parents used to live here), visiting the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and exploring places to possibly retire or at least spend winters.

Sedona was another trip down memory lane.  The city of Sedona itself has grown into something I don't recognize any more but the red rock formations are as beautiful as ever.

A trip to Sedona wouldn't be complete without visiting Jerome an old mining town turned art town set on the side of a mountain.  The town is filled with art galleries and artist studios.  The old abandoned high school as been turned over to the art community for artist studios.  What a joy!

The Grand Canyon was even more beautiful under a blanket of snow.

Beware of the mountain lions!

Our time in St. George was equally filled with exploring the red rocks and canyons.  The trees were blooming with beautiful spring flowers and the daffodils were in bloom.  What a great time to see Zion we thought.   Once again we were greeted with changing weather - fog - snow and sunshine.  I had never seen Zion with snow and it was as beautiful as the Grand Canyon.  Maybe moving to a warm climate isn't what we are meant to do.  Snow is so pretty to look at.  Too bad it requires shoveling.

While gone our son Scott said it was sunny and warm at home.  Today as I write this it is snowing.  There is no escaping it.