Sunrise over Saguaro National Park

It is cold at night in the desert and when we awoke before dawn on December 30 we saw heavy frost on the car's windscreen and a air temperature of minus two Celsius.

We were not alone as we walked along one of the trails of the Saguaro National Park. Others were walking, some jogging and still others on horseback.





The air was still and cold. To the north and north-west the mountains reflected the first rays of the sun. We were still in the shadow of the Rincon Mountains to the east; the sun not yet above the peaks.









The colours were beautiful, but we were waiting for the sun to warm our faces and hands, and thoughts. When it came, the sun bathed us in its light, and smiles came to all present.

Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

Raging Sage Coffee in Tucson

It took time and effort but we found a great little coffee shop here in Tucson. It's not an easy thing to do, as this city is designed around the automobile; there is little action in the downtown and few people walk, so finding a good coffee here relies on Google and trial and error.

Raging Sage is located along busy Campbell Avenue, not too far from the university. It has an inviting atmosphere, with inside and outside seating (under some orange trees no less). 

Raging Sage features its own small batch roastings, and it shows in the taste and quality of the coffee. The baristas know how to make a proper macchiato and their go-to preference is to put the coffee in a proper mug or cup, not in a paper cup.

Opened in 1998, the coffee shop is a family owned and operated business. The staff is friendly, helpful and so are the customers; there is a sense of community at Raging Sage and we overheard conversations about politics, religion and the environment. I'm guessing football comes up in discussion, but not this day. Absent too are phones and big screens. We've been here twice and will be back again.






Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

No weapons allowed...

Arizona has some of the most "liberal" firearms laws in the entire Excited States:

• No permit is required to purchase a weapon.
• There are no restrictions or prohibitions on assault weapons.
• No magazine capacity restrictions are in place.
• Proof of ownership of a gun is not required.

• In Arizona, any person over age 21 may legally carry a concealed firearm or deadly weapon without a permit. As well, the same such person may openly carry a firearm or deadly weapon, as in a holster on the hip, or stuffed into the front of his or her jeans I suppose.

Of course not all Arizona citizens agree with the gun laws, or the lack of gun laws in their state, and there are probably many people who never take their handguns out of the car's glove compartment, or from the dresser beside the bed. Still others probably don't even have guns.

A law has been passed in Arizona allowing people to display a "no weapons allowed" sign at the entrance to their business or institution. This will alert those with guns to perhaps find another restaurant, a different church, or maybe a new coffee shop. In fact, we have seen few of these signs, and what does that tell us I wonder.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

Serenity Guest House in Tucson

Our home in Tucson is the Serenity Guest House. It is a small, comfortable bungalow near the Saguaro National Park; in fact, it is only minutes to the Park's entrance.






Most roads in this area are unpaved and subject to washouts during rains. The neighbourhood itself is known as The Notch, because a property of one square mile was notched out the north-west corner of Saguaro National Park. Most lots within The Notch are four or more acres in size (1.5 ha or more). It is a somewhat secluded, and because of the absence of street lights, amazingly dark at night.



We've seen a bobcat near the house, some coyotes and many birds, including hummingbirds. So far no sightings of snakes or javelinas (a collared peccary), though they are here. Somewhere.

Two Welsh Corgi pups live in the big house nearby, along with their owners, and our hosts, Claudia and Ken. They are all well socialised and love people as much as they love digging and chewing. That last bit might refer more to the dogs than to Claudia and Ken.




It's a wonderful sanctuary, close to town but away from the traffic and noise of the city. The sky is truly brilliant and the sound of the desert is a wonderful constant. I could get used to this place.

Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

Ben's Bells ~ Intentional Acts of Kindness

Downtown Tucson is not a thriving community. Much of the commerce one would expect to see in a central business district has left for malls outside the downtown core. Those malls seem to be everywhere, one after the other, replicating themselves again and again on the streets and avenues that lead to the suburbs. All of that is a shame, because downtown Tucson is not especially unattractive.

In a slightly more depressed part of the downtown of Tucson is a small storefront belonging to Ben's Bells. It offers a small studio and store, staffed by energetic young people.









Ben's Bells came about after a three year old named Ben fell ill on March 29, 2002. It seemed to be a cough and cold, but it was much worse and Ben passed away, all too suddenly and all too soon. His parents were devastated. They tried a variety of coping strategies and eventually designed and made bells in their backyard studio with friends. It was good to share a common goal, talk and reflect upon their grief.

Eventually they made hundreds of bells, and on the first anniversary of their little boy's death, they hung those hundreds of Ben's Bells randomly in Tucson, in trees, along bike paths and in parks, always with a handwritten note saying simply to take the bell home and pass on the kindness.


The effect on the community was amazing. People finding the bells had stories to tell of their own, about grief and healing and hope. Ultimately hundreds of people of all ages were crafting Ben's Bells. The story spread across America. It is a story told in the loving memory of one little boy. It symbolizes kindness and its power in healing, and in the sense of community created, both in making and giving the bells, and in finding them too.

Photos by Jim Murray.   Copyright 2013.