Blue and Yellow

Oh my gosh, Phoenix was glorious. The city itself is unremarkable except for its cleanliness and easy access to everything but it doesn't matter because of its crown of blue sky and yellow sun. The low light angle at this time of the year just makes it that much more attractive. The temperature hovered around 80 degrees all the time we were there. I can prove it-I was swimming in an outdoor pool one morning at 7:30 and didn't need to sprint from the pool to the spa. Another example: We ate dinner outside on our friends' patio and I was barefoot at 8:00 at night. The coyotes were a-howling and the stars were a-twinkling all swirled together with the smell of the bbq-ed salmon and the vanilla scented candles on the table. It was heaven.

The tourist highpoint for me was our visit to the "Vincent Van Gogh Alive" exhibit at the Phoenix Science Center. I was enthralled and awed by this multi-sensory experience into the life and work of this artist. And it was so apropos to my class work this week that centers around the relationship between an artist and his art. Unforgettable.

But the very best part of the trip was the time I got to spend with our friends Cheryl and Irvin. What fun we had! And the absolute best was when Cheryl and I had a few hours to ourselves while the guys played golf. Just like old, old times. Talk, talk, laugh, sigh, talk, and talk some more. She helped me find a solution to a very disturbing problem I've been grappling with for the last several months. I knew I could count on her. She is such a treasure.