Tucson sculptures

Although I am most involved right now with getting over the long drive home, a major well problem on the farm that revealed itself as soon as we arrived, fencing, hay problems, and my own writing and creating those covers, I did want to write two blogs about the end of the Arizona trip, and then cover the drive back to Oregon and what was revealed along the way.

First one for Arizona, not most important, just first, came as an addition to the pool area which I absolutely loved. I had the idea that where we cannot grow plants because of not being there regularly enough to keep drip-waterers going everywhere or in places the soil has too much clay without additions of topsoil, we could get a sculpture. It ended up being three of them made from rusted metal.


Our Tucson house has always been a home with a lot of sculpture, two outside and many more inside, but up until now, they were mostly mine. I couldn't do another big one or really any large one with clay in time or even at all given the size I had in mind. So we went looking for the right thing.


What we found at a Mexican import store simply thrilled me, and I was almost tempted to bring them back to Oregon but resisted the temptation only because they so belonged in Tucson (and there wasn't room in the back of the truck). I think they set the spirit for the pool area that it hadn't had before. Farm Boss suggested we position them with one facing the rising sun and the other the setting and so they are.

The largest one is a kind of Native American Saint Francis of Assisi. The personality is not so much shaman, although it could be, as it is a man who is part of nature with the bird on his shoulder, a small leafy twig in one hand, and a staff in the other. I fell in love with it, and we took a lot of detail photos for the possibility that Farm Boss could do something like it for the farm-- if he ever has any spare time which might come in 2013 or '14 assuming the world doesn't end this week-end or December 21, 2012.

Well I guess the ending this week-end would only be for Christians of a certain sort as Rapture would take them up to heaven before the rest of us paid for our sins due to the destruction of this world-- which might come about due to the abuses of this earth which certain kinds of Christians had eagerly engaged in with their prosperity doctrines, but now are going to escape by that upward lift. No wonder that bunch has had no concern for environmental issues. Even without this newest Christian prophet claiming the end is here for them, they never did believe they'd have to stick around to deal with the consequences.


As for me, I will be with family this week-end as we will be attending a concert in which our grandchildren will be singing; so we will be gone from the farm again *shhh don't tell the cats*.

Since I don't think we'd be on any Rapture shortlist, we are likely to be returning to care for the cattle and sheep the day after the concert. Because of the problems here, we aren't likely to extend that trip beyond one night away.


I did wonder how many of those who are expecting the rapture on the week-end will have given away all of their earthly goods. I heard stories of those back when my father was a boy and they did give away all they had as they waited on a hill-- now that's faith. That doesn't mean the current ones should give up hope that this time it's not for real; and if they wish to give something nice to me, like say a lot of their money (replacing our well will be costly), why I'd be quite willing to hold it for them until I get my just rewards a little later in the year. It would be a nice parting gift, don't you think? :)

Photos are of the Tucson pool area. That tree, that looks dead right over the St. Francis's shoulder, well it is an old ironwood and it is dead. It is also precious to the creatures there as it's where the doves and quail love to land to keep watch. Actually a hawk is there sometimes also for more nefarious purposes...