I felt so special the other day when I was in Tucson and I got to visit an air force base! It was the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, to be exact, and it was my fist time ever on a real active duty base … very exciting.

I got a visitor pass and everything, which added to the feeling of being a tourist, especially since I made one of the little penny-press souvenirs. The best part was when we were in the BX (base exchange store) and could pretend I lived on base while walking around because nobody could tell I was just a visitor (since soldiers’ families walk around there all the time)!

Welcome!

Do you see the air force people coming out of the store?

There was a food court area.

Dorm-like buildings where soldiers can live.

we met a great family this weekend:  2 people and 5 doxies!

they were such pretty dogs, all -dachshunds.  a couple were barky and playful, and a couple were really in tune with when you have a free hand for cuddling.

curious dogs, they were good about sticking their little noses in the lens.

it was fun!  now i know why my friend carolyn is always trying to convince her husband that they need a weiner dog!

EPA: Uranium From Polluted British Petroleum Mine Found In Nevada Water Wells

Scott Sonner AP 11/21/09

But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: “Danger: Uranium Mine.”

For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells.

They say they have been met by a stone wall from state regulators, local politicians and the huge oil company that inherited the toxic site – BP PLC. Those interests have insisted uranium naturally occurs in the region’s soil and there’s no way to prove that a half-century of processing metals at the former Anaconda pit mine is responsible for the contamination.

That has changed. A new wave of testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that 79 percent of the wells tested north of the World War II-era copper mine have dangerous levels of uranium or arsenic or both that make the water unsafe to drink.

And, more importantly to the neighbors, that the source of the pollution is a groundwater plume that has slowly migrated from the 6-square-mile mine site.

The new samples likely never would have been taken if not for a whistleblower, a preacher’s wife, a tribal consultant and some stubborn government scientists who finally helped crack the toxic mystery that has plagued this rural mining and farming community for decades.

“They have completely ruined the groundwater out here,” said Pauly, the wife of a local pastor and mother of two girls who organized a community action group five years to seek the truth about the pollution….

*Related: Colorado River May Face Fight of its Life

Increased toxins likely as energy companies seek oil, gas, uranium

By Abrahm Lustgarten and David Hasemyer (propublica.org) Dec. 21, 2008

Now the life vein of the Southwest faces another threat: Energy companies are sucking up the Colorado’s water to support increased development of oil, natural gas and uranium deposits along the river’s basin. The mining and drilling will likely send more toxins into the waterway, which provides drinking water for one out of 12 Americans and nourishes 15 percent of the nation’s crops along its journey from Wyoming and Colorado to Mexico….

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/dec/21/1n21colorado211057-colorado-river-may-face-fight-i/

If you are anywhere near Sedona, stop by and meet Patricia.

Kathy

I first heard about AmeriCorps in June. I was looking for a part-time job with flexible hours since I am a full-time student. Anyone looking for a job right now would know that this isn’t an easy task. In June, I received a text from my mother-in-law about a part-time position with Americorps in the Metro-East St. Louis area. After getting some more information, I found that it was perfect.
I suppose a little history is in order. I grew up in California and I have been doing volunteer work since I was thirteen. It started with local service like sorting cans at a food pantry and serving food to the homeless in Oakland. Eventually, I started traveling and volunteering. In 2002, I spent part of my summer working with kids my age (at the time) and older in Central Los Angeles. During the summers after my junior and senior year of high school, I traveled with a small group to a Navajo Reservation in Arizona where we provided a basketball clinic for the older teens, crafts and games for the younger kids, and held health clinics for the adults. A year later, I traveled to Guatemala City and worked with a youth-oriented group at schools throughout the area where we encouraged the students with our own experiences, which many of the students found relevant to their own lives.
My year of service with AmeriCorps and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois started this past August. I have done and learned so much since then and this blog will chronicle those experiences.

–
Michelle Beard

by Joe Szabo, Szabo Group

Encanto Park- Central

This park offers two uncovered Island Picnic areas available for reserving Monday through Sunday. No reservations are taken on holidays. For reservations, call 602 261-8993.

Margaret T. Hance Park- Central

This park offers two areas for reservations seven days a week from 10 AM to 10 PM. They are not available for reservations on most holidays and when there are large events scheduled at the park. For reservations, call 602 262-6412

 South Mountain Park – Downtown

If you are looking for somewhere to host an event, then South Mountain Park may be it. The park offers an activity complex and other picnic areas for rent, so if you are planning a family get-together or other event, this just may be the place to host it. Areas may be first-come, first-serve or require reservations made in person so check the website for locations and phone numbers. South Mountain Park is located at 10919 S. Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix. For more information visit: www.ci.phoenix.az.us/parks/southmnt.html Check their website or call 602- 262-6863 for park hours.

The park is 16,000 acres and makes for a great place for a get-together or barbeque as it offers natural, beautiful scenery. Be sure to take advantage of the hiking trails as well. You can just sit back and take in your surroundings- the scenery and wildflowers and the wide-open space will take your breath away.

For more information on these and other reserveable picnic area parks visit: http://phoenix.gov/PRL/reserve.html

The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.  Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020 or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com

I did not make this video, but I have made this drive.  It is worth watching, it is worth doing and if your friend is driving a truck with a passenger side window that does not roll down and heat that cannot be turned off, in March, in can get really sweaty.  Just letting you know. Awesome.

Everybody who finds a home is going through the same phase: the hardships, the difficulties, and the challenges that they go through just to own a perfect house for their family. Those who buy a house sacrifice a lot of their time, energy, and even money to spend on things that are very necessary and essential for them. So its very important to meticulously and continuously search for a nice house from those homes for sale in Gold Canyon AZ to fulfill their dreams.

When problem arises while looking for a Gold Canyon AZ homes for sale, there’s nothing to be worried about. The realtors will help you solve a problem in regards to the home that you are trying to buy. And even if that particular house is being sold off already, there are still other options left by choosing among the MLS listings. With that, buyers shouldn’t be concerned whether there are no available homes because there is always one waiting for them.

Have a your home in a community that really lives the authentic Arizona lifestyle. Just consider some New River AZ homes and you’ll fall in love! There’s no reason you won’t! The gorgeous desert background serve as the setting for these lovely homes!
MLS Real Estate in New River AZ have multiple homes for sale in a quiet, serene location! Options for buyers are mountain-view property, golf course homes, gated homes, homes with pools, new homes, green homes, waterfront homes, short sale homes and more!
A house in New River will be equivalent to the best of Arizona living! Here, your family can go hiking, biking, mountain climbing and other outdoor activities and be back in time for dinner. The golf course is another thing the residents are crazy about and now you can be too! And if you need to get to Phoenix, it is only a few miles away!
New River has a multitude of homes that will surely appeal to you.  It won’t take you long to get online and peek a tour lovely listings!

I am working on building my portfolio and need High School Senior Models for Senior Portrait Sessions!

In order to do this I am giving away two of my Basic Senior Portrait Packages.

Contest is open to Seniors that attend high school in the East Valley (Arizona)

What to do:
Leave a comment telling me why you think you deserve to be one of the chosen Seniors for this giveaway. Don’t forget to leave the name of your East Vally area high school.
The contest will close on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 6:00 pm. Upon closing all entries will be put in a random generator to choose the winning entry.

Your name may be entered in the drawing up to four times. Here’s how:
1. Just by leaving your comment here.
2. Follow me on twitter and leave your twitter user name in your comment here.
http://twitter.com/LittleTreeCo
3. Join my fan page on facebook and leave a comment about it in your comment here.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Little-Tree-Company/141155526794
4. Become a follower of my blog and let me know in your comments here.

So…what are you waiting for…get commenting.

The day brought sunshine in abundance as I watched the sun come up. The horizon was a golden orange. Arizona sunrises are pretty and breathtaking all in one shot. And they happen quick.

Yesterday was my birthday. Once again time is marching on and I can’t believe I am in my sixties. We didn’t have anything planned for the day except lazing around and just enjoying the day. Then, here comes Noreen. She had an invitation in her hand and was inviting me to the “Football Widow” party.

At the appropriate time I wander over to her “backyard” to spend a couple of hours with the gals in the neighborhood while their husbands sat in front of the tube watching grown men tackle each other. (don’t go getting upset guys. I like watching football too.) Well, it has been a long time since my last “surprise” birthday party, but they pulled this on off (with the help of Dale I found out.) So we had a party in the desert, tea, chocolate cake and cookies and girl chatter. What a great way to celebrate being more than 60!

Today, we had another birthday party in the desert. At happy hour with the group we celebrated Bob’s birthday with chocolate cake and cherry cheesecake (both his favorites). Good talk, good friends. Life just doesn’t get much better than this. Oh, did I mention the Arizona sunshine! The cherry on top of a wonderful day.

The service at McMahon’s is really great.  Had such a wonderful waiter.  So sweet and attentive.  Initially the hostess put us in a booth whose seat was tres soft for our princely and queenly butts so we decided we had to move (seriously, we had to) to a table with firmer upholstery.  Once at Eric’s table he made us feel so comfortable and welcome and immediately let us know he too doesn’t enjoy the soft seated booths.

The are martinis yummy and we didn’t worry one bit about running late or the kitchen closing.  I ordered the prime rib, rare,  which cooked just right and Gary and I split a side.  The piano melodic and the mood  relaxed.  When Eric brought out a dessert sampler (unsolicited) to enjoy with our coffee it was a complimentary end to the evening.

The only thing that was off, for me,  was the chi in the piano room.  Maybe it was the hostess who dressed as if she were ready for inventory at an auto parts store, or the other patrons, who arrived in matching over washed tees and shabby sneakers.   I know, it is unrealistic of me to expect the other patrons to arrive in leather shoes, however, I think the staff should do their best to look the part of an upscale steakhouse.

There was something off about the dining room, but, I think only a Fung Shui master could solve that dilemma for me.

All in all the experience was satisfactory.

November 24, 2009 by Gary Tibljas

This Saturday night, McMahon’s was moderately busy….a good mix of those enjoying dinner and others witnessing the progress of the Arizona-Oregon football game on the TV monitors in the bar. Too bad for the Cats by the way….ouch! 

When making our dinner reservation, I requested a perimeter booth in the piano room and were granted such. We nested (or I should say sunk) into our booth and it seemed as if I had sat down on a bean bag! Our superb waiter, Eric, granted our request to move to a table closer to the pianist equipped with much more comfortable seating arrangements.

We ordered vodka martinis and Eric served them to us “Vegas style”, with a foggy mist emanating from the shakers prior to pouring.  After a couple each, it was time to look over the menu and much to our surprise, no appetisers were offered. So, we had no choice but to order our entrees. I selected the fillet mignon and Leslie a rib eye (we shared an asparagus plate, as well). Both were very good and cooked to our specifications. Eric did surprise us with a small desert plate which was a nice touch.

We had a good Saturday evening at McMahon’s. The pianist was accomplished. Nice selection and variety, but he called it a night at 9 while dinner was served until 10?  The Sommelier paused at our table to wish us a good evening even though we did not take advantage of his wine expertise this night. 

Comparing the ”big 3″ steakhouses in town (McMahon’s, Fleming’s and Sullivan’s), I would have to say, that the service and atmosphere at McMahon’s is probably the best. A much more serene and elegant environment (given Tucson standards) primarily because the kitchen cannot be seen or heard from the dining areas. I find the kitchen being “visually accessible” to the dining area concept of Fleming’s and Sullivan’s somewhat a distraction.  As for the quality and presentation of menu items, I have never really had a disappointing experience at any of the three.

Several years ago, my friend Kimo and I, on the spur of the moment, drove up to Lone Pine, California and hiked to the top of Mt. Whitney and back in a day. He was very patient with me, but essentially hiked me into the ground.  He now has a clutch of mini-hikers that he is trying to train in the ways of the outdoorsman. They arrived in Phoenix yesterday for the Thanksgiving break and I had a chance to photograph them at a nearby park this morning.  Here are three of the five minis:

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I have shared pictures of baby N before.  I just finished editing my latest session of him.  He was 6 weeks old in this session.  I fell completely in love with this image and had to share one last one before I turn the images over to mom.  So in a the form of a Christmas Wish, one last peek of Baby N from his 6 week session:

I had to tweak the formula after I saw what it spat out after this weekend (DePaul is not the second best team in the country right now).  I realized that by doing the actual ranking of a team’s schedule, the differences in schedule were being weighted too heavily.  For instance, the schedule difference between number 270 and number 250 is actually zero, but it was getting counted in the formula as a difference of 20.  That meant that teams with a very good schedule so far were being rewarded way too much and teams with an average schedule were getting penalized.

The solution?  Just use the actual schedule rating.  Now teams that haven’t played anyone good are all even (since that’s the norm this time of year) and any teams that have played against some quality opponents or gone on the road are rewarded accordingly.

I’m also including the AP/USA Today Ranking next to each team so we can compare how voters think they’re going to do against how they’re actually playing.

Here are the rankings for this week as of 5:00 PM:

• Team (AP Rank/USA Today Rank)

1. Duke (7/7)
2. Minnesota (22/16)
3. Kansas (1/1)
4. Arizona State (NR/NR)
5. Baylor (NR/NR)
6. Marquette (NR/NR)
7. Tennessee (9/11)
8. Syracuse (10/9)
9. Kansas State (NR/NR)
10. Notre Dame (23/NR)
11. Washington (14/14)
12. LSU (NR/NR)
13. Oklahoma State (NR/NR)
14. Louisville (16/16)
15. Illinois (20/21)
16. Clemson (19/19)
17. Oregon (NR/NR)
18. Texas A&M (NR/NR)
19. Connecticut (13/13)
20. Washington State (NR/NR)
21. Ohio State (17/18)
22. Virginia (NR/NR)
23. Michigan State (2/2)
24. Arizona (NR/NR)
25. Texas (3/3)

Bottom Ten (10 = Worst)

1. Rutgers (NR/NR)
2. South Florida (NR/NR)
3. Texas Tech (NR/NR)
4. Nebraska (NR/NR)
5. South Carolina (NR/NR)
6. Indiana (NR/NR)
7. USC (NR/NR)
8. Iowa (NR/NR)
9. UCLA (NR/NR)
10. Oregon State (NR/NR)

Since my embracing Islam several years ago I have had the good fortune to see an explosion of growth in the Muslim Community here in the Southwest.
I enclosed photos of three Masjids I have worshiped in or have had the blessing to watch during construction.
I pray you ,Insha`Allah,find them pleasing.

Check out Tugboat’s Expansion EP. Its the jam!

Dont forget to visit them on twitter and myspace. 

Updated Monday, November 23, 2009 at 3:37 pm Arizona time

Added a 3rd Sneak Peek

Saturday I had the pleasure of working with Miss A, a Senior who is also in the marching band at her school.  We incorporated that aspect into her portrait session.  We will wrap up her session this Saturday.  Miss A and Mom…I hope you like these.  More to come…

Grandma and Grandpa generously flew us out to Arizona for the weekend.

It was a short, but sweet, getaway to the breathtaking Superstition Mountains.  We spent the weekend in the pool with the kids, soaking up as much sun as we could…hoping to pack some in our suitcases and bring home to Minnesota.  That sunshine stowaway plan didn’t work.  I couldn’t believe the thick fog we arrived home to.

While swimming in the pool with my children, and listening to my daughter’s enthusiasm over flying above the clouds and mountains, I pondered on what is really important in life to me. Stripped away of all my daily distractions and desires, I could clearly see it isn’t money or fame.  What I value more than ever are the small and simple moments of wonder and amusement with the people I love the most.

The little things in life matter to me now more than ever.  I know, cliche, but so very true.

The system for backcountry camping permits in the Grand Canyon will undergo changes. (andrewcparnell / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewparnell/ / CC BY 2.0

Word about pending changes to the camping permit system at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona have been making the Twitter rounds, and here at Compass Points, we want to make clear what’s going to happen.

Are changes coming? Most definitely, this February. These changes will most impact those who enjoy the privilege of walking up to park offices, applying for a camping permit and finding out that day whether they can start planning for a trip four months away, i.e. guides and residents who live close to the Grand Canyon. They have an advantage over backpackers who apply by fax or old fashion mail because those can take weeks to sort through and approve or deny.

Coming soon? A more equitable system for everyone, even if it raises the ire of local guide companies.

Here’s what you need to know about the coming system alterations, from the National Park Service’s press release:

• Backcountry camping in Grand Canyon National Park will still require a permit.
• Starting Feb. 1, 2010, the park system will “only accept written” requests via mail, fax or in person. Request must be made four months out, so if you want to camp on May 1, put your request in January 1.
• This means after Feb. 1, no longer will you be able to apply for a backcountry camping permit in person without a written request. You will be able to apply for a permit in person, but your request must be in writing and will go into the pile of other written requests received that day.
• All requests received by 5 p.m. daily will be put in random order by a computer and considered for approval in that new order.
• NPS is moving toward an online registration system for camping permits, but it has not yet implemented this change. No word on when that online system will start.

Basically, the NPS is leveling the playing field since the current system favors those who show up in person.

As you can imagine, some are just not caught up in Thanksgiving warmth for the proposed changes. From the L.A. Times:

Some of the 26 outfitters who take customers on backpacking trips in the canyon say the proposal will cost people their jobs. If they can’t guarantee faraway customers choice destinations in advance, they’ll lose business, they say.

Wayne Ranney, who guides some trips commercially and backpacks the canyon in his free time, said he thought locals should have the best chance of hiking the canyon.

“To think of somebody from Cape Town, South Africa, having just as equal a chance as someone from Arizona or the United States — I know it sounds weird, but I don’t think that’s fair,” he said.

I hear their concerns, and if this was an Arizona state park, they may have a legal leg upon which to stand.

But there’s a counterpoint with equal validity. The Grand Canyon is a national park, and as a citizen of the United States and am ambitious backpacker, I’d like to apply one day for a backcountry camping permit. And if my status as a U.S. citizen is equal to a guide company CEO in Arizona, we should have equal consideration under the law.

Your thoughts? Add ‘em to the comments section. I would love to hear from both sides.

Staying in Phoenix is like heaven for some. There’s lots of people in other parts of the States that wanted to experience life in Phoenix and it seems like only a few lucky souls get to go through with it. They not only want to see the famous tourism spots; but they also want to have fun in Phoenix in the most dynamic and active way. If they truly want to get a taste of it all year round, they should do something about it by having a Phoenix AZ cheap housing.

Purchasing a cheap house in Phoenix may not be the first choice for you; but it certainly is for those who are on the tight budget. A Phoenix AZ affordable property is considered a nice treat for on-the-budget families especially if they wanted to stay within the area that badly. That way, they can actively participate in the city’s well-rounded and diverse events – it may be festival events, cultural, or sports fests.

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