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Steve P

Étude

Étude

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We started discussing a new boat built to our specifications in late 2020. Like building a house, there are a lot of decisions to be made and a certain amount of financial negotiation. After several years aboard Fiona Bean, a Nordic 26 and Impromptu, a Nordic 32, we had a
More than enough

More than enough

I told myself that I wouldn’t post any more photos of cacti. Then we visited the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix and I couldn’t help myself.

We dropped by the Arizona Biltmore for a drink before dinner. Unfortunately, it’s been closed for a year due to COVID-19

San Xavier del Bac

San Xavier del Bac

  • Travel
Long time readers may remember this Spanish mission from an earlier blog post. Or maybe it was Facebook before I decided to drive them out of business by closing my account. We paid a short return visit to this interesting place today on our way to Tucson.

San Xavier Mission

Mobility

Mobility

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We like the Phoenix Art Museum. It’s huge, which means lots of large open galleries, and both the permanent and the temporary exhibits are consistently interesting. We once found a display of Frank Lloyd-Wright designs that were never built (Frank had a lot of these). Another time it was
Cactus Time!

Cactus Time!

  • Travel
During our first week in Arizona we bought groceries, visited hardware stores, registered the Plucky Corolla, and did other chores necessary to set ourselves up as part-time Arizonians. Alas, getting out into the desert for a hike was not on the list. Until now.

We drove north about twenty miles

Goddess

Goddess

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We rarely leave Scottsdale without visiting a small park at the northern end of the Promenade shopping complex. The site is anchored by a spire that was part of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design proposal for the Arizona State Capitol. His design was not accepted but in 2004 the spire
Let it Schnee

Let it Schnee

If you live near Seattle you don’t need my photos, just look out your window.

This short post is to show those living in non-snowy places what Mary Anne and I woke up to today. Also to give me something to do while staying in our nice warm house.

Our Just Deserts

Our Just Deserts

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Desert – Dessert get it?

During a recent trip to Portland, our friends Wayne and Jane mentioned that they were planning to sell their condo in Scottsdale, Arizona. This made me sad because they have been kind enough to let us use it many times.

Driving back to Seattle, I said

Farewell Old Friend

Farewell Old Friend

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Just a brief post to note the departure of our Porsche Boxster S. I always thought it was weird to express love for any kind of a thing, but after eighteen years of ownership and any number of memorable road trips, I was very fond of this car.

But time

Lunatics

Lunatics

  • Travel
Why “lunatics”? The inspiration was the beautiful view of the almost-full moon during our night afloat in Eagle Harbor on Cypress Island. But if I had to justify it with a theme, I’d say this:

Some would call us lunatics for leaving home during the pandemic even though we

Paper Cuts

Paper Cuts

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We traveled into town today for a premier viewing of The Geography of Innocense, the cut-paper art of Barbara Earl Thomas. Although some of the works look like they are illuminated from behind, this is only true in the full-room exhibit. All the rest are layers of hand cut and
Nordic Selfies

Nordic Selfies

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A sunny Sunday morning in Seattle – likely one of the last for a while. We decided to pay a return visit to the Nordic Heritage Museum to see an exhibit of photographs taken early in the 20th Century by Edvard Munch.

Munch was a multi-talented artist: woodcarving, printmaking, and painting.

Done at Last

Done at Last

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Between early March and last week, we’ve had workers inside or outside the house almost every day except for the period when all construction was suspended due to COVID-19.

Our first project was to remodel both of our downstairs bathrooms. I can’t show the results because the iPhone

Jet Plane

Jet Plane

  • Travel
Full disclosure: This post has nothing to do with aircraft. The title refers to the Peter, Paul and Mary song, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, which begins: All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go.

This is exactly the situation that Mary Anne and I found ourselves