bird with snack

Rare sighting of a roadrunner - this was on back patio of Phx Law Group office in north Scottsdale.  There is a quite large roadrunner nest in upper part of an office window, tucked beneath overhang.

Picture quality not so good here - it's a cell phone photo taken through the office blinds (even then the bird was super-wary), and cropped-a-lot.  And these birds look much larger when the tail is "down" - didn't get that right either.

But I like it nonetheless.

Happy Father's Day to my dad

As I get older, I develop a little better appreciation for what my parents had taken on in raising nine of us.  Somehow they found a way to keep everything going and get all nine through private Catholic colleges - wow.  Thinking a bit on this Father's Day about the $$ side of it - an EMG area of responsibility in their division of labor - it couldn't have been easy!

April or May 1956 - a youngish (age 27) father of three.  Steve and Cecilia
are "real" kids at this point.  Me a punk, but at least I had a sweet
outfit.  How about that lovely wallpaper (dining room of farm house)?

EMG's core financial strategies seem to be:
--never spend money on oneself
--make do with what's at hand (or as Pete Kirsch might have put it, "wear out the old stuff first")
--relentless generosity with charities (primarily St. Joe Parish, Garrigan) and we kids
[--in later decades, consult with SEG!]

[As to EMG's financial strategy #1:  I was happy to hear that EMG recently treated himself to a new pickup!  Then I learned that "new" perhaps wasn't the right term - it's a 1989 Dodge pickup (and priced accordingly).  Hardly frivolous spending but at least  it was something . . . and the "new" pickup at least is a couple decades newer than the often-functional pickup he's been using for so long.]

Still a youngish (age 36) dad when this was taken on his birthday in 1965.  But
there had been some (well, at least five) developments since the above 1956 photo.  Note the
German chocolate cake (with coconut frosting) - a fine though only
occasional alternative to Mom's usual delightful angel's food birthday cakes.  
Only about six years left for EMG to build up those college tuition funds!

Farming - especially corn shelling and hauling but also field work to a lesser extent - allowed me to work side-by-side with EMG during every summer from mid-grade school through the end of college.  So I spent many-many hours as a co-worker with EMG (or, more accurately and appropriately, a flunky) - in addition to the normal "being around your dad" stuff that takes place in the home.  That was a lot of EMG-exposure for me, it flavored me, and taught me - a lot - and I'm quite happy about that.

EMG here 52 years later with almost the entire crew from the 1965 photo above
 - though with Therese and not Mary - in this photo from March 2017.

And EMG's crew is expanding - something I trust and hope EMG enjoys thinking about every
now and then.  Here are some (but certainly not all) of next gens (also from March 2017).

move-in day

Kitchen organizers

On Monday (5 June), PJ and I helped with moving Dharma into the house where Chris and Dharma will live.  (Actually they hired movers to do most of the lifting, and PJ and Dharma did most of the work in getting the kitchen organized.)

Ready to enter.

The house is quite nice; we like the neighborhood; the move-in/set-up process went well (though some tasks remain).

Toward evening:  additional guests arrived and a blessing ceremony was held for the new home.  Followed by a very fine dinner.  Excellent first gathering at the house.

Moving into a new place is invariably exciting; we were recalling this move-in, now four years back.  Always enjoy the chance to be a part of it.

This ceremony really was quite lovely.

Awaiting the milk boil-over - prosperity harbinger
(microwave technology in lieu of not-yet-turned-on-natural-gas).
Nice photo work by NOC.

Taking folks on house tour after the ceremony (here, the east wing).

Tour, #2 

some April - May - June wanderings

PJ and I had some fine wanderings recently.

To Flagstaff in late April for a Gregory Alan Isakov concert.  Stopped in Sedona on the way up to try out a new trail (a loop on the "Hogs" trails) - lovely as always in Sedona though this particular route won't go top of our list.  PJ and I had a great dinner at Brix in Flagstaff.  CPG, PJr and Pat Herrera joined for concert - fun day - including some phone time as CPG and Dharma wheel and deal on house purchase.  Dark Sky Brewery impresses.  But Isakov has lost his way, at least in our view.  Hiked on Mt. Elden as well.

McMillan's (Flagstaff)

Not much photography, here's a Sedona trail look:


via GIPHY

Dark Sky Brewery was a success; better-than-expected dinner at some new Italian place (Flagstaff).

Cooperative weather allowed us another trip up to Spur Cross on May 7 - and this time we did the full Elephant Mountain loop.  A favorite place.  Cloudy/cool conditions.  Epic brunch follows at Richardson's - green chili pork eggs benedict, yes!  Pairs well with Sculpin-on-tap.

Elephant Mountain - Spur Cross Nature Conservancy

We get out to the Superstitions on May 16 and hike the Peralta Trail for the first time in several years.  Supremely cooperative weather.  We agreed that this trail is even nicer than we recalled it.  Mid-week hiking kept the crowds down and simplified parking.  Amazing place.  Followed by lunch at another amazing place - Arizona Wilderness brewery.  My little designated driver was quite helpful (not to mention a fine hiking companion).  Here's Weaver's Needle:


via GIPHY

Superstitions + AZ Wilderness = strong combination.

Unusually fine atmospheric conditions in the Superstitions.  We need to get out there more regularly.

Celebrated wedding anniversary #37 with a road trip to our favorite Laguna Beach hotel - three nights, great weather, we walk the town relentlessly but offsetting calorie intake not a problem for me.  Meals at our usual favorite spots.  Shopping trip at the outlet malls on the way home.  Another delightful trip.


via GIPHY

So many meals at Nick's . . . 

A short staycation at FoundRe hotel in downtown Phoenix over 10 June weekend.  The usual:  wandering, eating; weather warm but manageable.  Much enjoyed our walk (and visit) to the Phoenix Art Museum, then light rail to Arrogant Butcher for a surprisingly good lunch.  Our favorite dinner was at Breadfruit.  Had a tour of the Cafiso's construction site - pretty fine location (and basically next door to our hotel).  Fun getaway.

Top - Match restaurant (in the hotel).  Bottom - life on the rails.