Tohono Chul Spring Ceramic Arts Show and Sale

All set up for Show and Sale today at Tohono Chul Gardens. I am one of 30 artists showing today and tomorrow. It's free admission to the park during the sale so good deal for everyone. Weather was outstanding, lots of people coming through and I had some significant empty spots on table and grid before first day was over.

AND look who showed up, Theresa and Rachel!!  They had seen my post on Facebook and decided to drive down from Phoenix!! SO fun to see them. 

Jeff and Theresa are Arizona residents now, leaving Indiana for a home in Scotsdale. Rachel was pretty tiny when we knew them in Minnesota. She found one of my novelty dishes that would match her room.

We came home. . .to this

Woke up this morning, at home and totally jet lagged.  . .but soon discovered this in the desert behind our house.  We knew construction was going to start back there sooner or later.  We just hoped it was later.  But heavy equipment in there to blade it off to get ready for a housing development. Our neighborhood faught Pima County a few years ago when they tried to rezone that 30 acres but we lost.  What we did get, however is a 100 ft setback, so we do have a small buffer between us.  Actually our property also has a waterway directly behind so that will add to that 100 feet where they cannot build, some of our neighbors not so fortunate. 
That is between our house and construction sight so we really wont 

see the new homes but still hated to see our open space go away. You can see a bit of our back wall in this pictures.  And am sure we will hear the construction noise.

I guess we won't be hearing any more coyotes.
After 

Before. They did, however,  remove the cactus and will return them to neighborhood when finished. Arizona law does not allow destruction of Saguaro cactus. 

Our last day in Singapore

Doug took us to lunch at a fine dining Crystal Jade location overlooking the harbor and the resort island of Sentosa.
We started off with a traditional Singaporean Lunar New Year dish called a "Lo Hei." Lots of colorful greens and vegetables (even flower petals) to start with. Then the waitress ceremoniously adds several significant ingredients, each in turn that represents something like wealth and prosperity and good luck, etc. Then with special chop sticks we were to jubilantly and with gusto toss the salad to mix all auspicious wishes onto ourselves.  We went on to order various sumptuous Dim Sum and ate a whole lot of food!!  Was fun to watch other tables do the "toss" as some really got into the spirit.



I have taken so many pictures of food. Not only unusual and tasty but the presentation is so great.
Our desert. A steamed bun with green tea filling and deep fried glutinous rice ball with sweet egg custard. . .my personal favorite
Back home for drinks on the patio
And dining el'fresco on the patio.

Can spend a lot of time on that patio! Especially here where the air quality is so much better than Shanghai. 

Official move in day for Doug

The major part of his household items are still enroute from Shanghai and could be another two weeks but we moved in this morning with what he has. Plus time is up at temp place.  We just threw it all together,  ordered a bigger cab and moved in.  He had time to order a few key items from IKEA, like a bed (which he needed) and some folding chairs to get by until furniture arrives. And Will had time to put things together.  . .as IKEA all comes unassembled. Didn't know he needed his tool box this trip!!

On the grounds of apartment.
There are these live orange trees everywhere. Outside homes, restaurants, malls all in preparation for Chinese New Year. They are as prolific as our Christmas trees in December.

I use to have an exotic house plant like this year's ago. I think it's called a Clivia, but they grow so randomly here.  

As do orchids!!

We haven't had much luck birding. We hear plenty when we are out in parks and preserves but the canopy is so thick here that there is no way we can spot them. This little beauty just showed up outside my window when I just happened to have my camera in hand. He was only there for a few seconds. Some necter feeder but no idea of name.

Around Singapore

Catching a bus to. . .wherever.  We take the occasional taxi and even subway, but mostly we have relied on the bus to get us where we need to go. It's super comfy, convenient, cheap, and fast.
And "Google maps" on our smart phones has been amazingly helpful. Just put in where we want to go and it tells us which bus to take and where to catch it, plus when the next bus is coming. And then once we are on our way we can watch a real-time map that tracks our progress so we can see exactly where to get off.  technology is wonderful! 
We went to the"Night Safari" at the Singapore Zoo and saw all the nocturnal animals. Here's a Slow Louris. 
These are Sugar Cats from Indonesia zipping around the branches.
I had lunch again with old Minnesota neighbor and dear friend, Tess. She's here visiting her kids and grandkids. We had a lot to catch up on. 

They do speak English here but its really hard for us to understand the locals. They talk so fast and they throw in words from Chinese or Malay and mix words around that don't make perfect sense in our American English. Now you tell me what this sign means!?!?
McRichie Reservoir is a beautiful nature preserve to hike or enjoy a walk along the boardwalk. 

A troupe of monkeys swung on by through the trees over our heads. They are quite common here and can be a pest if they are fed. 
Lunch at one of Singapore's famed food hawkers markets. Had to try their Satay with spicy peanut sause.  Stall after stall of local "fast" food that you will find no where else. 
Best ice coffee, called "kopi", made with evaporated milk.  And I had to try a "Milo Dinasauer." Its a chocolate mix drink with dry chocolate powder (milo) on top. Just the way a 10 year old would make it! Sicky sweet and delicious. 

And Singapore iconic hawkers food, Chicken Rice. Cheap and delicious. 

Continued - from inside the Flower Dome

Love this cool dragon. Looks like it is made out of pieces of driftwood but perhaps that is an illusion. 

There is a Dahlia show going on this month. My Mom always grew beautiful Dahlias so was nice to think of her thru the exhibit.
We chatted with one of the volunteers who are a big presence here keeping the flowers perfectly manicured.

More amazing Dahlias.
we will save the cloud forest for amother day 
Like we hadn't seen enough flowers today. . .We got off our bus a few stops early to go see a huge flower market complex. Wholesale and retail cut flowers in big refrigerated rooms, to backyard gardening supplies and plants, from orchids to bedding plants and everything tropical in between.