Solar, and Wireless, Too

I hate electrical cords and water hoses. They trail and tangle and generally make a mess of good room design and gentle landscapes.

So when I spotted the Sunnan solar desk lamp at IKEA I had to have one. The lamp has a small solar panel that pops out for charging. Exposure to direct sunlight (9-12 hours) recharges the three AA batteries, giving enough light for 3 hours, according to the IKEA info sheet that comes with the lamp. The lamp is LED, so it takes some getting used to.

For $20, the lamp is a good investment in the world of solar. You get to see what a solar panel is all about and you have a totally cordless light that could be used in your car, your garage, your porch or deck, or your easy chair -- anywhere that a bit more light for a few hours and no cord would be a good thing.

Read more about the Sunnan lamp HERE.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Visiting Wisconsin Friends

What fun to catch up with Virginia Saltzman from Wisconsin and one of her daughters, Trece Saltzman Davis from Texas. We had lunch together on Monday. The conversation about schooldays in Ripon just flew around the table. Virginia spends some time in the Phoenix area each winter, so it was easy to meet.

Virginia remembered that I was baptized in Wisconsin because she grew up in the churches that my Dad was serving when I was born. I last wrote about the Greenville and Center EUB (Evangelical United Brethen) churches last October. Here is that blog post about when Mom and Dad and Ed and I visited the church where I was baptized.

Virginia grew up on a farm outside of Appleton, Wisconsin and her family went to Greenville Church. (Did I get that right? Dad will correct me, I'm sure!) She babysat my youngest sister, Martha who became became lifelong best friends with Trece.

What a small world and how wonderful to reconnect!

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler

More Signal Hill

Here's one of the stone and cement fireplaces at the Signal Hill picnic area in the Tucson Mountain Section of  Saguaro National Park near Tucson. This one has an arched opening and the rounded cement work that is characteristic of most of the structures in the area. Ed and I thought of Aunt Mary's flat beef outdoor recipe and thought of how good that would be to cook on this fireplace.

There is a really big stone picnic table near the arch fireplace. The long top rests on three stone pedestals. You could easily seat 12-14 people around this table. Notice the bench at the end of the table. The Civilian Conservation Corps guys thought of everything. Their work makes this a fun and historic place to visit in Saguaro National Park.

Stone lined trails and stair steps link the picnic area and Signal Hill. The petroglyphs are etched on rough boulders near the top of the hill. The ancient art can be viewed from various places along the trail.

A telephoto lens brings the petroglyphs closer. The swirl and human forms are often seen repeated in artwork along the freeways in Tucson and other cities in the southwest.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Signal Hill CCC Cabin

Ed and I hiked to the top of Signal Hill in Saguaro National Park's Tucson Mountain District on Saturday. We enjoyed the view of the Avra Valley and saw the petroglyphs on the rocks at the top of the hill. The Civilian Conversation Corps built the trail and the structures at the picnic area near the trailhead.

Here's the inside of the Signal Hill picnic cabin, a masterful building with timber framing and skilled stonework. It is like touching history to be in a building like this. You can feel the past and picture the young men from the desperate days of the 1930's whose lives were changed by the federal CCC program that put them to work building trails and dams and structures in national parks and other places.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Sunday Journal

I love the Coca Cola polar bear that appears in winter advertising. Last Sunday I copied the bear and logo into my art journal. Since I'm in the desert for the winter, I added a desert scene to the page, so that the bear is superimposed under a hot sun.

My tools of the trade for this page are a water brush, a Sharpie pen, and watercolor pencils. The cartouche on the left of the page records day, location and weather data, as well as sunrise and sunset.

Each page in the art journal features that day's first cup of coffee. Sometimes I draw the mug carefully. Other times I do a quick outline sketch. Last Sunday it was brewed coffee, usually freshly ground by my sweetheart, that I drank at 7 am. The sketch was hurried since we had company. This is a fun page in my daily art journal.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Ocotillo Leaves

The little leaves on the ocotillos in Arizona always remind me of the ears of baby animals. The shape is soft and rounded. The green is fresh and young.

Desert greens in hues that range from gray green brittle bushes to olive creosotes are popping out like crazy. Warm days will bring on the wildflowers in a week or two.

Spring is coming to Arizona.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler

Brotherly Love

My camera caught Max and Finn in a quiet moment of brotherly love when they sat long enough on the edge of the wishing well at Tohono Chul Park last weekend. Finn draped his arm around his brother and faced the camera with boyhood innocence.

The rest of the stroll in the park was not a stroll in the park. Finn thought that the park would be one with a playground and it was a garden type park. Still, this photo belies the disappointment of the day, that mother and grandmother would deceive him into walking the paths of a garden.

Once again, this grandmother learned a lesson. Be clear and accurate when describing activities. Also, when all else fails, stage a diversion, like the gift shop.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler