A week ago today we drove to the Portland airport where we boarded a plane for Phoenix, AZ. (Let me insert here that I
love "our" airport - its design, color scheme, public art, shops.) As we walked to our gate, hauntingly melodic tones reached my ear. A young man perched on a chair was drawing the most beautiful sounds from a small cello, and he drew me in like a siren. I slowly walked past, then turned back for a flyer and a photo:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMrTMIzC751l5XFOkNEhWxU-ZhQKpWpYr3lbv9waCgdXPir0VbSHqzDEuWODjPk5PpnkVH9WjihPRSd6G7YyAlbpBnDNr523Vy930ceuh_u6v_qn1Q1-_lgvawwjxdo-wyoxw4w/s400/gypsycello.jpg)
His music lingered in my mind as we waited at our gate - and I weakened. Back down the long hall I ran, and came back with
a CD,
From Silence. Listen to the second soundtrack on that album. I think you'll thank me. :-)
Our plane stopped in Vegas, and although we did not need to change planes, a small technical problem on board necessitated the deplaning of all passengers. Unfortunately. For while inside PDX is a calm and inviting space, the Vegas airport is full of this:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEZ0e-DxHNIS9juhS0GesTcoy9hzSUcVX5bgsCluq72GAAH_7BkSppn_VGXDf3_A-fDOpVREVJhQr7tCBHIuVJ_I0rT6AONJMGjmP178dEl0eL4IVjiT0OJ9yoC7KSOXG3dfu6A/s400/Vegas+airport.jpg)
Yuck. Not a peaceful corner anywhere!
Rick's mom picked us up from the Phoenix airport and drove us through an alien landscape to her home in Mesa.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3JwYyjWht8LsaO6lGp3dHuIilijsHEm94ru-b7V1ptzCdE23VlZ6BEo02XCnVC9Gj2ShC7uHo7ZTMgj-GPtAegE6rFZ_8DfeEQnBvDEOA1MRCePN6THKbM7wiCCGpDmYY8nlkw/s400/AZsky.jpg)
In her backyard are a cactus garden and citrus trees:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5o3V1-JQIH6-Frh0G2cpE3_2qISiwbpe1TSFdAAU0OHlIFV-nBTXkMBW3T70dGqJGoE2S4Q9gWMg5ZgLbmzfgpiHqRYXwyMrYGqHmdIvE1leHOtE5dgbWqs7YLZbw8c6reXgWA/s400/Phyllis%2527backyard.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP569gGOp72QfJQhpdDPX8C1nAEhdZdVPvY1Mnmgeyb15S3EZk9gTi_XZ1e_D89qDHfXZ8WuJKrmrFDtW4F_CfGc7Vz0TZ0bnbMe90ebDt9Trx5GOrmPWFdmAZ21oc1QJVSTZbWA/s400/grapefruittree.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGipP78hsxGjioQOJoQdh_cHyKqDDc74R8ctovrr2316oWn3hg6Yg_NDWg_mbSZ-M9z6it6yBJyRnCcizKN5r22D5j70uErDvzPV_ou6h3_2WILvR4rbCZzqgjp6rjGNamTSSrw/s400/orangetree.jpg)
We brought home two boxes of delicious oranges from that tree!
At least the inside looked somewhat familiar:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNxcZVg0MzGpfCX9xWR3zo3IxzacvqEzkZitwFMZTT_LySJZiw7XwO7jyHaPqLxJ0e7IqKe2FIBtn_Q76aY96xmXMZLk7U6x6Z6Lp_JSXnL0S1q0rFCrSzY4gdhQedSU4gxOSQA/s400/Phyllis%2527Xmastree.jpg)
More to come, from . . .