A Sunday Drive (On Monday) and So Much More!

What an awesome "Sunday Drive" I had today - enjoyed my day off celebrating Martin Luther King and Civil Rights in this gorgeous desert.  I made a huge loop around the city, wandering around on the west side of the Tucson Mountains where I don't think there's more gorgeous terrain anywhere in the world.  So many cactus!

First, though, I went up to Sentinel Park and visited A Mountain.  It's sort of like going to the top of Cadillac (in Acadia) but with a completely different feel.  Since it's not part of the National Park system, it's not in pristine condition.  There's graffiti.  There's shining glass and ground-in litter in the parking areas.  The views are incredibly expansive - 360 degrees!  Granted, the view does not include ocean and lakes and incredible greenness, but the views of the city, with mountains, and cacti and beautiful blue skies are just as spectacular in their own way.  The cars parked up there - and there are many, many people enjoying the vies, sitting on the rocks and looking out over the expanse - are, for the most part, battered and old.  Mine included.  A free view.  Clean air.  What more could one want?

I found a letterbox up here, too, which was the reason I ascended, but became a plus.  I really enjoyed this trip.  The woman who planted the box let me know that she no longer comes to Tucson (her daughter was a student at the U of A when the mom planted it) and she's glad it's still safe and being found.

From there I hit Silverbell and headed north.  Hadn't been over here in years.  Stopped at Christopher Columbus Park where I found another plant by Desert Flower.  I was sure I was nowhere near where I was supposed to be, but followed the directions and VOILA!  There it was!

From there I headed north even more to go to the Picture Rocks area, meandering across the Tucson Mountains, along Sanderio Road, Kinney Road, and Gates Pass Road.  LOVE IT SO MUCH OVER THERE!

I found my last letterbox of the day along the side of Wade Road, in a desert setting, in the midst of all sorts of cacti.  The letterbox was called "Cactus Village."  Cactus Village to be sure!  Two different kinds of cholla, barrel, prickly pear, and saguaro plus a whole lot of creosote bushes and small palo verdi trees - just gorgeous, just sitting there.  With the letterbox sitting innocently a hundred feet or so from the edge of the road.

As a side note, I checked my altimeter reading at the top of Gates Pass and it was 3150 feet.  I don't usually drive from west to east over Gates Pass and I missed the view going the other way.  It was still pretty darned breathtaking.....

Charron Vineyards

This is probably the closest vineyard to my home - it can't be more than 30 minutes away, on the way to Sonoita, but actually in Vail.  And what a wonderful way to spend a gorgeous winter afternoon in southern Arizona!

Setting:  A long, wide deck, dotted with low tables and comfy chairs sports a wood-burning chimenia in the corner.  Lovely.  But the view?  GORGEOUS.  Sitting low on a mountain, the view of closely distant (can you picture that or is it a lousy description?) mountains is absolutely wonderful.  It was perfect for this 65-degree sunny day.  And in the summer when it's really hot hot hot in Tucson, it never goes much above 90 here (higher altitude than Tucson proper) and  they have misters completely surrounding the seating area.

The Deal:  Taste up to 6 wines for $7 including souvenir glass.  My friend Sheila had a "Living Social" coupon, which included a 6-oz. glass of wine after the tasting for $2.00.  They sell munchies (we had lentil chips and hummus) which was nice to clear the palate between tastings.  We were told to bring a picnic or any food (cheese & crackers, anyone) the next time we came.

Wines:  There were 14 offered, twelve of which were described on an easy-to-understand handout.  Dry wines on the left, sweet wines on the right.  Very helpful, and you can take notes on the handout and take it with you...and the handout includes pricing (which seemed very reasonable).

Personel & Service:  There were two women serving everyone - and there were probably five or six groups of people being served throughout our visit.  We never had to wait and we never felt rushed.  Both women were extremely nice, helpful, and knowledgeable enough for me!

The Company:  I went with two friends from Maine - all three of us teachers, one of us from Bar Harbor, one from Southwest Harbor, and one (me) from Northeast Harbor.  A lot of history.  Our kids went to MDIHS together.  It was as close to a perfect afternoon as I've had in a long, long while.

This was a GREAT way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  My sister is coming in May, and I can't wait to take her here, with a picnic basket of special snacks and a camera.....

Charron Vineyards website.

My choices:
from the "DRY" side:
Blanc De Noir - lite and dry, faintly sweet, but not enough for me
from the "SWEET" side:
Santa Rita Rose
*Tortolita Blanca (this was my full-glass choice, and the bottle I purchased) yup, sweet.  yup, yummy
Golden White Merlot - had a bit of a different taste (they said it had a "nuance of sweet sherry or cognac)
Tempranillo Rose - a sweet blush
Rincon Red - the only red wine I had, and very sweet

Sunday Wanderings

Well, I've been a hermit, an old stick-in-the-mud, for far too long.  Last weekend was really beautiful, so I decided to embark on a long-awaited Sunday drive.  I might as well take advantage while the weather is beautiful and I'm still living in the Old Pueblo....

I headed down Houghton Road to Sahuarita Road, west to Green Valley, then hit 19 towards Tubac.  I pulled off at the Amado cut-off, but deicided that I'd wait to drive the 40-or-so miles to Arivaca until a Saturday, when there's something to see (like the farmer's market) since you have to turn around and retrace the road back...it's the only way out of there.  So I got back onto 19 and headed to one of my favorite places in the world, Tubac, Arizona.

I wandered around the cemetery for the umpteenth time, sat on a bench, took some pictures.  Wandered around the shops, taking the time to go into Tumacookery and La Paloma.  Then I headed north, again, on 19, going through the Border Patrol stop just north of Tubac, and turned off into San Xavier, another favorite place.  I sat in a pew for awhile, taking it all in.  Of course it was a Sunday, shortly after a mass, so the place was packed.  Ah, well, not as bad as it was last March...

When I got back onto 19 I decided to continue west on 10 and turned off onto Congress in downtown Tucson.  I swung over to the Tucson Museum of Art.  They were setting up outside for an evening wedding.  What a cool venue!  I wandered around the gift shop, where Arizona craftspeople are fetured, and then had a good yack with the women tending to the entrance.  Wonderful lady let me in for free, since I am a teacher that loves her kids (that's what she said!) Made me feel like a million bucks.

The place wasn't crowded, but the main attraction, wildlife paintings by*** , although wonderful, didn't strike my fancy.  A very small exhibit entitled was quite cool *** as was another, slightly larger exhibit, that was all about hands.

Before I left I ventured up to the second floor to see the museum's own collection of Latin American artifacts.  This was particularly interesting to me because I'm in the middle of teaching about the history and background of Mexcio, primarily the Olmec and Maya so far.  And there were some great artifacts!  Imagine my delight when I discovered that some of the pieces in this exhibit are on loan to the museum by the grandparents of one of my students!

I ended my day by strolling around the Downtown Artisans galleries, which used to be wonderful but is almost gone and not very exciting.  The huge fake marigold encrusted Dia de los Muertos altar in one of the shops always interests me, though.

A nice day, and nice ride.  I hope to keep it up!

Arizona - My Adopted State

Books set in Arizona:

Picture books
Little Red Cowboy Hat - Susan Lowell
Mule Train Mail - Craig Brown

For kids/YA
Amelia Hits the Road - Marissa Moss
Fat Cat - Robin Brande


For Adults
All the Wrong Moves - Merline Lovelace (mystery)
At Ease with the Dead - Walter Satterthwaite (mystery)
Cowboy Rides Away - Thornton (mystery)
Dead for the Winter - Betsy Thornton (mystery)
Ghost Towns - Betsy Thornton (mystery)
High Lonesome Road - Betsy Thornton (mystery)
Mission to Sonora - Rebecca Cramer (mystery)
A Song for You - Betsy Thornton (mystery)

BETSY THORNTON Author Page

 NonFiction
The Spanish Missions of Arizona - Robin Lyon

Places to visit in Arizona 
Coronado National Memorial
Kartchner Caverns

Places to Visit In and Around Tucson
Mini Time Museum of Miniatures
Pima County Libraries
Postal History Foundation
University of Arizona Poetry Center

Sunday Wanderings

This Sunday was a gorgeous day - mid 70's, very difficult to leave the house, the finches, and the pool-whose-water-is-getting-warmer-and-warmer. It was one of those Arizona, azure skies. Unbeatable. but I hit the road anyway, and just sort of went where my nose led me.....

Antigone Book Store, 4th Avenue, Tucson Since it's Sunday, Antigone didn't open until 11, so I got back in the car and decided to head downtown to the Il Tiradito Shrine. To my disappointment, the roads were blocked today for some sort of Tucson bicycle extravaganza, Cyclovia, so that was out. Ah well, another Sunday. Back to Antigone. Today was their party to celebrate being the first bookstore in America to be 100% solar powered. Now THAT's pretty cool. I love this bookstore. It's quite difficult to describe. Artsy. Loads and loads of cutting edge new books, including kid's and kid's poetry. More journal than I've ever seen together in one place, and some of the most clever - and unusual - greeting cards anywhere. Music. Gifts...out-of-the ordinary, nothing "usual." Tee shirts. Very back-to-the-earth-y and environmentally friendly. They have a parking area for customers, too, so I've never found it difficult to find a parking place.

San Xavier del Bac, Tohono O'odham Reservation, a breath south of Tucson on Mission Road (or I-19) The White Dove of the Desert. I love this place....at least, when it's not overcrowded with tourists, like it was today. Note to self: Do NOT go to San Xavier on a Sunday in March. Huge crowds. People would smash into y ou for a parking place. Save this trip for a different time of year or day of the week. It was still lovely to look at, but I high-tailed it out of there pretty fast. I went north on Mission Road instead of getting back onto I-19 and headed up for Gates Pass and the west side of Tucson, Super Saguaro Country.

Tucson Mountain Park, on the west side of Tucson It's hard to say whether there's a more beautiful desert drive than through Gates Pass and north or south on Kinney Road. The thickest stand of saguaros anywhere, orange-tipped ocotillos, teddy bear cholla, sentinel-peaked mountains, clear azure sky. Oh my, oh my, oh my. Breathtaking. And this place is my HOME now, I'm not even a tourist. That's why I have to take advantage , right?

The Mini-Time Museum of Miniatures

Live in or near Tucson, Arizona? Planning to visit? This museum is a magical place. Collected from all over the world and now in one large, beautiful building, are miniatures. "Doll" houses. Rooms. Villages. Fairylands. Antique and contemporary. What a place! The facility is brand new, sparkling clean, cleverly arranged, and a delight in itself. The first thing you notice when entering the HUGE front doors, is that to the left of the door is a miniature facsimile of the door.

The docent/fee collector was pleasant and informative. I picked up a scavenger hunt and a pencil and started my self-tour. This week's hunt was through some of the miniatures of Europe (it looks like, for the summer at least, that every two weeks the scavenger hunt changes.) It was fun to focus intently on things I would have missed otherwise. However, it's almost too much to take in in one visit. A membership costs only $30 (or it's $7 for adults for one visit, with the option to come back later in the day if you'd like) Since I'd love to come back to focus on a smaller amount of items, the membership certainly fit the bill. The Christmas village -- set into the floor and covered with plexiglass -- would fascinate enough without setting foot anywhere else in the building! And check out all the miniature lighting....I could go on and on.

There are also programs going on. In another week, a miniaturist that works with tiny sea shells will be there, and it sounds like people can try it out themselves. Count me in! It also appears that there's a day camp of some sort for kids.

So, people of Tucson, check this place out. Their magical website is http://www.theminitimemachine.org/ which will give you all the particulars. And the website itself is quite cool, too!

2nd Annual Tucson Festival of Books

Wow. What an amazing weekend. Perfect weather - low 70's. Sun shining...hot. Crowds of happy people, many with tee shirts glorifying reading in some way. Colorful parasols dotting the slowly moving people as they sip on free McDonalds frappacinos or glance at displays in one of the hundreds of booths. This is what the mall at the University of Arizona in Tucson looked like yesterday...and will today, too.

Free parking! That is, if you can find a lot that isn't full. I had to park quite a distance away, but the walk through campus was gorgeous. There's weren't a lot of students around, since it was the first day of break. But the campus was immaculate and green and budding. And when I reached the mall all I could see were white tents and milling people, I could smell lovely scents floating from the many food vendors and I could hear a low murmur of voices. Dogs on leashes (and being carried!) everywhere. And the sights of those hundreds of parasols!

My first two hours were spent "manning" my school's booth, which was great fun. There's a new consortium of private schools in Tucson, and we're one of the five. Our booths were all together in the children's section. The booths and names on the booth are all provided by the Festival, which makes it orderly and easy to find the venue you're looking for. I enjoyed a Sonoran hot dog for lunch and then went wandering. And thinking. And saying hi to friends, students, parents. And gathering ideas for my blog and for my classroom.

Some of the highlights for me:

Finding out there is a National Jane Austen Society with a large Tucson branch!

Meeting young adult author Jillian Cantor (The September Sisters and The Life of Glass) a lovely local author whose first adult novel is coming out in November.

Spending some time in the WOW booth (World of Words, a U of A College of Education invention), talking to one of their articulate volunteers and checking out a huge basket of books about China.

Talking with past participants in the Southern Arizona Writing Project and feeling their great enthusiasm.

Watching kids participating in the dozens and dozens of activities provided for them. This was indeed the perfect family venue! ! !

Today I hope to catch a few author talks. So many authors here! I can't believe such a huge event, in only its second year, was so organized, so cram full of great "stuff," and so well attended. Hurray, U of A and festival committee! And thanks!

Kartchner Caverns, Benson, Arizona

The Arizona State Park System is doing an extraordinary job, as far as I can tell. Today I took my fourth grade class to visit Kartchner Caverns just south of Benson in southern Arizona. It was an amazing -- and outstanding -- experience for all of us. A real treat.

There are two different tours available, we took the Rotunda/Throne Room tour. After an interesting glimpse of history and animal life at the Discovery Center (darn, the video was on the blink) and some crawling through three simulations of cave entrances, we embarked on a short tram ride up to the entrance to the cave.


Once there, we entered a series of airtight doors, walking in amazement through a long, winding corridor that has been dynamited through the mountain. The humidity is amazingly high - 99% - my glasses kept steaming up. And then we got into the cave itself. It's a wonder. A real wonder. Back in ...1974ish....two twenty-something spelunkers climbed down into a sinkhole in the middle of the desert and discovered it. They knew enough to be really careful, so that even the originial tracks through the mud at the very bottom of the cave are the ones they retraced every time.

This is a "wet" cave, still alive. That means it's still forming its steleothems - stalactites and stalagmites and soda straws, bacon, drapery, popcorn - so many different kinds of formations. At the end of the tour you sit in an area looking down into the "Throne Room" and watch a slow, careful light show along with some beautiful music. Breathtaking. Every one of the kids was impressed.

I'm going back - soon. I want to take the second tour, the one of the "Big Room." Kartchner Caverns Tenth Anniversary is this weekend - what a phenominal, environmentally sound excursion they have created for the populace. An incredible treat.

University of Arizona POETRY CENTER

Tucked off Speedway just west of Cherry (its official address is 1508 East Helen St.) is the almost-brand new poetry center. Easy to park (it's free after five and on weekends, but there's a parking garage, not too, too expensive, on the opposite corner). Quiet. Peaceful. Cool. And chock-a-block full of poetry. You can read a current newspaper there, too. You can't cehck out any of the books, but you can read to your heart's content. And it's free, free, free!

Of course, my favorite corner is the children's poetry section. Full of books and teacher resources, it's a real find. There are comfy chairs for kids to sit in (I sit cross-legged on the floor) and there's a roll of paper and crayons to doodle and write on. They have Saturday morning "Poetry Joeys" for kids during the school year - usually near the end of the month. They are now offering two session, for young kids and for older kids, with activities and poetry. I'm planning to go as soon as they get started up again. I'm sure I can pass for 10 or 11......

They've also developed a fantastic curriculum called Verse!, that's geared to 4-6 year olds. I think they're cutting themselves short, many of the wonderful poetry-writing activities in this large manual can be done and/or adapted for older kids as well. Well worth the 25 bucks.

They usually have an artist exhibition, there's a huge computer room, and the lobby has a circle of sofas where you could gather and talk ......poetry, perhaps?

Upstairs are classrooms and offices. I took a beginner poetry writing class there last winter. They offer inexpensive workshops, and regular university courses, and you don't have to be a student. I'm so lucky to live near this university!

Here's their website.

Around Tucson

The Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
4455 E. Camp Lowell
Tucson, AZ 85712
$7 for adults, $5 for kids, lots and lots of free parking, a brand-new, incredibly interesting museum full of miniatures - "doll" houses, room, collectibles, villages, and even a fairyland. Super interesting.
The Postage Foundation and Museum
920 No. First Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85719
FREE Admission, parking in rear. Not huge or time-consuming, but REALLY interesting. Only open weekdays, 8-3 or so.

University of Arizona Poetry Ctr.
1508 E. Helen St.
Tucson, AZ
just north of Speedway, west of Cherry
FREE Admission, parking garage adjacent, free parking nights & weekends, great children's and teacher resource section, read any of thousands of poetry books!

The Pima County Public Libraries
They're all over the place - and most are open 'til 8 on weeknights AND on Sundays from 1-5. Lots of compters, places to sit and read, zillions of books (in most branches) and it's COOOOOOOL inside. We are so lucky to have a FREE library system in this country!

Kartchner Caverns State Park,
Benson, Arizona

Part of the Arizona State Park System, a true wonder to behold! Reservations are highly recommended/required - the cost is well worth it. There are two different tours to choose from. I can only recommend the Rotunda/Throne Room Tour (it's the only one I've gone on) and it was unbelievable!

Postal History Foundation - Tucson

TEACHER ALERT!
My last week of actual vacation at HOME before school starts, so I decided to do some exploring, especially to places that aren't open on the weekend. First stop, First Avenue near the U of A Campus to visit the Postal Foundation and Museum. WHAT A FIND!

There was a small tour there from the Botanical Garden, and I hitched on behind them for a little while, until I was directed to the director of educational services, Lisa Dembowski. And then I started getting excited.

First, you should see all the boxes and bags and containers and shelves of used stamps in this place. WOW!!! Apparently, Lisa goes all over Tucson to classrooms with presentations and activities about stamps in general, or for specific topics or themes. She was informative, helpful, and knowledgeable about her job. She gave me a bagful of "damaged" stamps (they looked fine to me) so that we can collage some onto the front of our journals to get us excited and enthused about stamps...and history....and famous people....and art.... on the first day of school.

Volunteers were everywhere, lots and lots of retired and elderly stamp collectors who have different jobs around the foundation, from soaking and sorting stamps to specialized expertise-type jobs. I'd LOVE to volunteer in the educational program here. Only problem, it's only open from 8 to 3 or 3:30 Monday through Friday, so I'm not going to get to return very often once school starts, never mind volunteering. I do think I'll become a member, though. This was a great place.

There's a small museum, a lovely library with a great kid's section, loads of used stamps and books to purchase, and a REAL post office (open until 2:30) on sight, with no waiting!

And everything's FREE FREE FREE!

NOTE: Watch the parking signs. They mean it. I found out for a fact.

See their website. If you teach 4th grade/Arizona History, there's a free postal booklet you can download that's really terrific.....it's terrific even if you don't teach "Arizona History", but only have an interest in Arizona history (heh heh heh, get it?)

Visit at 920 No. First Avenue (just west of Euclid, First Ave. is not the major roadway here that it is above Speedway), Tucson, Arizona 85719. (520)623-6652. Have fun!

Oro Valley Public Library - Arizona

I've only been to this library once before, a few years ago, and I only stumbled upon it. I remember being very impressed. I was in Oro Valley yesterday, so decided to hunt it down. Wowee. What a great library!

This library is its own entity, owned and operated by the town of Oro Valley. It's an affiliate of the Pima Country Library. That was news to me. I took out three books, and the automation and procedures are exactly the same. I wonder if they have their own library card?

Teens and Children's both have their OWN ROOMS! And when you first enter, to the right is a huge, beautfiully labeled section of used books and media that is the FRIENDS of THE LIBRARY bookstore. Great prices, great selection, and lots of new stuff!

It's huge. It has public rooms - there was one room full of women playing Mah Jong. It has large study carrells sprinkled around. It looks like they subscribe to tons of magazines.

Unfortunately for the town and for me, it's closed on Sunday.

Outside is a gorgeous sculpture, a tree sprouting from a book. It was 113 degrees outside, so I didn't scramble to find something to write on to notate the words. I will next time. With the mountains in the background....what a sight!

There were no grouchy librarians that I could see. It was quiet and peaceful. It was packed with adults - not many kids here today.

I am so lucky to have access to the many wonderful libraries in the Tucson area!

Pima County Library

When I moved to Tucson, Arizona from Northeast Harbor, Maine, within the first 48 hours I'd located the nearest library to my new digs. To my utter astonishment, I discovered over a dozen libaries would be available to me. My wonderful library in Northeast Harbor (and all the friends I made there) had welcomed me from my first week of residency to this very day, but I was overwhelmed and in love with these new facilities at my fingertips. And, since that first step into the Bear Canyon Library in 2002 to today, I hit one of the Pima County Libraries at least once a week, usually more. Yesterday I ventured to one that I hadn't visited before, and loved it. So I decided that one of my summer goals would be to check out each and every branch. I bet they're all wonderfully different. Oh, the picture books, the music, the array of books-on-tape, the different places to sit and read a magazine.......

I love the new library logo. In front of my school, just behind one of the most beautiful metal sculptures I've ever seen, is a plant that looks EXACTLY like the logo. I'll have to take a photo.

I love scanning my library card, scanning the books, and checking out myself.

I don't love that I can only have 25 out at a time - as a school teacher that uses lots of literature in her classroom that IS a bit limiting. .Ah, well.

And I don't love the reserve policy - I wish I could have more than 15 on reserve at a time. I'm always waiting for the good new ones to come in, and unless I want to be #88 out of 353 (this happens all the time, there are a lot of people in Tucson) I have to get my reserve request in. But I can receive a book that's sitting on a shelf in a far-off library withing two days. So the reserve list is used to transfer a book to Golf Links so that I can pick it up there. So so so cool, but it's really easy to get up to 15.

Miller-Golf Links Library, closest to my home and where I pick up all my reserves. My third home (Barnes & Noble Cafe is my second). Comfy.

River Branch, closest to school and on the way home, this is also where I went for most of the time I lived in the Foothills. I bump into a lot of students here, so to be anonymous I only use this in an emergency...although there's a really cute librarian that I like to say hi to once in awhile....(oh, how shallow!)

Bear Canyon They remodeled this library a bit ago, and it's a little less personal now. It also has a really unpleasant librarian (the only one I've met here). But it's an easy ride on the way home after school, and has a Dairy Queen right next door (mmmm, I feel like a Hawaiin Blizzard right now.....). Its also always VERY quiet, and I love the magazine reading area.

Himmel Park I spent one whole year, twice a week, tutoring here. It's small and always very busy with lots of little kids reading (and making noise). Too bad it's not bigger.

Nanini Branch A few blocks west of Sonoran Science Academy, where I taught for two years, I was a frequent visitor. Locked my keys in the car while there once (AAA was fast). Busy.

Murphy-Wilmot Branch This is closest to the mall, between Broadway and Speedway...I return a lot of books here. It's really, really busy, but easy to access, and I can find a lot of the children's books I'm hunting for here. For some reason, I run in almost every Sunday for one reason or other, and will today, too..... NOTE: July 2009: They're going to do some major remodeling on the library, and will move it for perhaps a year or so to a large building a bit south of the mall, (still on Wilmot).

Joel D. Valdez Main Library This is right smack in the downtown area. There's an undergroun parking garage. I've only been here once, and that was for a (wonderful) poetry class. It's huge, so I'm going to have to really check it out soon.

Columbus Branch I just discovered this one yesterday. Even though I've driven by it a hundred times (it's right on 22nd St.) I never noticed it. It's not labeled well. It's easy (and quiet) to park in the back, and the main entrance is there, too. There weren't many cars in the lot, but it was full of teenagers and adults reading and at the computers. Lots of tables and comfortable places to sit.

Martha Cooper Branch On my way home from school today (June 8th), I hunted for this one. It's on Catalina and Fairmount, between Pima and Speedway. Not too big, but not squished. New? There was a security guard - a really pleasant guy, but this is the first time I've seen that. Plenty of people inside, especially at computers both in the lab and their own personal laptops. Very small children's and YA section.

El Rio Branch Library is part of the El Rio Community Center. It's really, really small, with a limited number of books, but every computer was full and patrons continued to come in, going to the RESERVE section, or browsing the Spanish-language section. It's on Speedway, just west of the Berger Center, and has a beautiful mosaic outside.

Woods Memorial Branch Library
This is over on First, in the Amphi school district. It's very large. As usual, I spent most of my time in the children's section. On Sunday afternoon it was particularly quiet, but it was hot hot hot outside (111 degrees) so families were probably staying home. The computers were full, though. Lots and lots of kid's books!

Oro Valley Library This is an affiliate of the Pima County Library. I've written a separate blog here if you want to read it.