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I am a traveling dog…

Tynan the traveling dog in Hatch, NM
Can’t we ever just walk by weird things? Of course, not. (I remind you of the Uranus Fudge Factory she made us stop at in Missouri.) Notice she’s holding my head so that I’ll look at the camera. Anyway, this is Hatch,across the street from the famous Sparky’s Restaurant with its aromatic smoke.

 

 

Tynan the traveling dog back for a third week! Woof! Unfortunately, the idiots have no plans for us to go anywhere anytime soon. Bummer. But, as promised, I thought I’d catch you up on our Arizona trip, show you how I added a state to my repertoire, as it were.

If you’re not all caught up, check last week’s post, a quick summary of the trip, then sit back in your armchair while I drive for a change.

We left Albuquerque on Thursday, January 2, by about 10:00. The time was more tailored to ensure lunch at Sparky’s in Hatch, the chile capitol of the world. He’d never eaten there. Me, I got to sit in the car while the smoke coming from all those burgers and pork wafted in through the cracked car windows strangling me with its perfect aroma. It was not an auspicious start for the trip. In retaliation, when they waddled walked me around later, I peed on Sparky’s. Not my finest moment, I admit, but peeing on my people really wouldn’t have worked. Then they made pose for pictures in front of the kitschy stuff near the restaurant. Whatever.

At last we were off again. It’s a long ride to Tucson, and I snoozed through most of it. Finally, we arrived at our destination, the Best Western-Tucson Foothills. Apparently, she and my lady friends from the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) prefer this place when they make their annual pilgrimage to the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers Hook-In. (Hook-in, yes they really call it that.) There is a reason for their fealty to this particular hotel: free booze! Yep, the place provides a gratis happy hour (more like three hours), and you know they aren’t passing by that. Wouldn’t you know it, we arrived during sed happy hour. So off to the “cafe” we go thinking the idiots will pick up a glass of quaffable, free wine and sit outside or, more realistically as the sun was already going down, head back to the room to drink then argue over who would go back to get the next round.

Tynan the traveling dog on the hotel bed.
Best Western-Tucson Foothills: Four paws up for the comfy bed. Pity the master kicked me off every single night once his World of Warcraft character bit the big one (over and over).

 

But then the beautiful bartendress sees me, and she says these magical words: “Oh, he’s so cute, Of course, he can stay.” She caresses my chin and whispers, “Would you like to go home with me? I can give you your own downy hotel bed, barbecue on demand…” Sorry, I digress there, maybe fantasize a bit. The point is I was invited in to happy hour all weekend. Nice touch, Best Western-Tucson Foothills. Oh, especially, that popcorn machine. Loved the popcorn machine!

Drinks drunk, we head back to the room so the idiots can rest. (Wow, tough day: eating, driving, and drinking.) Anyway, he takes over the desk with his laptop; she and I claim the bed.  This traveling dog is really starting to love human hotel beds. They’re lower than the one back home, and they’re BIG! She doesn’t care if I take 2/3s of it. Very comfy.

 

Saguaro cacti in the Coronado National Forest.
On the way up to Mount Lemmon in the Coronado National Forest. Check out all the crazy saguaro cacti! Have you ever seen so many in one place? They even constitute a cactus forest!

 

 

Next day, we’re off to Mount Lemmon, Tucson’s tallest mountain. Back maybe 16 summers ago, they were vacationing in Tucson, checking it out for possible future residence. They tried to drive up but were turned back by officials. The mountain was on fire. Not this time! Of course, we had to drive in stops and starts since she had to take all her freaking pictures. Fortunately, there was some pretty spectacular scenery. And I got to get out of the car!

 

Saguaro cactus.
A saguaro close-up.

 

 

 

 

 

Rock formations on Mount Lemmon.
The topography changed on our way up to Mount Lemmon. The cacti gave way to juniper bushes and then pines. There were interesting rock formations on the way up. You could climb on them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool tree on Mount Lemmon.
She captured this old tree for her friend Karen Miller of Karen D. Miller Studio in Ontario. I know why I’m fascinated with trees, but them????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from Mount Lemmon of Tucson.
This is the view looking over Tucson from near the tree. Quite…expansive.
Mount Lemmon Ski Area.
This is what a skiing area looks like in…Tucson. We saw three people ski across that hill. Three. Can you say “ice”? Unfortunately, the rest of the road to the top was blocked here with snow. No telescopes for us. But we got pretty close.
Man in front of restuarant.
The master after a fine lunch at the Iron Door Restaurant across the street from Mount Lemmon Ski Valley. Notice that I am not in the photograph. Perhaps someone should alert the authorities regarding how often they leave me in a vehicle while they stuff their faces.
Tynan the traveling dog on snow hike.
After lunch on the mountain, the pudgy ones decided to work some of it off with a hike. I’m always good with that. And unlike them, I miss snow, so this was a fine activity.

 

That night, my AWAG ladies finally showed up at the hotel. At happy hour, of course. Mary R. brought me gifts, and…the popcorn machine was working! Nan watched me while the idiots went for food. She let me on her bed. I love Nan. Plus, she brings toys for me when she comes to our house.

 

Saturday morning, we drop the mistress off at the La Paloma Country Club for the hook-in. Looked like a swanky place for something with such a stupid name. He tells her not to spend so much at the silent auction this year. Right. (Later she called not breaking $100 a win. He did not.)

Back to that day, he decides to take us to some park; he’s already forgotten the name. (At least she wouldn’t have done that.) We get out of the car. Something is not right. He wonders why I don’t want to do the usual who-peed-here sniffs, but something smells really bad at this park. “Come on, ” he tells me not particularly patiently. He calls me squirrely, mocks me with that word. But I’m trying to tell him, I think there are f-ing rattlesnakes here! They paid for me to have that hateful training, but it did work. I smell their dirty asses (not that I’m exactly sure where a snake keeps its ass). Finally, he’s fed up with me; we turn around. There is a god! We head back to my favorite Best Western. Frankly, I think he just wanted to get back to his stupid laptop and World of Warcraft. Whatever, I got the bed to myself.

That night we do happy hour with the girls again. Folks fawn over me especially when they hear what he did to me. I appreciate that. Sunday morning we’re off for home. She gets an idea that she wants to take a different route, not the one we came on. He’s skeptical, but of course, she wins. We turn the car to the north. At first it’s nice, sleep-inducing. We stop at McDonald’s for their “quality” brunch, then get into some more remote country. I’ll let the pictures (she took soooo many) tell the story.

El Capitan Pass in Arizona.
Excuse me for waxing poetic, but you have to drive around this great country of ours to really appreciate how big and beautiful it is. This is El Capitan Pass in Arizona. Things were getting pretty desolate out here, and no, there was absolutely no cell service to call AAA. (We were in another rental; he didn’t dare risk driving his ancient Honda Accord on this trip. She wouldn’t have let him forget it if the damn thing broke down.)
Snake River Canyon in Arizona.
Okay, this killed about an hour, but she insisted it was worth taking all the photos then hanging at the visitor center. While they’ve been to and even hiked down the Grand Canyon farther north and west, they didn’t know crap about the Salt River Canyon. It and the many switch-backs it took to get down to the river were admittedly impressive.
Snake River in Arizona.
A view of the Snake River down at the Visitor Center.

 

 

 

Traveling dog at Snake River in Arizona.
A view of us practically under the old and the new bridges where Route 60 crosses the Snake River. How many of pictures can one person take of the same thing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snake River in Arizona.
Of course, can’t live without a shot of the river on the other side of the bridges.

 

 

 

 

Salt River Canyon.
And yet another one of the Canyon after we’d crossed the bridge and started to climb out of the Salt River Canyon.
Cliffs in New Mexico.
Finally! We get to something in New Mexico! And it was suitably impressive. These cliffs and rock formations were in the El Malpais National Monument. (They didn’t know anything about that either.) Driving through there was even more desolate than going through Arizona. Again, thank God for the rental car!
Malpais arch.
Incredible as La Ventana Arch is, she didn’t spend a ton of time outside, though she still took way too many shots. It was cold and windy; she was dressed for Tucson. Ha! It’s always good to wear just one outfit your entire life. Me, I’m ready for anything in my naturally red and white fur coat.

At least we made it home before dark, and now I’m coming to terms with my lack of hotel beds and popcorn machines.

 

Hooked rug.
She’s still not letting me sit on her current rug, the “Big Boucherouite,” and get a treat for sharing it with you, but she’s got this tiny photo for you. Looks like all the others if you ask me

 

 

Tynan the traveling dog
Tynan the traveling dog

 

 

 

I hope she’ll let me come back again sooner than later. I enjoy sharing my travels with you. And you make good witnesses as to how the idiots treat me.

Later,

Tynan the traveling dog

 

 

 

 

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Rug porn from Tucson

 

In front of Sparky's oon the way to the hook-in in Tucson.
This fine metallic gentleman greeted us at the door when we stopped to lunch at Sparky’s in Hatch, New Mexico. You know, the chile capital of the world. It’s an AWAG tradition to stop there for lunch on our way to Tucson. (Even if you’re on a stupid elimination diet…)

 

Like every good blogger who goes to a hook-in, I have returned home from last weekend’s Tucson Hook-In to share the event’s rug porn. Okay, I’m a little slower getting to it than the ladies who were at the Eliot Hook-In in Maine last weekend – a couple had there photos out by Sunday! – but does that matter? No!

I’ve got pics for you. Enjoy!

 

Flowers growing in January in Tucson.
Okay, NOT rug porn. But I love bougainvillea so much. This big bush was growing outside my hotel room. And blooming in January! That doesn’t even happen in Albuquerque.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rug porn.
Did I mention our guild’s project, our friendship rugs? Here’s a sneak peek of Nancy Hart’s. It’s done; all she has to do is finish it off. Lucky girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paloma Country Club in Tucson.
This was the view from the terrace where some of us ate lunch. Have to hand it to the Paloma Country Club and the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers (OPRH), they certainly know how to feed folks. Always a fabulous salad bar and BIG cookies. (Although, those of us who are gluten-free and also on an elimination diet at exactly the wrong time, might feel a little sad about those cookies…)
This spectacular rug “Mimbres” was hooked by members of OPRH: Kathy Kavoric, Julie Gibson, Adrienne Price, and Diana Foltz.
Rug porn.
The “Very Wet Bear” was hooked by Russ Nichols and designed by Kari Lehr. Makes me swoon and wish I’d hooked it.
“All is Well” was hooked by Kathy Kovaric. Cheers the heart, no?
Silent auction rug porn.
I have to stop making a habit of picking up frames at the silent auction. Two years ago it was the Anderson frame. This year I admit to somewhat aggressively pursuing this Puritan frame and stand. Hey, I have students coming in March. I needed one more frame!
Rug porn.
Another amazing silent auction win. This beautiful, little mat was hooked by Diana Foltz. I do not lie when I tell you that I give more money to OPRH and their auction each year than I do my own guild

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, I bring you a gorgeous picture of some seriously cool rock formations. I took the pic at a rest area on the way home. See why I love New Mexico? Thanks to Melinda, Cathy, and Mary for a fun weekend!

Thank you to OPRH for once again putting on such a classy and fun hook-in. One that was worth the eight hours of travel each way. See you next year!

 

Tynan’s back with this week’s “What’s on the frame?” As you can see, the mystery rug is coming along. It must be because I’ve started to make some corrections. Still not completely sure how it’ll look when it’s done, but I press on. More next week!
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