Arizona Weekly Weather Report
Good morning friends, I hope you will join me for iced coffee today. It’s going to be a squelcher this weekend – up to 90s even in Prescott which is cool compared to Phoenix’s 114 F/ 45.5556 C.
Cee’s Black and White Challenge – Stacks or Piles
I love to do challenges, and it is so hard for me to post every day. Thank you for letting me double-dip.
In Prescott, we have tons of rock piles in whatever direction you look. Even though I never tire of them, you might get bored looking at them.
Today I found a lot of piled and stacked items on one of our History Gals’ trips to Palm Springs several years ago. Just before I went over the Grapevine south of Bakersfield, I stopped to watch a farmer plowing up his field of cotton. The harvester left cotton bits piled alongside the furrow.
They looked nothing like the stacks of cotton t-shirts they would become.
Weekly Reading
I started two books this week. The first one is an ongoing challenge that Priorhouse Blog and Trent’s World are having reading through Charles Dickens’s novel, The Bleak House. The book is free if you like reading on your computer. I ordered it for my Kindle on Amazon for $.60. All my notes, fabulous descriptions about fog, disappeared off my computer. After I read Trent’s post I knew I had to read it even though I’d already started A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston.
““Fog everywhere. Fog up the river where it flows among green airs and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping, and the waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city…. Chance people on the bridges peeping over the parapets into a nether sky of fog, with fog all round them, as if they were up in a balloon and hanging in the misty clouds.”
Charles Dickens
I struggle to write descriptions, yet Dickens spent 3-4 pages describing misty air relating it to people and what they were doing, using it in similes and metaphors. Then the finale was that the judge “sat down in the fog,” making murky air into something substantial and thus deepening the plot.
Other Challenges that Influenced this Post
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge CMMC – Pale Summer Color
Pale Cars at the Martin Auto Museum in Glendale, AZ
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge – FOTD
Thursday Trios
#Thursday Doors
Challenges that Influenced this Post
- Cee’s Black and White Challenge – Stacks or Piles
- Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
- Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – Pale Summer Colors
- LAPC #203
- Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share #73
- Thursday Trios
- Thursday Doors
Ongoing on Always Write
- June Story Chat “The Backpack” by Aimer Boyz coming Tuesday, June 7.
- WQW #21 (Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays) – “Water Fun in the Sun” The only rule is to have at least one quote in your post about the topic. Remember a song can be a quote, too. Then just post a story, poem, or pictures that tie into and respond to your quote or quotes. The last day to post links is Tuesday at 12:00 noon Phoenix time.
- PPAC (Photographing Public Art Challenge) every Friday at 9:00 (ish). The last day to post links is Thursday at 12:00 noon Phoenix time.
I apologize to anyone who read this post early. For some reason, it published at 3:00 am rather than 9:00 am as I thought it was set for. I hadn’t changed the links yet. That’s what I get for writing blog posts at 3:00 am!
That’s a wrap for today. Cold coffee hit the spot this weekend, and I didn’t lose my cup as we drove to Scottsdale.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
61 responses to “Piles of Ice for This Week”
[…] Martin Auto Museum #1Martin Auto Museum #2 […]
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Hi Marsha
So much to like here
I slowly enjoyed this post today (after a quick skim before) and enjoyed many little details
ESP smile at the traffic at green lights
Parts of Florida can be that way!
Hope bleak house is coming along
And my husband read the Cranston book and said it was just okay
I am curious to hear what you think —
Hope you have a nice day
☀️🌸
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I’m about 65% complete. My early guess about Esther’s parents was correct. Trent says there’s a big surprise at the ending. So I keep plowing onward. The language is offputting at times, and it makes me sleepy, but it has its ways of keeping the reader going. I particularly liked the way Ester shared her mother’s letter, keeping part of it to herself saying it wasn’t necessary to share “here.” I smiled. In my writing it would have meant, “I can’t think of what else to put in this letter.” LOL
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[…] Martin Auto Museum #2 […]
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Those car colors are absolutely stunning. Wow. Of course I always love your photos. I so wish I had more time to do challenges and really get out and take photos…someday. I hope blogging stays around for awhile…haha.
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I think it will with the millions of us doing it.
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Great trios this week, Marsha. I loved the glassware and the three faces in the glass leaf was a terrific find. At the art gallery that we went to on Friday I found a trio of wonderful glass art that I will post next week.
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I find most of my trios at art shows and specialty shops, it seems. I don’t take time to take still lifes, but maybe I should. I’ve seen some great ones, and they make good puzzles afterwards, too.
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That’s all I need. Making puzzles from my photos could be fun but I’d never get anything else done.
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OKay, now you know what my problem is. LOL
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Even more beautiful cars 😍
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That was a huge museum! I can’t even tell you how many square feet or how many cars there were.
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Transport and car museums are some of my favourite places to visit. We did the Peterson Museum in LA years ago and it was amazing.
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I don’t know if I’ve been there, but I’ve been to lots of car museums all over the states. It’s one of my favorite pasttimes, too. 🙂
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Fun post, Marsha! I could have written posts at 3am this morning–drank coffee too late at two parties yesterday. Oy! 90 in Prescott? Yikes! My DIL said it was 113 in Tempe yesterday. And we are heading y’all’s way in a matter of weeks. I hope I can get used to driving in traffic again, LOL!
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So much for 90. It got up to 101 yesterday, Vince said. That’s Prescott, not Scottsdale. LOL Just a warning about writing at 3:00 am. WP takes advantage of you! Especially if you make a mistake and schedule more than once and forget to check. I don’t think spell check works at 3:00 am either.
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LOL! Egads on that heat! This time last year, here, it was ramping up to hot the whole month of June. I’m bleary-eyed from my restless night–time for coffee now!
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LOL – no that’s not nice. If I take a Tylenol at night I sleep better, still not all night, but I’m not tempted to get up and blog. 🙂
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Great photos! I’ve kayaked at Watson many times. Didn’t like the hike around it…too many snakes on just one hike. 🙄 Hope you stay cool! 🌞
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I’m not super fond of snakes either. We’ve only hiked in the fall. Vince is not a great water sporter, but I hope to get in some kayaking this summer when Terri visits us.
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Stay cool Marsha. If I could I would send you some of our bitterly cold wind, blowing right up from the snow in the southern alps.
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I hate to say it, Carol, but you can keep them. I’m enjoying the bit of hot weather. It seems like it is cold here for 6 months of the year. I was ready for some heat. I was SO ready that we went to Scottsdale just so I could swim at the condo in 100 degree heat. LOL!
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Well just for a change here in our part of Australia it is winter and cold. Some parts which are elevated have lots of snow.
For us, it’s about strong bitingly cold winds…but hey, grateful for a respite from the rain.
Temps over the old 100F are pretty common in summer too. However, air con for the win!!
Take care my friend,
Denyse #weekendcoffeeshare
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Hi Denyse. You must not be too far from my friend Carol the Eternal Traveller. She complained about the bitter cold winds – offering to send me some. I turned her down. We have plenty of windy days here and today is one of them even with high temperatures. It blows hot and cold here. Later this evening, I’ll head out for a walk when the sun isn’t so intense and it will feel glorious. Wish I could share some of that with you. 🙂
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Oh my, you’ve offered us an embarrassment of riches in this post! I despise the heat, don’t look forward to summer months with no A/C. But your photos are fabulous again, they allow me to travel without leaving my desk. And thanks for the bit about Bleak House–sounds like I missed a good one amid English Major days😊
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Since I didn’t do English Major days, it’s good to hear that even you missed some. When I started blogging – even up to the present – I realize the extreme dearth of reading in my background, in spite of the fact I read a lot. I have filled my hours with a lot of mind candy, which I adore, but doesn’t further my literary life with the background knowledge I need. When I first started blogging I read a lot of classics and posted lots of book reviews that no one read. I leave them there for my benefit mostly. 🙂 Have a great week Staarlz.
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What lovely words, Marsha–I appreciate what you share, there’s often a blessing just waiting for me to pick up! May your week be abundantly blessed!💖
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Thank you. May you have a wonderful week as well.:)
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Thanks!
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Love the leaf glass faces, Marsha!
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I just discovered them! I thought they were so cool! 🙂
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I love that Dickens quote. I’ve never read any of his works, but now I really want to. Prescott is too warm for my liking and I’ve never even experienced temperatures like the ones in Phoenix now.
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We lived in a hot part of California, and it gets almost that hot 110 is not abnormal in July and August. The hottest I remember in CA was 117, but Phoenix is worse and it’s early in the summer. Thanks for stopping by Astrid. I’m just getting started with this book of Dickens. It’s dense with description, but draws you in.
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I love seeing doors at an art festival. They often are works of art. Great photos for the other challenges, especially the cars!
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Thanks, I guess they could have been Doors posts, too. They all have doors. I may post some of them on your post next week. I have tons of pictures. It was a great museum.
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Car doors are always welcome. There are a bunch of people who are quick to identify old cars.
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Well, be warned. They are coming. 🙂
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I really like your stacks and piles. And, of course, you know I adore your pale colored cars for the week too. Wonderfully fun post. 😀
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Thanks, Cee. My post posted before I had the correct links listed. I should never write posts at 3:00 am. LOL
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The first photo is my favourite – I love those piles of rocks and it works well as a B&W shot 🙂 Prescott sounds a bit too hot for me right now!
I’m working on a PPAC post so will be back later with that …
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Thank you so much. I think your post for WQW is wonderful 🙂
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Thank you so much, I had fun with it!
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I would too. I would have even more fun being in those places. LOL
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Way to multitask on those challenges, Marsha. Like Brian, I gravitated toward those car photos, but I am always a fan of black-and-white!
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I have so many car pictures, it’s good to have many challenges to post them in.
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It’s too warm in Arizona for me… Dickens’ descriptions are great. Anyway, you had piles of nice photos today. Have a great weekend.
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Thanks, Trent! I’m about 15% now. I just realized why I have such a hard time writing descriptions. Even reading them is sometimes hard. to visualize unless I’ve been to the place. I’m enjoying your posts about The Bleak House. 🙂
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I guess I’ve read enough sci-fi and fantasy that I can imagine anyplace 😉 lol, I think that is part of the problem for a lot of people – there is so much of the description that they just want the book to get on with it already. Glad you are enjoying the posts and hope you continue to like the book 🙂
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It’s slow reading. I like Esther’s parts best. I just reached the part where she meets Lady Dead… LOL. Her mother? Or was her nasty aunt really her mother in disguise? Now I’m curious about the really dead guy who seemed insignificant at the time. Maybe that’s her father… Esther is the one who keeps me reading on, wading through most of the descriptions. Lots of jerks in this book. I’m a little worried about Richard. But don’t tell me.
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You are were they meet in the rain storm? A day after Esther sees Lady D in church? If so, I know pretty much where you are.
The two narratives are very different. I think I enjoyed them both equally, but I can understand liking Esther’s narrative better. There are more interesting things going on in the third person narrative, but Esther’s is much warmer and there is that personal feel – you care about the people more.
All I have to say, is not to read any more of my posts until you are finished 😉
Oh, and what I thought was the big secret of the book was the worst kept secret of all time and you will find out the answer about half way through and it will come as no surprise at all…
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OK, it will be hard not to cheat and read your posts, but I will try to stay away.
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I didn’t put in all of the spoilers, but you might read between the lines and as you get to the places…
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OK. I had a busy day and have a few more before I can settle into it again. I’m looking forward to picking it up again tonight. It’s fun chatting with you as I read. 🙂
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The chatting is the reason for the challenge 🙂
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I guess it is. It’s great to do it live, though. I finally met George, the trooper and the Small people last night. So far I’m 34% through the book and I’m still meeting all the characters. I’m amazed that the dead guy has had such an impact on the book. He must be someone special that got stuck in the wrong path somehow, known only because of his beautiful handwriting, willingness to work all night and kindness to homeless Jo.
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It is funny that you’ve read as many pages (virtual or real) that many books have to offer and yet you are still meeting important characters! I don’t think you will have to go much further before you discover at least a little about who the dead guy is, though if I remember correctly the details dribble out pretty slowly over quite a few pages and chapters.
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I’m guessing just guessing that he’s the dad. He was in love with the lady, they had a child and we’re torn apart in their youth by something and poor Esther ends up with her hateful aunt.
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You’ll know soon enough 😉 Truthfully, that is one thing that surprised me is how soon I guessed the truth and then at what point in the book Dickens stops even pretending to hide it. There are still little tid-bits and such to explore. But then, another big mystery unfolds at the end of the book…
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It’s good to keep us guessing and turning the pages.
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I like how to entice me with great car photos Marsha 🙂
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Be enticed (there’s that word ice again!) I love taking pictures of beautiful cars.
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