Arizona!

Chapter 1

SWIMMING

Reid swam with a floaty belt for the first time--this, oddly enough, was the same pool where Liam first swam independently at the same age.

Liam is an absolute fish--most of his self-made strokes are named after jet airplanes.

Chapter 2

HAUTE CUISINE

Sour oranges!

Cajun food truck at the Phoenix Farmers Market

THEY HAVE SUGAR CEREAL IN ARIZONA!!! Pity it's not available in Maine.

Honoring our CA culinary roots

International grocery store

Chapter 3

HIKING

Hole in the Rock at Papago Park

Mom and Dad and Liam with his jet

We went on an amazing hike, recommended to us by our friend and former AZ resident--Jenny Shrum. This is Peralta Trail, east of Phoenix.

The gentleman at the trail head

The trail followed a mostly-dry stream bed.

Reid ran-hiked at least a mile.

Saguaros everywhere!

Elephant-shaped saguaro

Teddy Bear Chola, too

Ma and Pa

Chapter 4

BOTANICAL GARDENS

We spent a morning at Phoenix's amazing Botanical Gardens and actually saw a roadrunner (not pictured).

Woodpecker.

Chapter 5

CHEZ WRIGHT

Dad and I visited Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's summer work space and home. It was a great tour.

This statement really summed up what I experienced of Wright's philosophy in the buildings we saw.  It reminded me of how I feel our about our home in Maine.

Wright featured a number of petroglyphs around his compound, including this one.

Chapter 6

THE PHOENIX ZOO

Finally, we got to visit our Spokane friend, Katie, where she is a zookeeper in charge of large carnivores. She introduced us to her two jaguars.

And to this Andean bear, Riz, whom we got to feed apples.

And of course we HAD to see the komodo dragons as they feature centrally in our family's (or at least the junior members') pretend play.

Liam's starting to read and he was thrilled when he parsed these words.

The baby komodos!!