Wyld Men

JWise Photo of the Day

My mother-in-law with one of the Wyld Men at the Renaissance Festival in Arizona

This will surely be one of my favorite all-time photos of my mother-in-law. Following the Wyld Men show at today’s Renaissance Festival, a muddy Dr. Cranius Lunch gives Jutta a big wet and loving hug. At the Festival, the Wyld Men are our favorite show of gut-busting laughter. A crowd-pleaser for years has been the  Ded Bob show, you owe it to yourself to catch a performance. The Tortuga Twins are better than ever and the Hey Nunnie Nunnie show has been growing on me. First stop this year, like all other years, was at the Turkey Leg stand – yum. We also enjoyed the King’s nuts which were warm and sweet, and the Lusty Wench chocolate-covered strawberries were perky as ever.

We Love the Clouds

JWise Photo of the Day

Clouds on a blue sky over Phoenix, Arizona

My photography is nothing if not from the moment. No setup, no tripod, no plan, no clue – just inspiration. This photo is another from my series of stupid moments, that being while driving down the road and seeing a photo I have to take but not being able to pull over safely to snap it. So, I simply and stupidly point the camera out the window while someone else steers the car and I shoot away.

Ethiopian Cooking

JWise Food, Photo of the Day

Ethiopian food from Cafe Lalibela in Tempe, Arizona

Ethiopian food from Cafe Lalibela in Tempe, Arizona has been popular enough that for more than 10 years the cuisine of this African nation has found a home here in Arizona. Unfortunately for us the 3 Ethiopian restaurants I know of in Arizona are all located in the south valley. We have tried Blue Nile Cafe east of Lalibela on University Avenue and love their cooking too, but have yet to try Tina’s Ethiopian Cafe in Chandler. Caroline and I first became acquainted with the cuisine of Ethiopia at a restaurant in Frankfurt about 15 years ago, and we have continued enjoying this finger food ever since. This was my mother-in-law’s first taste of an African cooking style and hopefully not her last as she seemed to enjoy it as much as Caroline and I.

Ash Meadows

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Amargosa Valley, Nevada showing off its golden winter colors waiting the return of the green of spring and summer

On our return home, we traveled east out of Death Valley, driving towards Amargosa Valley in Nevada so we could make a second visit in five years to the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. I, for one, was surprised by the golden, lifeless landscape; suppose I had forgotten that winter has this capability. While I was initially disappointed by the contrast to our first visit, the longer we walked along the spring-fed stream that feeds these wetlands in the middle of the desert, the more enamored I became with the meadow’s winter beauty. The nearby Devils Hole, a small part of Death Valley National Park lying outside of the main park boundary, was also on the itinerary, but a long drive home and a late start had to leave our return visit to the Devils Hole pupfish for a future trip.