A toast to Aunt Anne...

from the Arizona Inn. She knit the teal, chenille jacket i'm wearing here for my mother, maybe 40 years ago. It's still lovely.

And without her, we likely wouldn't be in Tucson. My grandparents bought a house here in the '40s (yes, the 20th century!) because she was getting her master's degree in math at Arizona. From the late '80s to mid '90s, we visited here for Christmas with the extended Fish-Charlier family.

When i talked with her today, Anne said she'd still love to stay at the Arizona Inn, which is a few blocks east of the family home. We had dinner in the lounge there. And earlier today, hiked partway up Ventana Canyon. There, a man can find his cactus. Is it more prickly than others?