This girl made her annual foray into Tucson for the gem shows last week. It was a weird year, not being a vendor down there after selling in the shows for 22 years. It felt so odd not to work even though I filled in at a friend's booth for a few hours. I had time, lots of time to shop nearly every day until I was worn out from walking and carrying and talking and my brain felt over used and over stimulated making decisions and seeing so many beautiful things.

There was sadness in the air down there as the shows are changing. There are less customers and fewer vendors. Large open spaces in several shows filled with chairs and not sellers.

The desert though is beautiful. Rich and warm and almost inviting. The cactus just beginning to bloom. Female cardinals jumping in the branches of bushes, singing.Grassy areas were green, dormant areas rich golds and browns. The sky so blue, the clouds so white, the air so fresh - I found a picnic bench in a park. Just sitting. Thinking. Contemplating.

Tomorrow, after a shop day, I'll post pictures of my day in the park and then we'll talk stones and gems.

Sweet dreams.