Agua Caliente County Park + 80s fun (Weekend Coffee Share #24)
I did diddly squat last week, so for this week’s coffee share, we’re going to time travel back to good ol’ 2021. Buckle up!
Yeah, sorry, no DeLorean for us. How much money do you think a librarian makes, anyway? Hop in the back of my 23-year-old pickup, and let’s go. But first: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Pretend we’re having coffee together, and I’m boring you to tears with photos and reminiscences.
Agua Caliente County Park
On our trip back to 2021, we’re going to visit an actual desert oasis, Agua Caliente County Park here in Tucson. As you might guess, water is rare here in the desert, except during monsoon season, so this park is an anomaly. It has a natural pond fed by a warm spring, as well as some incredible old trees and historic buildings that were once part of a ranch and health resort. Now it’s a wonderful place for picnics and lazy strolls around the pond.
The palm trees are huge, old, and lovely.
So are the mesquites. Mesquites are native to the Sonoran Desert and are used as street trees here in Tucson. These, though, are likely well over 100 years old and *huge*.
Enjoy a picnic:
Or a walk:
But be careful! The oasis may be lush and green, but you’re still in Arizona:
Something about the light on the palm trees and water makes for some fun noir shots:
We spent a lovely January afternoon there last year. I’ve resolved to get outside this weekend, so hopefully we won’t have to time travel for next week’s coffee share. Winter is the time for outside activities down here in Satan’s Anus, so I need to get off my backside and do some exploring before it’s as hot as, well, Satan’s Anus.
Music of the week
I’ve mostly handled the pandemic OK, though I’ll admit, in the last month or two, I’ve started missing the Before Times more and more: hanging with friends, traveling, and live music. What I wouldn’t give to go to a concert right now! So this morning I’m reminiscing about the last concert I went to: Def Leppard in Vegas in 2019. Thanks to YouTube, I can relive the experience (well, minus the sweat and up close and personal experience of being in one of the first few rows). They did a short residency in Vegas, so I don’t know if this one’s from exact show I went to, but it’s close enough. They played a lot of stuff they don’t play often, including this ballad from the Adrenalize album. I think I’ve heard them do this one live maybe twice (and I’ve seen them a lot. Seriously. A. LOT.) It was one of those magical concert moments when everything was just… perfect.
It looks like the entire show is up on YouTube. Here are a few more highlights:
I posted a few pictures from the Vegas show back in 2020.
Funnies
In keeping with the themes of this post, music and time travel, this week’s meme themes are music and the 80s. Here we go:
Music memes
That sucks, because I have a list…
Warning! Incoming Dad joke…
And my favorite:
I mean… it’s kinda true.
80s memes
I think I’d prefer the Gremlins 🙂
Then there was the amazing 80s hair and clothing. We were stylin’, I tell ya.
The wind may not have stood a chance, but even AquaNet was no match for Central Valley tule fog. I’d spend a half hour every morning curling my layered hair, spray it down with enough hairspray to open a new hole in the ozone, and it would still wilt 5 minutes after I went outside. Yet I’d do the same damn thing every day anyway. What is that about the definition of insanity? I blame puberty hormones.
I have no words.
No more mullets around here, but I do own (and wear) a jean jacket. I was shopping in the Levi’s outlet last weekend, and they’re selling the classic Levi’s jean jackets again, along with a bunch of other 80s fashion. Sorry, kids, shit’s about to get ugly.
And finally:
And on that disturbing note… That’s it for me this week. What’s happening in your world?
23 Comments
Gary A Wilson
Hi Janet. I think I survived the 80s by being a newly wed.
I was soooo distracted.
But about Jeans, I have a new micro fiction where jeans do a cameo.
Have you seen it?
It should give you a smile in 30 seconds.
https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com/immigrating-from-hopeless-to-hopeful-cr99-220201/
Janet Alcorn
Just read it – nice! And you’re right–most of the people who got rich in the California gold rush (and the later Klondike gold rush) did it by selling stuff to the miners (clothing, tools, and women mostly, IIRC).
I’ve often wondered how the survivors of the Donner Party processed what they had to do to survive. Seems like those would be tough memories to live with.
Gary A Wilson
I know that a lot of their stories are kept safe in the stacks at the Bancroft Library (part of the UC Berkeley). I met the author of, “Ordeal by Hunger”, George R. Stewart after reading many of his works and wanted to explore that collection, but it was always out of reach because I was not a UCB scholar.
Bobbiem91
Love the Def Leopard concert. As to the 80s hair, so glad I was beyond that. I’m still wearing my 60s long straight hair. Works for me. And then there was the 1800’s cover band….so true. They do keep playing a lot of the same music.
Janet Alcorn
Picture me sitting here, supposed to be working, watching the Def Leppard concert with a pathetic, wistful look on my face. Dang I miss live music!
You rock the long straight look! My hair can never decide if it wants to be straight or curly and likes to surprise me every day.
rawsonjl
What a beautiful park! I can’t imaging seeing such a sunny oasis in the middle of January. Those jokes & mems are hilarious. I remember the 80’s well and yeah, I don’t think my hair moved much at all.
Janet Alcorn
November through March is the nicest time down here. We’re having a cold snap now–it’s 43F as I write this at 9 AM–but it’s supposed to be 66 today the upper 60s-low 70s all week.
Debbie
I love looking back at my 80s hair Janet – I was newly married and life was so different in many ways back then! That orchestra meme 🙂
Janet Alcorn
Sometimes I miss my 80s hair–then I remember how much time I spent curling those layers every dang day. Way too much maintenance.
Debbie
Not to mention the damage from the perming solutions 🙂
Natalie
Janet, What a beautiful park. I love those huge palm trees and their reflections. Thank you for your #weekendcoffeeshare. Have a great weekend!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! They really are gorgeous.
Susanne
Hi Janet, I love your funnies, especially the one about U2! The park looks fantastic, one day I’d love to see some more “exotic” place, although you probably don’t see Arizona as being exotic. What are the poisonous creatures? Rattle snakes? I’m always intrigued by dangerous creatures (online, though, happy to not have them here!) and love to see shows on YouTube about snakes and jellyfish and whatnot.
Janet Alcorn
Yeah, after living here for 8 years, I don’t see it as exotic anymore, but it’s still a fascinating place. As for venomous creatures, think of Arizona as the Australia of the United States. We have rattlesnakes and coral snakes, scorpions, spiders, and and Africanized (“killer”) bees. Tell me again why I live here?
Janet Alcorn
Oh, and we have gila monsters too, because who doesn’t want venomous lizards to go with the snakes, scorpions, and spiders?
Susanne
Sounds like an exciting life, Janet! I’ll have to look up Arizona and its wildlife on the internet to learn more! 😀
Deborah Drucker
Funny to see the Star Wars cast with those hairdos. Nice noir photos and some funny memes.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! That Star Wars meme made me appreciate 1970s hair, which is not something I ever thought I’d say.
Deborah Drucker
I think I wore a shag cut back then. 🙂
Jo
There’s such a stark beauty to those desert landscapes. I laughed at the 80s hair meme because that is still what my hair looks like if I brush it lol. Finally, thanks for the accadacca (AC/DC) ear worm.
Janet Alcorn
The desert really does have a stark beauty, as well as fascinating details if you look closely. And I hear you about the hair. If I brush mine out, I look like Roseane Rosanadana.
Kirstin
Those trees are gorgeous.The park looks lovely though that warning sign would make me paranoid. I live in an area that does not have very many poisonous creatures. I always laugh at your funnies!!
Janet Alcorn
We have those warning signs all over the state, even (especially) in the rest areas along the highway. I have yet to see a rattlesnake or scorpion in the wild down here (I’ve seen both in other places), but they’re out there.