Patricia Paul Properties

Have you noticed everyone's in a better mood the last few days?  Know why?  I think it's because it finally cooled off around here.  Heck, it was still 104 degrees at the end of September.  That's difficult to take after months of the hot stuff.  But now it's pleasant as could be outside.  The mornings and evenings are crisp and refreshing.  Even in the desert you can feel the change of the seasons.  The other day I was sitting on a outside patio having coffee with some clients, and I actually got goosebumps! 

Now we're headed into the good season.  If you're new to Tucson, you're in for a treat!  Where else can you sit out at the pool in the dead of winter, wear shorts in February, and smirk as you watch the weather reports for most of the rest of the snow-filled country. 

This, my friends, is a little slice of heaven!  Enjoy it!

Patricia Paul, GRI ** www.PatriciaPaulProperties.com ** (520) 548-2078

In a recent article in Business Week, written by Prashant Gopal, Tucson is first on the list of America's Best Affordable Places to Retire.  It cites not only is it a beautiful place to live, but the new levels of home affordability make Tucson even more attactive as a retirement destination.

 To read the whole article, click on the link below:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/07/0702_affordable_places_to_retire/index.htm

Patricia Paul, GRI  *  www.PatriciaPaulProperties.com  *  (520) 548-2078

In the new September & October issue of the AARP Magazine, our fair town of Tucson was named #1 on the list of best places to live the simple life.

Their top 5 cities were:

1.   Tucson, AZ

2.   Greenville, SC

3.   Montpelier, VT

4.   Logan, UT

5.   Ames, IA

To read the complete article, click the attached link:

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/the_simple_life.html

Patricia Paul, GRI  *  www.PatriciaPaulProperties.com  *  (520) 548-2078

Tucson's sure got a lot going for it.   I know I could create a long list of things that I like.  How about if I start a list, and you all add to it?  I'd like to hear some of your favorite things about Tucson. 

Here goes.....

•      The Tucson climate (especially in the winter)
•      The beautiful mountains that surround us
•      Tucson International Gem & Mineral Show in February

August 23, 2009....  Here are a few more:

•     The Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, UA Presents
•     Fantastic locally owned restaurants
•     The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
•     Palo Verde trees when they bloom in the Spring
•     The smell of the desert just before it rains

Okay, now it's your turn!  Please leave a comment here on my blog telling me your favorite things about Tucson.  Thanks!

Patricia Paul, GRI  * www.PatriciaPaulProperties.com  * (520) 548-2078

Here are a few more pictures from my vacation earlier this summer.  I had some technical difficulties earlier with my website, and thanks to my friend and designer, Kent Benson, I am now back in business and can include photos.  (Thanks, Kent, for all your help with my website!)

This is my husband, Max, and our dogs, at an overlook at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

What a thrill to see a herd of buffalo grazing on the meadows of the Kaibab National Forest, south of Jacob Lake.

This was our campsite in the Kaibab National Forest, north of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon; lots of beautiful tall pines and quaking aspens.  In the morning I saw deer nearby.

The Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona are a huge escarpment of pinkish, reddish hued mountains that go on for miles.  The California condor nests nearby, and has made a comeback due to the nursing by environmentalists.

This is a view looking south to the San Francisco Peaks.  These mountains are located just north of Flagstaff. 

Arizona is such an incredibly beautiful state!  Such diverse climates and habitats.  So many awesome sights.  If you haven't gone out and seen it for yourself, I suggest you do.  You will be in for a real treat!  I've had the good fortune to see most of our state.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.  Or, if you have a favorite place in Arizona you'd like to recommend, please do so!   Just leave a comment on this blog.

Patricia Paul, GRI     *    (520) 548-2078   *   www.PatriciaPaulProperties.com

Today I had the good fortune to visit for the first time Antelope Canyon, in northern Arizona.  It's located near Page, on the Navajo Indian Reservation.  You must enter the canyon with a native American tour guide.   It's really quite an enchanted place.  The "Slot Canyons",  as they are called, have tall sandstone walls that have been weathered by flowing water over the years.  Light barely filters down to the canyon floors, and when it does, it's almost a spiritual experience. 

I had seen photographs of Antelope Canyon over the years and wanted to visit the place in person.   My sister, Fran, always loved photos of this place, too.  She wanted to see it in person, and unfortunately never will.   Fran passed away unexpectedly in February.  She was certainly in my thoughts today as I explored the canyon.  For those of you who have one of my personalized wall calendars, there is a photo of Antelope Canyon in there.  For those of you who do not, drop me an e-mail and I'll send you one.

I hope someday you will also be able to visit this special place.

Aren't vacations wonderful?  This year, we packed up our motorhome, and hit the road.  It had been a grueling six months leading up to this, and we both decided we needed time to get away, relax, and deal with some of our recent issues. 

We headed north through Salt River Canyon up to the White Mountains.   After spending a couple days in Overgaard (west of Show Low), we headed up to Navajo country, passing through the ancient Hopi lands on the way.  

We made it to Page, Arizona, on the Arizona-Utah border and crossed over the Glen Canyon Dam.   We camped for a few nights at the Wahweep campground on Lake Powell.   Our two puppies had their first experience with a lake.  Jacob loved it, and ran with abandon.  Mimi, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.   She liked the cooling off part, but wasn't so sure about the water bit.  Oreo, the older dalmatian, is a water pro, and will happily swim after any Frisbee or tennis ball thrown for him.

We explored one of the southwest's most famous Slot Canyons,  Antelope Canyon, and tooks lots of photographs (for another blog entry).  It's a truly special place.

From here, the plan is to head to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  We've been there before, but not for many years.  Something tells me it will not have changed at all; that maybe only I have.   I will keep you posted with blog entries as I have internet access.  Some of  these areas are pretty remote, but I'll be on the lookout for it. 

Hope you are having a good first part of summer.  Take time out to relax and take care of yourself.