Rainbow through the Palo Verde Trees.

Linda and Bill Ferris Pay a Visit to Poppy and Poppina.

Our Colorado pals from Silverthorne, Bill and Linda, dropped in this week for lunch and a lot of chat-catch-up.

Of course there was a foto to be snapped (thanks to next door neighbor Pedro P for the shutter work) before the Ferris's headed west on Hwy 60, and into the sunset.

Come back soon.  You guys make a great posing pair in our patio portraits.

Pedaling a Growler of Dunn Bros. "Infinite Black."

Minnesota coffee lovers love Dunn Bros. coffee.  And the "Infinite Black" cold press seems to be a favorite of cyclists all over the Twin Cities.  I met a guy on a Surly Longhaul Trucker whose handlebar bag was overflowing with infinite goodness.  Found this foto today and wanted to re-share w/loyal readers of the Poppy Blog.

One of my Readers asked about the Sorels footwear.

Regular readers of Poppy's Velo Ventures have a keen eye for style -- when it works and when it doesn't.
And on the subject of "style not working" Connecticut reader J.J. commented on the shoes I am wearing in this foto taken by Linda as I was leaning against her '49 Jeep.

OK, JJ - here's the deal.  On Dec. 25th under the Christmas tree Santa had left me a pair of Sorels.           .

Part slipper and part rugged outdoor slip-ons, these Sorels have furry uppers, tight grip molded rubber soles, and a cozy lining that makes the foot feel at home with our without tacky socks, as worn above.

You, JJ, are the first reader to ask about the Sorels, deliver what I can only imagine to be a subtle jab of the footwear variety.  And, guess you hit the nail on the head:  the kicks are a little funky, better suited to wear around the house, maybe not be seen again in public.

What does anyone else think?             

Erik Peterson Wows DCWM Crowd w/Patina Demo.

Artist, sculptor, world class patina creator, and gifted speaker, Erik Peterson enthralls audience today at Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg.  Erik talked for two hours about bronzes, and the art and science of applying patinas to museum quality pieces.  Our man is smart, engaging, funny, self-deprecating, and enormously enjoyable to listen to.  Self taught and endlessly enthusiastic, Erik sculpts work of his own -- some of it on exhibit in DCWM proper.  Poppina and I had a blast of the educational kind today.  Lucky us.

Linda and Jeff from Idaho Rock a 1949 Jeep 'CJ'

Please say howdy to new BFF's from Idaho (and Wickenburg). I met Linda and Jeff this morning in the parking lot up by the CVS. I could hardly wait for them to turn off the ignition on this uber-sweet '49 Jeep CJ.  Linda speaks as authoritatively about this classic dream-boat as does her hubby.  But I suspect that Jeff did much of the chassis-up restoration.himself.  Hope YOU get the chance to see this 4-wheel-drive legend some day yourself.

Recycled Coffee Cups Keep AZ Cacti Cozy + Warm.

Ever wonder what becomes of old to-go coffee cups? Out here in the AZ desert they're recycled as cacti caps -- keeping spikes warm and cozy when the nights turn cold. Of course there's always a prickly risk when sliding cups over spikes, but maybe homeowners here have thorn-proof gloves and a steady hand.

'51 Chevy Half-Ton Barely Shows its Age.

OK.  So the paint has faded and there's a little bit of rust. And the hood doesn't close quite as snug as it did in a Phoenix showroom back in 1951.  But time has been kind to this baby. Saw her in a lot in Wickenburg earlier this week.  Pretty suave, huh?

Me and Michael of Mac's Palm Leaf Hats.

Bought a new hat today in Cave Creek. No fashion statement made -- just sensible, effective UV protection. Hat cost 40 bucks.  Poppina wrote a check.  Michael soaked the hat in a pail of water, molded it on his knee, and before I headed off in the bright AZ sunshine, Mr. Mac's Hat and I posed for a foto.

Bedoian's - Best Oriental Carpets in the West!

The best Oriental Rugs laid in the West can be found at Victor Bedoian's shop in Wickenburg, Arizona.

From the finest silk Persian carpets, 300-plus knots to the inch, to 100-year old tribal rugs, Bedoian's has them all.

Our friends Ed and Annie came to town for a round of golf and a visit, and went home with a "lovingly-used" Afghan throw from Kandahar.

Victor makes sure his prices are fair, and the authenticity of the goods are beyond question. Plus, as the foto to the right affirms, seller and buyer always reach a smile of agreement, too.

Sambo, Annie + Ed: Hangin' at the Villas.

Our friends Ed and Annie came to visit Poppina and me today.

Drove down from Steamboat Springs in a Mini, packed to the gunwales with golf clubs, footwear, apparel, dog bed, dog, who knows what else.

Not unlike one of those circus clown cars, out of the Mini came people, animals and travel gear.  That's for starters.

Then out came two golf bags so our guests could head up to Los Cab to play the front nine. While they were on the course Poppina prepped the tenderloin for dinner, while I headed to town on the Giant Cypress for a stimulating and very rewarding bike ride.  

All together once more for an iPhone foto pop, so I could update the Poppy Blog and let you, dear readers, know the latest.

Tesla Plug-in Filling Stations in Wickenburg, AZ.

I read not long ago that the Tesla Motor Car Company has a network of plug-in "Filling Stations" in key markets around the United States.  Here's one in Wickenburg, AZ.  It's in the City Hall Municipal parking lot -- built, as I understand, by Tesla -- but not a Tesla in sight. Hope this strategy proves to be successful!   What has been YOUR experience w/plug in electric vehicles??

Cathy, Rick and Grands Pose in Quite a Grand Selfie.

Fastest photo shoot ever because it was freezing, sun was going down, kiddos "didn't wanna!" We only got them to go outside by putting their coats on backwards. Camera on timer. Three shots -- Anya stuck her tongue out on the first two. We had print cards (for elderly relatives) three hours later, picked up on our way to a NYE party. Ah, technology! Helps to have a pro in the family. 

Wayzta Beach Closed to Cyclists and Bathers Alike.

Not long before Christmas, when it was so damned cold here in the Minneapolis Metro that no one should be out walking, I traipsed down to the municipal beach to have a look.

The beach was closed, of course, so there was plenty of room to park.

(Confession:  on a stiflingly hot summer day we were parked illegally at the beach lot.  An officer came by to shoo us along. For some reason we avoided a ticket, and I re-learned a lesson taught many times before: Don't Park in a residents only spot if you don't have a permit!)

Today, winter, frigid, unpleasant, detour-ville.  I was the only parker, walker, photographer, blog writer.  You'd have been welcome to come walk with me if you'd been properly bundled up -- ski cap, neck gaiter, down vest, windproof outer coat, gloves, lip balm, glasses, handkerchief, etc., etc. -- we could have had a fine time together. 

My Pal Tink has this Plate on his Connecticut Car.

Loyal readers of the Poppy Blog may recall a similar license plate foto from about a year ago.  We were honoring then, as we do now, Christopher "Tink" Tinkham, a former business colleague in New York City.

Car in question from the earlier picture was a VW Beetle (new) and the plate had been issued in Maricopa County, Arizona.

As with the owner of that Phoenix car, I haven't taken time to research DMV data base to determine owner of this MX3.  So here's an anonymous shout-out to Minnesota Tinks: glad I came upon your vehicle in the Lund's parking lot on New Year's Day.