o·li·o

   [oh-lee-oh] n, pl. o·li·os.

1. a dish of many ingredients
2. a mixture of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge

Olio is a word found frequently in crossword puzzles, no doubt due to its hefty vowel component. I've always kind of had a soft spot for it and now I've found an actual use for it. What follows is a mixture of random observations and experiences, southern Arizona, 2012.....

• On the way back from Parker Canyon Lake to Sonoita, a distance of approximately 35 miles, we passed no fewer than 8.... yes, 8, Border Services vehicles, each carrying one, count 'em, 1, Border Services staff person. No wonder the economy is in such a wretched condition. BS is the major employer in the southern part of the state. Even Sonoita, with a population of around 850, is home to a depot of what looks like around 50 vehicles. And who knows how many staff people.....You do the math.

• Who knew? There is an entire movement dubbed the "Cowboy Church" movement. It's a brand of Christianity which claims " We're a group of like minded people worshipping in a way that is comfortable to us... the cowboy way." Whatever that may be. We saw 2 instances of said movement on the road from Sonoita to Parker Canyon. ("Canelo" is a Spanish word meaning "cinnamon". Cinnamon Cowboy Church???)

• If there is a car show anywhere within a 50 mile radius, Mr. T will somehow sense its presence and we will go there. Thus, we travelled to Tubac (more on that place later) the other day to catch the annual Tubac Car Show, put on by the Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts, proceeds to kids in need (as I recall). I opted for sussing out the Tubac Village (a Disneyesque "theme park" involving about 100 shops and galleries, most selling the same touristy kitsch at inflated prices) with Uilleam while Mr. T perused the vehicles. I think he got the better deal.

My personal fave               

Some people definitely put a lot of time and effort into these little items. And there were (reportedly) 500 cars, trucks and motorcycles in total. Interestingly, a lot of the spectators were.... um, grey-haired types. Just like, well, us.

• When you think of mistletoe, as I'm sure you do on at least a daily basis, don't you right away get visions of Santa, kissing your mum, and like that? Well, in these parts, they see it differently, mistletoe being a predatory critter that kills other things, like large trees in the park, basically by strangling them.

The vibrant green is mistletoe, the rest is tree which, admittedly, is in a state of rest at the mo' and couldn't be expected to be vibrantly green. Still...

• Murphy's Law of Photography: When an awesome photo op presents itself, (a) you will not have a camera anywhere close by, (b) you will have totally the wrong lens in the camera you do have in your hand, or (c) your SD card will inform you it has no more room right after you take the first (no good) photo. Thus it is that I'm unable to show you the actual javelina, pyrrhuloxia or vermillion flycatcher we saw. We did encounter another javelina, in a shop window in Tombstone, but somehow it wasn't quite the same.