"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 151 ~ Remember Outdoor Play?

My son forgot about his rip stick.  He forgot that playing outside is something people do.  And so begins Arizona's outdoor season...(sorry, oh those of you who have had snow already)

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 143 ~ I found love in a dry place.

I would never deny my love for a cold, refreshing Coca Cola.  I mean-- I LOVE Coke (a Cola)!!!!!  I guarantee most people who may have, at one time, enjoyed a Coke or two, has now completely given it up because of its horrid caloric additions (as well as science fair Coke-melts-your-teeth validity).  

I'm just saying, I love the sexy bottle and the thought of sticking a straw in it and taking a bubbly, sugary, fabulous sip.  Carry on with your "flavored water."  :) 

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 142 ~ A Fall Leaf.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 141 ~ Soctoberfest!

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 140 ~ Volleyball!

From game to game...first BASIS killed it on their vball games (2 wins in 17 min) and then the girls headed out to the UA womens vball game against UCLA.  It was "show your pink" night.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 138 ~ School View

This photo project seems to have taken a turn towards my son...we had his parent teacher conference today.  This kid has NO idea what kind of beautiful views his super fantastic school has, while his dad and I are always stunned as we walk out of the classroom and look north.  Lovely.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 137 ~ Soccer Tuesday Update

Silly boy...

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 136 ~ Twilight.

A back porch twilight.  I was waiting for the owl that swoops in on our barking (13 lb) ferocious dog; as the owl does most nights at twilight, but it didn't happen.  I think the bird in the shadows is just one of the many, many, (too many) bats that frequent our backyard.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 135 ~ Field of Gold.

Despite the fact that it's hot, Halloween IS coming.  October IS half over.  Time for the pumpkin patch (I can only muster this activity some years...others, wearing flip flips and a tank top to the pumpkin patch just doesn't feel right).  This was one of the years I rallied.  We went to Agua Linda farm in Amado, AZ complete with a corn maze, hay maze, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, hay rides, etc... A friend (also from the East coast) went to Agua Linda Saturday night and said she had to break out her puffy vest (pumpkin patches at sunset = feels like fall!).  Duly noted.

However, this is the corn maze in all the glorious (90 degree) sunshine!

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 134 ~ Old Vail

I love doing photo shoots in Old Vail, AZ.  I am a fan of the rural life.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 132 ~ Limes.

I am preparing for my first bridal fair (gulp) and this will be one of the decorative items on my table.  I am so excited to be a new member of the Tucson Bride & Groom family and hope to book LOTS of weddings.  There are few things better than photographing that joyous day...

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 131. Vast.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 130 ~ Hustle

It's that time of year...it may not feel like fall but our schedule reflects fall.  School, dentist, soccer, homework, sleep and start all over again!  He's a trooper and decided to save time (to work on his paracord bracelet habit) by doing his math on the way to the dentist.

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 127 ~ Aspens in the Fall

Not as much leaf peeping as I remembered...and then I remembered last year when we went to Northern AZ in October we went to the Grand Canyon which is northwest of Pinetop, AZ (side note:  glad we didn't want to go to the GC this year!!!  Darn Fed shutdown).

In any event, I did my very first mountain bike "race" this past weekend.  (I did the 9 mile "fun ride" and there was a 12 yr old girl on my back the whole time...)  It was a fun ride (my favorite ride to date).  It afforded us some COLD temps and some sweater wearing and I didn't get too bruised and battered (actually, I kind of did but it was my own lack of coordination in dis-mounting that led to that).

Here is kind of a lame fall aspen picture (remember my aspen pic from  Day 15 ????

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 126 ~ Desert Leaf Peeping

I think this ocotillo is dying...not actually turning colors for the benefit of tourists.  Poor ocotillo.

(Actual leaf peeping to come next on the blog as we head north for the weekend!  Lows of 25 predicted at night!!!)

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 125 ~ Cactus at Play

I could do a photo project just on cactus looking like people.  Remember Day 99????  In any event this one looked like the "kids at play" people to me...you see it?

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 124 ~ Foodland!

Remember 4th grade?  It was my favorite school year in memory.  I love re-living it through my son...this was a map project he did and his world was called "Foodland"  (Yes, we DID watch "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" this past weekend...)

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 116 ~ Porch Cobwebs

It's been too hot to sit on the porch and our furniture reflects it's lack of use...

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 112 ~ Last day of summer (on the calendar)

"100 Degrees Until Halloween" Day 107 ~ All That Remains...

...In our summer garden.