Sunrise Over Tucson: August 27, 2012; 5:45 AM.

This is what our eastern sky looked like a few minutes ago from our viewing deck. Just thought I should share.

On another note, Ms. Karen & I had Sunday brunch yesterday at Agustin Brasserie in the Mercado just west of Downtown Tucson on Congress Street. What a magnificent interior. The food and service was very good. I’ll do a complete review in a few days after some research.

After our excellent brunch, we headed east perhaps a half mile to the Tucson Museum of Art to see Scott Baxter’s stunningly beautiful B&W photographs of 100 Arizona ranchers. The history of Arizona ranching is written on these faces. If you take a docent-guided tour, you learn more about the stories behind the portraits. Highly recommended.

I think you should pay to see the Museum’s several current exhibits because the price of your admission helps support this important, and always delightful, museum. Nevertheless, I will mention that next Sunday, being the first Sunday of the month, admission is free. At least leave a donation. It’s only fair.

There are several other exhibits in addition to Mr. Baxter’s photos. One just blew me away. It’s a bronze bust of an Indian chief. It’s in the main exhibit area just as you enter. Exquisite!

And if you haven’t been to Cafe’ a la C’art recently, I recommend you do so. I had lunch there this past week with a dear friend, but also had a chance to talk with Judy, the owner in partnership with her son, Mark. She gave me the grand tour of their expanded space. They did a beautiful job of maintaining the integrity of this old building in the Historic District. The food was delicious as always , and the desserts are to die for. Perhaps the best pastries in Southern Arizona.

Speaking of the Historic District, which is adjacent to the Museum, consider taking the tour. The tour of the J Knox Corbett House is particularly interesting. To get the back story of this Snob Hollow mansion, click here to see our video. It’s at our SouthernArizonaGuide.com website along with videos that feature about a dozen other museums that are worth of your time and support, such as the Museum of Miniatures and the Franklin Automobile Museum. Main Menu > Museums.

One of the perks of my job is discovering extraordinary pictures of our Sonoran Desert. Some of the most extraordinary come from John Edwards, a local photographer and illustrator.We both live in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains, only his home is a little higher than mine. His vantage point affords him an excellent view of the valley looking east.

John’s photographs of monsoon storm clouds remind me just how powerful these summer storms are. You can find a series of John Edward’s photos at my website: Southern Arizona Guide > Main Menu > Galleries. I made a slide show of them and added music.