Ma'am - Can I Ask You What You're Taking a Picture of?

It was going to come out sooner or later. I have inherited my dad's tendency to trespass. One time, when we were in California visiting the studios, he just waved at the guys at the guard shack and drove into the movie stars parking area. Then, he made ME park in Johnny Carson's parking spot while he ran in to do something - probably walk onto the set of the Tonight Show or start rifling through the props from Gone With the Wind, and a security guard came up and asked me what I was doing. I told the truth. "I'm just waiting for my dad." I was probably about 16 at the time. The guard assumed I was Johnny's daughter I guess, despite the rented Buick, and went on about his business. This type of adventure was repeated numerous times when I was growing up. He always got away with it with his whole confused math professor routine. Well I don't have the confused math professor vibe going for me, but I do have the urge to get closer to intriguing things and take pictures of them. Like that time - well, I better not say. :)

Anyway, since Austin is a movie filming town, I recognize movie signs when I see them. Film productions put up these cryptic signs directing cast members to shoot locations. If you've seen one, you've seen em all. Well I saw one here, so I knew there had to be a film crew somewhere. So I bopped down the road a bit and found the parking lot with all of their trailers and equipment. Jackpot. I immediately hopped the little chain fence - I mean it wasn't even really a fence - to snap a picture. I'm just doing this for you, you know! Almost immediately, a guard materialized and wanted to know what I was taking a picture of. I told the truth and told him it was for my blog. He didn't know what a blog was, so he was okay with it. We chatted for a bit about Austin and New Mexican cuisine and he sent me on my way without confiscating my camera, thank goodness.

So I zipped back to the casa, where I discovered that the movie is The Spy Next Door, starring Jackie Chan - I would love to see him! I'm a huge fan.

Then, I went on my jewelry quest. There are only two places here that I will buy jewelry from, other than directly from the Indians who make it - one is Keshi, a Zuni collector's shop, and the other is Trader's Collection - formerly Shush Yaz. These two places consign from the artists or sell Indian Pawn only, and so it's all authentic, unlike the stores on the square that are filled with foreign ripoffs of native jewelry and opals and other stones from Afghanistan. No thank you. I much prefer stores with warm westerners who do things like put little signs like this one on their jewelry cases.

The art of Indian jewelers is incredible. Hopi and Zuni inlay, Navajo silver work - it's all amazing.

Check out this Zuni ring - I took the color out of everything in the photo but the beautiful turquoise. Most Indian jewelry is for people with bigger hands and wrists than I have, but every now and then I stumble upon things that fit like a glass slipper on the night of the ball!!

While in Keshi, which is owned by the most wonderful and sweet lady, I saw these medicine bears and she told me the story of the bears. Their shape is meant to evoke the opening of their cave, and so they symbolize a safe return home, and are often carried by travelers. This one i thought was so beautiful and such a perfect use of that stone, which is a heavily matrixed turquoise. The Zuni believe there are six sacred directions - North, South, East, West, Above and Below. They each have colors associated with them. The bear is associated with West, Blue, Courage, Strength and Adaptability. No wonder I was drawn to him.

Look how beautiful he is. He has to stay there though - he is very expensive. Bye, little blue western bear.

Speaking of beautiful, a few random photos from today.

First, I went down to Pasquale's by myself for breakfast today. It's only the greatest restaurant in the world.

I was seated at a table with a nice couple from North Carolina, but was distracted by this pretty bottlecap garland over our table. I particularly like that blue SB one that was perfectly turned toward me. Funny how those things happen.

Then, on my stomp I came across this vivid and pretty mural on a teeny building. It's really nicely done. I was tempted to push that loading zone sign over to get it out of the shot. My dad would have! :)

Then just off the square, I saw this giant crow squawking over the Spirit sign. It all had a very Edgar Allen Poe feel to it.

Back here, Maddie keeps trying to teach this raccoon sculpture in one of the bedrooms how to curve his tail over his back like she does.

Finally, one of my biggest phobias was staring me in the face on Canyon Road this morning.

Yes, it's true.

The scary pair of pants from Dr. Seuss' terrifying story - What was I Scared Of? - ARE HERE AND THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO GET ME!!!! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M SCARED OF - I'M SCARED OF THE EMPTY PAIR OF PANTS IN THE SNIDE PATCH!!!

Hope you're enjoying your leftovers today!!

Back with a card tomorrow!

:)