Painted Sky

I love that description. It is SO Arizona! The Great Creator thrills us many evenings with beautiful colors splashed across the western sky. The school that our grandsons Hugh and Jake attend is Painted Sky Elementary School. I think whoever is responsible for the naming should be extremely proud. I'd even like to nominate her or him for a naming award, if there is such a thing.

So often schools are named after people. I love it that there is a Patricia Nixon elementary school near the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace. There is a Lulu Walker elementary school near us in Arizona too. The only Lulu Walker I know is our princess girl doggie, and I knew she wasn't the namesake. So I googled Lulu Walker and found that she got her teaching credential in 1909, taught for 44 years and was a principal for 16 years. Now that is one lulu of a lady!

Just think, if the Painted Sky name selector, had felt strongly about naming schools for people, our grandsons could be attending the Mrs. Doubtfire, er, I mean the Janet Napolitano Elementary School. After all, she was governor of this state before the Obama Administration put her in charge of Homeland Security. Aren't we all reassured when she gives us a briefing about the latest terrorist threat to our homeland? Personally, I think she was separated at birth from her fraternal twin Judge Andrew Napolitano of Fox News. NPR swore all the family members and the Obama folks to secrecy because they don't want anyone to know about the Fox connection. Even the Judge goes along with the farce. He and Ron were once both guests of Don Vinsons' at the Bohemian Grove. Ron asked him about his twin sister, but he denied the connection. I guess he had to.

Speaking of wonderful Arizona names, the street we live on is another great example. Placita Montanas de Oro. It means, the place of the mountains of gold and it is true to the name. Even though it won't fit on most address forms, and people from elsewhere can never pronounce it, we put up with it because every morning when the sun comes roaring up over the Catalina mountains, everything is painted a glorious gold. In the evenings everything is golden once again, except when the sunset turns the mountains pink. Here in the land of many snowbirds, there is a wonderful saying, "when the mountains turn pink, it's time to drink." Yep, it's that time of day when we should stop, take a deep breath, watch the wonder take shape, and enjoy the
Great Creator's painted sky. I'll drink to that!