On The Fly

One of the great joys of wandering without much of a plan is that the universe occasionally rewards your lack of organization. During my recent visit to Tucson, AZ, Robert and I were strolling through the Annex this afternoon, doing what tourists and newly minted retirees like me have elevated to an Olympic sport: meandering. The Annex is one of those places where every few steps there's another handmade candle, artisan coffee, or vintage object someone rescued from a garage sale and convinced the rest of us was always destined to become art. Then I saw something that genuinely stopped me. A young woman standing quietly behind a manual typewriter. Not a laptop designed to look like a typewriter. Not a quirky Bluetooth keyboard. An honest-to-goodness mechanical typewriter—the sort of machine that once announced every sentence to the entire office with a satisfying clack and enough force to wake nearby pigeons. With an iPhone 16 sitting in my pocket in an age when people write novels...

In this episode, Tucson in Motion . . . Welcome back to On the Fly! What comes to mind when you think of Tucson, AZ? Do you envision the iconic Western movies filmed in Old Tucson, where cowboy legends came to life? Classics like  Rio Bravo , starring John Wayne; the hilarious  The Three Amigos,  featuring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short; or the unforgettable  Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,  with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, all brought their stories to life against Tucson’s rugged landscapes. Old Tucson Studios set the stage for these cinematic treasures, which became synonymous with the Western genre. During our stay from December 14 to 21, 2024, Robert and Orasa Weldon's incredible hospitality gave us the fantastic opportunity to experience Tucson like never before. For years, while working at GIA, I visited Tucson to attend the annual Gem & Mineral Show, which attracts enthusiasts from around the globe each February.  However, the cit...

In this Bonus episode - Inside GIA Education . . . Eureka - “ I found it!" The original “ Inside GIA Education ” CD our team at the Gemological Institute of America ( GIA) produced for its Alumni celebration at the Tucson Gem Shows for 2006 (and it contains some fun gems). This MP3 file was the first episode of our podcast series, launched in 2006, and introduced our bi-monthly education updates. As the Director of Education Training, I had the privilege of visiting Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, CA, and participating in the beta testing phase of iTunes U. This platform was instrumental in helping GIA take the first steps towards transitioning from print to digital delivery. In 2007, Apple launched iTunes U, a dedicated area within the iTunes Store that offered free educational content from prestigious universities such as Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, Duke University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Gemological Institut...

In this episode, Tucson Phone Slingers . . . He rode up to Miller’s Crossing just after sunrise and stopped at the Starbucks. Stepping down from the saddle, he stood momentarily, taking in the streets, parking lot, and empty storefronts. This scoundrel then slipped his "Colt" from its holster and demanded, “Name six gun-slinging dealers from Tucson, Arizona.” You'd probably get as far as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday before you wondered whether Chick Bowdrie - Texas Ranger was based on a real person. However, most could oblige instantly if that same rascal insisted on six of your best gem contacts. On this year's road trip to Tucson , Arizona, we whizzed by huge road signs for Tombstone. Visit the historic OK Corral, 100 miles, exit 303. There, you can relive the pistol-toting Wild West days. This got me thinking. Gunslingers sported two well-worn leather holsters with Colt six-shooters, dressed in frayed denim, a bandana tied around their neck, dusty, worn boots, spu...

In this episode, The Huckleberry Loop . . . Last week we spoke about a BIG world just waiting to be explored. Well, Christmas week 2021, we extended our exploration while planning for 2022. We loaded up our truck for some vacation time and headed for Tucson, AZ. "Why Tucson?" you ask? The Huckleberry Loop, of course. The Chuck Huckleberry Loop is a system of paved, shared-use paths and short segments of bicycle (bike) lanes connecting the Cañada del Oro, Rillito, Santa Cruz, and Pantano River Parks with Julian Wash and Harrison Road Greenway in Tucson. It totals about 137 miles of beautifully paved pathways. The Loop stretches more than 45 miles north to south and almost 30 miles east to west. Some 70% of the Loop directly follows the banks of five significant watersheds that dominate the Tucson Valley. Since the late 1980s, Tucson has been building this series of bicycle trails in conjunction with flood control waterways that circumnavigate the city. "The Loop" (a...

Admittedly, it's a little geeky (A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but feels socially inept), wandering around Tucson, Arizona, pawing gingerly through boxes of terminated quartz crystals, looking for that remarkable specimen . . . or was it Tiger Iron? Indeed, when Gemologists converge on Tucson, the socially inept are unreservedly transformed! Lori Tucson 2013 In February 2013, gemstone and mineral aficionados converged once again in Tucson, Arizona, to play in the desert. Cold mornings, warm afternoons, the glow of sunrise on the mountains, magnificent golden, green, and orange hues, the fresh smell of the dry desert air, and, of course, the majestic Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro) Cactus. In years past, during economic prosperity, finding a room in Tucson during this show would not have been possible. Fortunately, we found a comfortable room. Granted, it was seven miles from downtown. Yes, we waited until the very last minu...