tribute to summer ... Author Unknown

 Each fairy breath of summer, 

as it blows with loveliness,

 inspires the blushing rose. 

~Author Unknown

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Ronsom Museum (both photos)
Phoenix, Arizona

possibilities with Whoopi Goldberg

I can do anything. 

I can be anything. 

No one ever told me 

I couldn't. 

No one ever expressed 

this idea that 

I was limited to 

any one thing, 

and so I think 

in terms of what's possible, 

not impossible. 

― Whoopi Goldberg

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Old Town Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona

dream a big dream ... Lailah Gifty Akita

You can go
as far as you dream,
 think and imagine. 
― Lailah Gifty Akita 

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Douglas County, Oregon

possibilities ... China Mieville

For every action, 

there's an infinity 

of outcomes. 

Countless trillions 

are possible, 

many milliards are likely,

 millions might be 

considered probable, 

several occur as 

possibilities to us

 as observers - 

and one comes true. 

― China Miéville, The Scar 

Courtesy of HRH Family Archives
Location: Redwood Forrest, California

reflecting on contrast ... John Steinbeck

What good is 

the warmth of summer, 

without the cold 

of winter to give 

it sweetness. 

~John Steinbeck

Courtesy of JMW Enterprises
Location: Alaska

making change ... Nathaniel Branden

The first step toward 

change is awareness. 

The second step 

is acceptance. 

-Nathaniel Branden

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Montezuma's Well, Arizona

a little change ... Robert C. Gallagher

Change is inevitable

-except from 

a vending machine.

-Robert C. Gallagher

Courtesy of the Library of Congress
- payphones didn't always give change either....

making change ... John Kenneth Galbraith

Faced with the choice

 between changing 

one's mind and 

proving that there is 

no need to do so, 

almost everyone gets 

busy on the proof. 

-John Kenneth Galbraith

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Phoenix Botanical Gardens
Phoenix, Arizona

possible art ... Aristotle

With respect to 

the requirement of art,

 the probable impossible 

is always preferable 

to the improbable possible.
― Aristotle, Poetics

Courtesy of Dooley Family Archives

the power of summer ... Russel Baker

Ah, summer, 

what power you have

 to make us suffer 

and like it. 

~Russel Baker

Courtesy of Beck Family Archive

the summer days ... F. Scott Fitzgerald

And so with the sunshine

 and the great bursts 

of leaves growing 

on the trees, 

just as things grow 

in fast movies, 

I had that familiar 

conviction that life was

 beginning over again 

with the summer.

—F. Scott Fitzgerald, 

The Great Gatsby

Courtesy of Beck Family Archives

a little change in the dog days of summer ... Arnold Bennett

Any change, even a change

 for the better, 

is always accompanied 

by drawbacks and discomforts.

-Arnold Bennett

Courtesy of AFH Family Archives

there are not always words ... Elie Wiesel

Words can sometimes,

 in moments of grace,

 attain the quality of deeds. 

~Elie Wiesel

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Montezuma's Well, Arizona

nothing to fear ... Joyce Meyer

The eagle has no fear

 of adversity. 

We need to be 

like the eagle 

and have a fearless spirit 

of a conqueror. 

~Joyce Meyer

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Tohono Chul
Tucson, Arizona

who you talking to? Charles V

I speak Spanish to God,

 Italian to women,

French to my men, 

and German to my horse. 

~Charles V

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Tohono Chul
Tucson, Arizona

get a little dizzy ... Edie Adams

All the dreamers 

in the world 

are dizzy 

in the noodle. 

~ Edie Adams

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

do clothes make the man ... Arthur Ashe

Clothes and manners 

do not make the man;

 but when he is made, 

they greatly improve 

his appearance. 

~Arthur Ashe

Courtesy of the Library of Congress

what's the destination ... Drake

Sometimes it's the journey

 that teaches you 

about your destination. 

~Drake 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress

just a note ... HP Lovecraft

Toil without song 

is like 

a weary journey 

without an end. 

~H.P. Lovecraft

Courtesy of the Library of Congress
1886 Dr. Drummond Orchestra

a little originality, please

You are God's 

own masterpiece! 

That means you are 

not ordinary 

or average; 

you are a 

one-of-a-kind 

original. 

~Victoria Osteen

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
when I first got Prince (on the left), I was convinced he was the ONLY
turns out, he might have had a littermate (Pancho)
Location: Scottsdale Dog Park

life advice ... Michael Jordan

Just play.
Have fun.
Enjoy the game.
~Michael Jordan

Courtesy of Library of Congress, 1911

perspective... Jean de la Bruyere

Out of difficulties 

grow miracles. 

~Jean de la Bruyere

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Sonoran Desert, Arizona

listening in ... Raquel Welch

You can't fake listening. 

~Raquel Welch

Courtesy of Library of Congress, 1904

the meaning of life...B.C. Forbes

Work is the meat of life, 

pleasure the desert. 

~B.C. Forbes

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 1913

pep talk with Christopher Reeve

A hero is someone who, 

in spite of weakness, 

doubt or not always 

knowing the answers, 

goes ahead and 

overcomes anyway. 

~Christopher Reeve

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Heard Museum
Phoenix, Arizona

getting reasonable ... Galileo Galilei

Where the senses fail us,

 reason must step in. 

~Galileo Galilei

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona

weird, huh ... Hunter S. Thompson

Yesterday's weirdness is

 tomorrow's reason why. 

~Hunter S. Thompson

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises

reasoning things out ... J.P. Morgan

A man always has 

two reasons for 

doing anything; 

a good reason 

and the real reason. 

~J.P. Morgan

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Ronsom House
Phoenix, Arizona

a piece of advice from Agatha Christie

Good advice is always

 certain to be ignored, 

but that's no reason 

not to give it. 

~Agatha Christie

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Tohono Chul
Tucson, Arizona

just pondering ... C.S. Lewis

Reason is the natural order

 of truth; 

but imagination is 

the organ of meaning. 

~C.S. Lewis

Courtesy of Erin Enterprises
Location: Tohono Chul
Tucson, Arizona