Tucson, Arizona, February 2026
“Foraging jewels, left behind / with crushed hopes / Thick clouds cover sky islands, water dripping down its slopes / Rattling the rhythms of change, exposing debris / this is what we leave” -“Ready to be warmed by the Black Sun,” lyrics by Arianna
It begins hopefully enough on my arrival. The desert air is cool, not cold, with a little breeze. A warm, bright, sunny day follows, and I bask in the sunlight in the nature park among the creosote bush, mesquite, and the rocks of the big labyrinth.
Three young coyotes walk ahead on the path, then run into the thick bushes. Later in the afternoon, I walk to a drum circle in another part of this park. I use my hide hand drum that stays here at my friend’s house. It’s a drum with a journey — made in Africa, purchased at Ten Thousand Villages here in North Carolina, given to me as a gift, then I bring it to Arizona in 2011 by cross-country road trip. It gets played a lot, then warped (possibly by being crushed when I was camping); I get a new, sturdier drum in Perú, which I decorate and it becomes my primary drum. My older drum, left to storage, prefers the desert climate. When I visit Tucson annually for gem show, it comes out to play.
Sunset illuminates the Catalina mountains – a beautiful gift – and I walk back through the shrublands and the labyrinth. I’ve enjoyed this return today… but hopes for a fruitful trip fade as the days proceed.
Traffic is less than usual for Tucson at this time of year. In past years, I would encounter international travelers around the city, including in shops. Now, many vendors are here, but not many buyers. I don’t work on any days, nor do I sell any of my own jewelry (though I try). Economic worries are on the minds of many. Travel restrictions and ICE raids also affect attitude and possibly attendance. In the foothills, there is an active investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Uncertainty is in the air.
A series of warm, dry sunny days follow, which is good but begins to feel stagnant. There is no water in the Rillito during this visit, no snow atop the mountains after a cover of puffy clouds. Maybe these happen after my short visit, but I don’t know.
THE RUNES WERE RIGHT.
My friend (whom I’m staying with) and I are having issues. Much of it is personal and so I won’t share many details here. These culminate with a night-time argument, then I leave the place at dawn on foot, carrying my bags and belongings.
When I wake in the pre-dawn night, I realize ‘the runes were right.‘ Shelter is not secure; protection is in question. ‘Harvest’ and success may not happen…intentions are turned upside-down.
The labyrinth in the park nearby is my security, my stability. It’s so peaceful here as the daylight slowly appears over the mountains as I sit and have my drink in the cool air. An owl hoots from its perch in one of the large trees. The three coyote pups wander around the bushes and grassy area then disappear into the woods.
At a crossing of paths, here is a crossroad in life. Coyote appears as a trickster and catalyst in folklore of many Indigenous cultures (including local Tohono O’odham); so fitting that these coyotes are my companions here, guiding me toward the unknown day.
And so fitting that my friend who eventually picks me up once hosted me on her family’s desert land, and I found her coyotes in the wash and ran ‘with’ them.
THE SUNLIT ROAD
At her house, I recover as my friend and I reconnect and share memories. Her two young daughters play in the backyard, and I interact with them, too. The hide hand drum and goddess gourd have found a new home, here.
This quality time with my soul-sister friend makes the trip sweeter, but I still taste a lingering bitterness mixed with a sense of regret. The yearly ritual of Tucson gem show for me may be coming to an end.
My other friend and I agree to meet again and follow through with an earlier plan. As we walk through the African Art Village, among quiet merchant rows, the prevailing feeling is somewhat somber, knowing it’s been a slow show. We get a strand of blue-glass beads, which will be used in a necklace I’m currently assembling.
Back at his house, it is going well when I receive a phone call from my dad in North Carolina. He says my mom seems disoriented and not feeling well; he calls emergency, and she ultimately goes to the hospital. He asks if I can fly home tomorrow morning.
So I change my flight and depart Tucson next morning, as a cloudy cool front begins to move across the southwest. Thankfully, my flights go smoothly, as I have so much to ponder and worry about. So much about this trip has gone differently than I had hoped; I made no sales, and the personal issues remain unresolved. Yet I have seen kindness and peace in a time of turmoil and chaos, enjoyed the warm weather, and had experiences to inspire pieces of art.
At this writing, at the next full moon, my mom’s health has recovered, and life is getting back to usual here at home.
May Spring come and bring balance to this land… we need it.
arianna's creative travels 