Allure Of The Desert

06/13/2026

05/30/2026

CASTLE UPDATE 🏰
The kingdom has been busy.

A mighty Bobcat banished a fortress of rotting railroad ties and helped build new stone retaining walls from rocks found right here on the property. Soon these planters will become pollinator gardens fit for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Sir Jay of Tucson took to the castle roof to install the new fireplace flue, while also crafting handsome new gates for the casita courtyard.

Behind the scenes, some huge milestones have been reached: electrical, plumbing, and HVAC rough-ins are complete, and The Castle passed its intermediate inspection—a major checkpoint before the walls are closed up.

The roof deck over the living room, kitchen, and dining room is now wrapped in spray foam insulation, helping keep future guests cool through Tucson summers. Next stop: insulation inspection, then drywall.

Little by little, pipe by pipe, wire by wire, gate by gate, the dream is becoming reality.
Fall opening? Still possible.

🏰 Tucson heat, desert chic, and a little cheek.

04/25/2026

This week at The Castle…

We’ve officially entered our ✨“retired the morning hose routine”✨ era—and it’s as satisfying as it sounds. The irrigation is dialing in, the plants are getting exactly what they need, and I’m reclaiming my mornings for more… interesting pursuits.

Over in the casita courtyard, the electricians are setting the stage for future gatherings—weddings, vow renewals, and a little well-behaved (and not-so-well-behaved) romance under the desert sky. The chapel is getting ready for its close-ups.

And Jay… still out here casually showing off. The new balcony railing is going up, and it’s giving strength, craftsmanship, and just enough drama to make you want to lean on it and linger a little longer.

Bit by bit, the fantasy is becoming very, very real.

04/17/2026

This week at the castle… progress. Glorious, dusty, trench-filled progress.

We are still laying main lines for irrigation—just in time for summer.

Along the outer walls of the estate, trenches now snake through the desert thanks to a rented Groundhog trencher and two solid days of Jay doing battle with Tucson soil and stones. These trenches will carry not only life-giving water, but also the low-voltage veins of future landscape lighting—because even castles deserve a little drama after dark.

Inside the castle, we made a bold move: the old sliding glass door has been elevated into something far more fitting of the realm—proper French doors opening onto the balcony. A steel lintel now stands guard above them, and I’m not saying I’m in love… but I’m definitely in love. There’s just something about a solid piece of steel holding up your castle that really does it for me.

And because no castle update is complete without a touch of nature being… very nature:
Jay stumbled upon a pair of whiptail lizards mid–romantic entanglement. Yes, really. Turn your sound on for his live commentary—it’s educational...

The kingdom marches on. Slightly sore. Slightly delirious. But very, very close to running water on command.

04/10/2026

Castle Update 🏰
The digging days are, apparently, eternal. This round: trenches—mercifully shallow—for drip irrigation. The desert demands hydration, and who am I to deny it its veins?
Enter Jay of Tuffy’s Contracting, still operating at a level that defies basic human biology. The man does not tire. He does not slow. He simply builds. I, meanwhile, supervise heroically… from a respectful distance.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Castle is turning into a full-blown organism. I’m constantly amazed at what it takes to keep this place alive—plumbing, electrical, HVAC—all weaving through the walls in a kind of beautiful, chaotic choreography. I’ll share a shot from the Laundry/Utility room where it’s all still exposed… pipes, wires, ducts—absolute madness. And soon? Gone. Hidden behind plaster like it was never there.
In more… spicy news: I had to shoo away a rattlesnake yesterday. Just a little reminder that this is, in fact, the open desert and not a theme park. Future guests—watch your step. Seriously. It also reinforces why good lighting matters (safety andseduction), so I’ve brought in a landscape lighting designer to illuminate the grounds without killing the desert night magic.
But the desert giveth as well as it taketh—because the prickly pears are absolutely showing off right now. Blooms everywhere. Loud, unapologetic, and honestly a bit attention-seeking. I’ll post a photo so they can have their moment.
Jay and I also said goodbye to one of the four Aleppo pines. No clear cause of death—just one less tree standing. Unfortunate… but let’s be honest, I won’t miss it much. Not a desert native, drank water like it was on a mission, and frankly, I’m thrilled to be one step closer to retiring my daily “man with a hose” routine.
And finally… the clothing-optional pool area—now officially The Oasis—is coming into its own. The stone, the space, the energy… it’s all starting to feel right. And thanks to the already-installed snake-proof fencing, The Oasis should remain blissfully snake-free. As it should be.
Pool party energy is building.
Tucson heat, desert chic… and a little cheek.

04/02/2026

A couple days late, but visibility doesn’t expire. 🏳️‍⚧️✨

Celebrating Trans Day of Visibility with good company—Bryan in from Denver—and a desert that’s showing off right on cue. The prickly pears are in bloom, bold and unapologetic, just like the people we’re celebrating.

Here’s to being seen, being real, and letting yourself bloom exactly as you are. 🌵💖

Tucson heat, desert chic… and a little cheek.

03/21/2026

Just when I thought my trench-digging days were behind me… the Castle had other plans.

Turns out she wanted a brand new water main.
So here we go again: 280 feet of trench.

The good news? Only 12 inches deep this time.
The bad news? We literally re-dug part of a trench we had just filled in. (Because of course we did.)

Out goes the old ¾” PVC…
In comes a bold, beautiful 1½” PEKS line to keep water pressure flowing strong for every shower, soak, and sip at the Castle.

Meanwhile, inside the walls:

⚡ Electricians are mapping their home runs like a well-choreographed ballet of power.
🚿 Plumbers are installing some seriously sexy copper and cast-iron where it deserves to be seen.
❄️ HVAC crew finished line sets and are now shaping airflow with transfer and exhaust ductwork.
🪟 New windows are officially in—letting the desert light pour into every corner.

And outside…

🌵 I’m deep in collaboration with a landscape lighting designer and a master gardener to transform the clothing-optional oasis into something safe, sultry, and as lush as the Sonoran Desert allows. 100° in Tucson the last couple of days and the desert is springing to life!

🔥 And inside the living room?
The gas fireplace is finally starting to take shape… and she’s going to be a stunner.

Progress at the Castle isn’t always glamorous—sometimes it’s dusty, stubborn, and requires digging the same trench twice.
But step by step, system by system…

She’s becoming exactly what she was meant to be.

03/12/2026

At The Castle – Allure of the Desert, this week’s theme was… holes. Lots of holes. 🏰🔨

Holes in the walls.
Holes in the floor.
Two very official holes in the driveway (one of them being Jay). 😜

The slab cuts inside the castle—where the new sewer lines were laid—have now been filled with fresh concrete, sealing the tunnels once again. And Jay was especially delighted to pound a heroic hole into the driveway… which is now proudly patched with brand-new asphalt. (Every castle needs at least one enthusiastic knight with a wacker plate.)

But the true stars of the week? The new windows.

The castle is trading its drafty past for beautiful new double-pane, argon-filled, energy-efficient windows with a subtle tint to soften the fierce Tucson sun. They’ll keep the desert heat at bay, filter harsh UV rays, and let the Sonoran light pour in just right.

In short:
The holes have been filled.
The pipes have been laid.
The walls are healing.
And the castle is getting its eyes.

Progress continues… one hole at a time.

BehindTheWalls ModernCastle

03/05/2026

Hark! A most wondrous deed hath been wrought this day at the Castle.

For many moons past did brave hands toil in dust and sun—
digging trenches deep, moving earth by the ton,
laying conduits beneath the desert’s skin,
and setting mighty panels to await their charge.

Yet lo! When at last the men of Tucson Electric Power arrived,
they summoned forth their great spool of lightning.

In but two short hours the serpent of power was drawn through two hundred feet of hidden passage—
from the Casita unto the waiting pole.

Snip, snip, snip went the shears,
and the old wire that once sagged across the drive fell away to the recycler’s cart.

Thus was the new current bound to the transformer,
and the Castle and Casita were joined
to a mighty 400 amps of modern sorcery.

No longer doth a wire mar the desert view.
Power now flows unseen beneath the earth,
a gift that shall warm, cool, and brighten
the lives of guests for many years hence—
and one day aid the Queen in restoring her humble Casita.

This Queen is forever grateful
to all the menz who dug her hole. ⚡🏰