Under Arizona Skies

"The book tells the story of how an upstart planetary laboratory in Tucson, the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), would help create the field of planetary science, breaking free from traditional astronomical techniques to embrace a wide range of disciplines necessary to study planets"--Provided by publisher.

Nestled among the cactus thickets and dry washes of the Arizona desert lies an intriguing landscape of architectural experiments. Sometimes encompassing a paloverde tree or suspended many feet above the desert floor, these small dwellings, conceived by architecture students as alternatives to tents and dormitory rooms, embrace¿and in their own way, celebrate¿the natural, rugged terrain surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright¿s Taliesin West. The earliest shelters were created by adventurous apprentices at the Taliesin Fellowship, a school for architects established by Frank Lloyd Wright in the mid-1930s. After Wright¿s death, a more conventional school¿the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture¿was established, and the practice of designing and building a personal dwelling became a unique feature of the school¿s curriculum. Wright insisted that there would be no armchair architects at his school; apprentices would learn through hard work and first-hand experience. The response to this directive has been astonishingly creative. In addition to honing their design and drafting skills, students comb the desert for dwelling sites; consider the effects of extreme temperature change and winter rain; gather construction materials from surrounding hills and dry riverbeds; and thoroughly explore what Wright termed organic architecture. Collected in Under Arizona Skies are photographs and architectural plans of the most exemplary student shelters built at Taliesin West, as well as personal accounts written by Victor E. Sidy, Dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, and Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, Director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives.

The wagon carrying Odessa Clay and her father overturns, killing him. Alone and scared in the middle of the desert, she faces finding her way to Phoenix and her Aunt Susan. Food and water run out, and Odessa is near death when Zach Johnson finds her. Squinting up into his tanned and handsome face, Dessie believes she’s died and gone to heaven. Would-be-outlaw, Zach Johnson finds an unconscious woman alone in the middle of nowhere. Where did she come from? First glance: she appears young, but the curves beneath the dusty gingham say otherwise. He didn’t plan to become someone’s hero, but how can he leave her stranded? He’s on his way to join a gang of bank robbers and he has no time to spare. Will the promise of Odessa’s sweet lips lure Zach from the secret mission that has his gut twisted into a knot? His father’s ranch isn’t the only thing at stake—now it’s his heart.

Starry Sky AdventuresArizona guides readers to 50 outdoor adventures to take under the darkest skies around. Guided adventures, including camping, backpacking, paddling, and hiking, show readers the way to safely experience the best of the night sky in astrotourism destinations, designated Dark Sky Places, and locations with outstanding natural darkness.

At twenty-six, the lead singer of Arizona Skies is in danger of becoming a has-been. Hard drinking, hectic schedules, and more than a few women have left Jesse Greene unable to write new songs-a serious problem since the band just signed a lucrative recording contract. Desperate to get Jesse's creative juices flowing again, his manager demands the singer get away from the nightclubs and bars by going on a weeklong cruise to jumpstart his songwriting skills...and hopefully to keep him out of trouble. Jesse is dead set against the idea, but with the band relying on him, he's got little choice. Then he sees her-fellow passenger Bailey Harris. He doesn't know her name or anything about her, but Jesse knows he has to meet her. He's convinced that she holds the keys to unlocking his inspiration-and if not, well, it's only a seven-day cruise. Shipboard romances never last, right? But as worldly as he is, Jesse doesn't count on how deeply Bailey's innocence and sweetness will change his life. And suddenly a weeklong cruise seems all too short.

There comes a time in life when we find ourselves in the desert place of burning questions. Why? Why me? But even as we shake our fist heavenward, the heart whispers another question. Who? Who are you, God? It is a question of relationship, a question we all murmur in the hardest places. Against the backdrop of the Sonoran Desert, Lynne Hartke asks her own hard questions as cancer arrives like a thief with one goal: to take it all. Hair. The contents of a stomach. A marriage. A life. As her days become a blur of doctors' appointments, treatments, and surgeries, she wrestles with a tumble of tangled emotions, a shaken faith, and self-doubt. Cancer is now not only threatening her own life, but, in a surprising twist, the lives of both her parents as well. Through her raw, lyrical words, Hartke invites fellow sojourners to discover that in life's hardest places, they are not alone in their fear, they are not foolish to hope, and they are never forgotten by a loving, pursuing God. Never.

In the wake of their whirlwind romance, Jesse and Bailey return home with stars in their eyes, desperately in love and each other. Jesse is more inspired than ever before, and he's tapped into the best parts of himself because of her, excited and motivated to write and record songs for Arizona Skies's first album. Jesse's planning a long, rewarding future for the first time-a future he longs to share with his inspiration Bailey Harris. The band's first single and video, a song Jesse wrote about when he first saw Bailey, instantly rockets to the top of the charts. The band plans their first tour of the United States, and Jesse begins to fear everything he's gained will be lost if Bailey's not by his side. Jesse struggles with his old life while he waits for Bailey, hoping she will join him. But will she have trouble finding her place in his chaotic life? And can she survive being with a rising rock star? Arizona Skies is poised for a meteoric rise to the top, but will that momentum be enough to keep Jesse's eyes on the prize? Follow Bailey and Jesse as they take their love and life to the next level in Arizona Skies: The Tour. .