The road to Florence isn’t long when country music stars are in town. People flock from the East Valley to the Country Thunder music festival, spurring the question: What else is there to see in Florence? It didn’t take long to find an answer — alpacas.

Phaedra is a gentle gal with a laid back, easy going personality. She enjoys hanging out with people and gets along well with other dogs. Although she is not particularly interested in the rough and tumble wrestling games that some other dogs like, she’s happy to watch the show. Phaedra is looking for a home that will take her on daily walks around the neighborhood, weekend hikes could be enjoyable to her too but she might have to work up her stamina for a longer hike. A home with plenty of cuddle time and hanging out with her favorite humans would be perfect for this mellow gal. Belly rubs are also a favorite of hers. She has so much love to give and can’t wait to start her new life.

Phaedra is a gentle gal with a laid back, easy going personality. She enjoys hanging out with people and gets along well with other dogs. Although she is not particularly interested in the rough and tumble wrestling games that some other dogs like, she’s happy to watch the show.

Paula Poundstone’s comedy originates mostly from her home life: raising three adopted children on her own while cleaning waste from 16 cats and two dogs.

Another paranoid, delusional letter to the editor (“President Obama’s evil agenda,” by Lawrence J. McLennan III, AFN, Jan. 9) was a comedic recital of untruths and hyperbole without a single fact to back them up, but plenty of bombastic opinions masquerading as truth.

The American people have been duped by the mainstream media into believing that the President has their best interests at heart. While our national news outlets were busy covering the recent dysfunction on Capitol Hill, those same networks also paid tribute to the President’s position as a voice of reason in the matter. Sound bites of his public pleas for a vote were never absent from nationally syndicated programs. Unfortunately for us, those pleas lacked real substance or intentions. This is a president who wanted to tumble over the fiscal cliff, or rather, could have cared less whether we went over. Either way, his agenda was marching forward; taxes were bound to rise no matter the outcome. And so goes his crusade to criminalize the personal achievements of the financially responsible, Americans who don’t envision a life of subsisting upon the hard work of others, for their taxes will soar.

“The Spirit of Christmas” show at Chandler Center for the Arts is as much fun for the performers as it is for the audience.

No fruit says fall like apples. Baked into pies, pureed into sauces, sauteed with meats and stews both savory and sweet, it is one of our most comforting and versatile fruits. But which apple to use for what?

If you get the impression Arizona can sometimes seem a little wacky to the rest of the nation, take heart, at least, that attention-getting shenanigans are nothing new for the Grand Canyon State.

The number of Valley homes sold in July tumbled because of a continuing lack of inventory — and an increasingly frustrating shortage of affordable housing.

The Ahwatukee Community Swim and Tennis Center is offering golf, swim and tennis camp weekly throughout the summer for kids 6 to 14 years old; cooking and craft class and tumbling for kids 3 to 5 years old; swim lessons for kids 6 months to 8 years old; as well as adult lessons.

The letter from Bill Sandry (May 20) blaming the 1999 repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 for the financial meltdown that began in 2007 is another in a long series of Republican/tea party attempts to blame Bill Clinton for the mess created by the failed fiscal policies of George II and the Republican-dominated House and Senate of the 1990s and the first half of this decade.

If you’re interested in choosing a sports camp for your daughter, you may be interested to know that the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says more girls are participating in a wider variety of sports than ever before, and it should be encouraged by parents, coaches and educators.

If you’re interested in choosing a sports camp for your daughter, you may be interested to know that the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says more girls are participating in a wider variety of sports than ever before, and it should be encouraged by parents, coaches and educators.

Camp Amazing at Family of Christ Learning Center

For those planning to get a mortgage this year, 2012 will bring good and bad news. Mortgage rates will likely stay low, mortgage experts say. Still, borrowers may have to pay more for mortgages this year.

The spirit of competition is strong for cheerleaders of all ages, said one Ahwatukee Foothills resident, and her goal is to open up the sport to more athletes and reduce some of the nerves that are associated with coming in new.

For more than 16 years Ahwatukee Board of Management has offered classes to keep toddlers busy on weekday mornings, but a recent drop in enrollment has the teacher, Mary Woodmansee, baffled.

In Christmas Past, children would find all sorts of simple games under the tree: Tiddlywinks, pickup sticks and board games could amuse young minds for hours.

The Cassini spacecraft has been giving scientists information about Saturn and its moons for the past seven years. In that time much has been learned about the gaseous planet and its intriguing moons, such as Titan.

I got a chance to settle in front of the TV - instead of swelter in Sun Devil Sauna - and watch ASU's opener.

Here: Inspire Kids Montessori to host open house

It's easy to have confidence in investments made during bull markets: Share prices climb and any losses from poor decisions are usually recovered fast. But times of increasing market volatility tend to magnify mistakes, and many investors may lose confidence in their decision making. Let's take a quick look at some of these common - but generally avoidable - mistakes.