Music at the Art Museum

 

I got an email from the Phoenix Symphony listing some upcoming summer events and one of the events listed was a 30 minute brass concert at the Phoenix Art Museum early Wednesday evening.  I decided to check that out.  The symphony players were part of the brass quintet and they played in one of the galleries with lots of museum goers as their audience.

Each one of the pieces they played had some reference to art such as two movements from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.  It was a perfect little diversion from a heat filled day.

Of course, while I was there I wandered around a bit to see some art pieces that weren't on view the last time I was there.  

This untitled sculpture by Robert Therrien caught my eye because it was looming over the musicians in the first photo above. The piece is untitled but is described as a flagpole.  Apparently Therrien is known for turning everyday objects into larger-than-live depictions.  

The Light Lounge

 

Here is another new feature I found at the Desert Botanical Garden last weekend.  This sign enticed me to check out the Light Lounge, a place to cool down and enjoy some more features that play with lights.

The room is full of all kinds of interactive features along with places to sit and relax and soak up the cool, air-conditioned air.  

I enjoyed making shadows on the shadow wall.

This spot will give some welcome relief from our hot days and nights.

Garden of Lights Extended

 

Back in April, I did a post about the Garden of Lights feature that had been set up at the Desert Botanical Garden.  It was designed to encourage evening walks at the garden.  That feature has been extended with some additional light features and some changes in operating hours.  The garden is open at 6:00 AM  and until 10:00 PM for these summer months.  

I spotted these trees that have been enhanced with colorful lighting.

I also saw this wall covered in reflective circles.  There were spot lights aimed at this wall so I'm guessing that at night, those lights do some kind of magical lighting feature.  I need to do another evening walk to check this out.

I Was Charmed

 

On my summer walk at the Desert Botanical Garden last weekend, I found one spot that was full of those bright yellow flowers that resemble a small version of sunflowers.  They were past their floral prime and were now a feast for the birds, especially the goldfinches.  It seems that goldfinches can't resist snacking on the blooms.  As I stood there, I realized that I was surrounded by goldfinches, lots and lots of them.

They were hanging onto the flowers centers and picking their way through the seeds inside.  There were so many that the flower stalks were swaying and sagging with the weight of the birds.

I snapped multiple photos trying to capture the birds as they swung from the plants.  In the photo above, I managed to capture four of them in one shot.  They blend in with the background so much that it's hard to make them out but if you look closely, you will see all four.

I asked Google what a group of goldfinches is called and found out they are called "a charm" of goldfinches. I found the whole situation very charming indeed so I think that's a fitting name.

Clouds at Sunset

 

I was hoping for a brilliant sunset this last weekend since we had such cloudy and rainy days.  

Since the clouds were breaking up a bit Saturday evening, I thought that might be the best chance.  However, this was the best we got.  

It was pretty enough.  Just not the explosion of red I was hoping for.

 I actually went out at 6:00 PM to see how the clouds were shaping up as the sun was starting to slip downward.  You can see why I was hopeful.  There were lots of clouds that could reflect the sun as it sunk below the horizon.  But in the end the reflections only happened low in the sky.

One Red Hot Chicken

 

This giant red chicken showed up on Camelback Road recently.  It sits in front of a new restaurant called Houston TX Hot Chicken.  This is about the third or fourth 'hot chicken' restaurant I've seen open up in the Phoenix area.  

I asked Google why and it gave me a simple answer.  Chicken is inexpensive and American taste for spicy food has spiked.

I used to like spicy food myself but over the past several years my tolerance for the 'heat' has waned.  So, I haven't tested any of these new places.

Has this new "hot chicken" fad developed in your area?

The Skies Opened Up

 

We got our summer rain on Thursday night and when I woke up on Friday morning, it was only 76 degrees (24c) outside.  I drove to the Desert Botanical Garden and got in a two hour walk.  

I arrived around 6:45 AM and found the garden almost empty.  It was so refreshing to have the place almost to myself.  

There were lots of desert rose blooms to enjoy and I couldn't resist photographing many of them.  Here are three plants but only the center one has blooms on it.

I'll have some more photos to share next week.  I didn't see a lot of animals out but I did see lots of birds and bees and butterflies.  It was great to be enjoying the desert.

Inside a Starving Artist's Den

 

A little over a year ago, I posted about a new restaurant/pub called The Starving Artist.  I was attracted by the portrait of Vincent Van Gogh on the front of the building.  I finally visited the pub and got to see the inside.

The place is decorated with copies of famous paintings but each painting has some little irreverent twist to it like this censored portrait of Mona Lisa.  Or Millais' "Ophelia" (above) who appears to be floating in a stream with her headphones on and a bottle of vodka in her hand.

Above it looks like The Last Supper has been turned into a vodka tasting party.

And to the right, it looks like a paint accident happened near this painting of a magnificent horse.

The place has an interesting concept but I can see why this artist is starving.  It's a good thing the artist has the food and drink business to keep things going.

😃

Unusual Artistry

 

Two weeks ago I met some friends at a little wine bar that was new to all of us.  It's called Hidden Track Bottle Shop & Wine Bar and it lives up to it's "hidden" name.  It's tucked away in a small strip center that was once the studio setting for artist Bill Tonnesen.  

Tonnesen is the artist who creates full body sculptures that are scattered around town.  You can see one here and anther one here on previous posts.

This one is hanging from the outside wall of the little center where the wine bar is located.

In another location, I found this reindeer lounging on a shelf in a wall.  

I believe they are both sculptures left over from when Tonnesen had his studio here.

The wine bar itself was a cozy little space that served some of the best bar food I've ever had.  Everything on the menu had a European twist to it and everything was delicious.  I will certainly return here again.  Maybe I'll find some more hidden sculptures lurking around the property.

I Missed My Anniversary

 

I just discovered that I missed my 18 year anniversary for Phoenix Daily Photo.  It was last Saturday on July 11th.  I can't believe it's been 18 years.  The time has just slipped by at the speed of light.  When I discovered that I had missed the date, I couldn't figure out what I should post so I looked at that very first post and decided to post an updated photo of the Arizona State Capitol building.  I just happened to have one in my handy photo files.  

So here I am 18 years later and still posting photos every day.  It's been a fun ride, I think I'll keep it going.  

Dark Clouds, No Rain

 

On Sunday evening I noticed that some dark skies were starting to form over the mountains to the north of me.

I zoomed in closer and saw some very heavy clouds that looked like they might open up at any moment.

The skies to the northeast over the complex were getting very dark.

All of this dramatic build up and not one drop of rain fell.  I heard that areas north of Phoenix got some rain but no such luck for us city folks.

My weather app says we have a stronger chance for some rain later this week.  My fingers are crossed!

Posted this AM, the rains came Monday night and it was a good solid rain!  Makes me happy.  

Flowers Make the Day

 

Flowers are always the perfect decoration for any occasion and recently I've seen a few that I've captured with my camera.  

These were on the table at my friends David & Riley's house for the July 4th dinner.

These were on the table at my favorite pizza place when I stopped in last week.

These cheery mums were on the table at another friend's house for a dinner party at the end of June.

These gerbera daisies were at my friend Glenda's house just last Thursday.  

I used to see lots of gerbera daisies but I haven't recently so I was doubly happy to see these.

Flame Skimmer

 

I came across this photo of a dragonfly when I was searching through the old Desert Botanical Garden photos.  Google says it's a flame skimmer dragonfly.  Don't you love that name?  It's a real beauty so I thought I should share it. 

Here's that same dragonfly from a different vantage point.  It's brilliant orange color stands out wether with a blue background or a green one.  

Brilliant Sunset

 

I noticed a red glow on my balcony wall one evening last weekend so I stepped outside to check out the sky.  It had been overcast all day long but unfortunately no rain fell.  However, all those clouds created a stunning sunset.

I zoomed in a bit to get a better looks at that colorful sky.  My weather app shows us being rather hot for the next week but there is a possibility of rain next weekend.  My fingers are crossed!

Garden Walks in July, Part 3

 

July of 2020 gave me another after-the-storm opportunity for a walk.  You can see the rain droplets on this desert rose bloom.

This barrel cactus was also soaking up the water.  It was also crowned with a circle of pretty blooms. 

In 2025, I also got a July walk at the garden.  That gives me a bit of hope that I might get one this year.  I photographed this agave plant with another plant growing up through its branches.

I also found some pretty blooms on the guayacan plant which surprised me.  I didn't expect to see these blooms in the July heat.

That's my round-up of Desert Botanical Garden July visits.  Hopefully all this effort to find photos from July will pay off with a nice, cooling monsoon storm in the next few weeks.

Garden Walks in July, Part 2

 

I found exactly three photos dated July 2014 and only one of those made it on my blog. My comment on that post said the temperature was tolerable but I'm guessing since I only took 3 photos, I didn't stay very long. This view of Camelback Mountain was one of the three photos.

I had better luck in 2015.  It appears that my walk followed a monsoon storm because all the photos show the appearance of water droplets.

These pretty purple flowers are enjoying the summer rain.

In July of 2017, I was lucky enough to find a flock of peach-faced lovebirds munching on some flowers so I was able to get several shots of those colorful birds.

I also photographed this Desert Rose tree that had been planted in a dish bonsai style.  I don't recall ever seeing this again so I wonder what happened to it.

I have a few more from past July walks tomorrow.  

Garden Walks in July, Part 1

 

The July weather has heated up significantly over the past two weeks.  We've gone from hot to sizzling hot.  I was wishing I could take a walk at the Desert Botanical Garden but it felt too hot over the last weekend.  

That got me to wondering if I've ever been able to walk at the garden in month of July.  I searched through the photo files and I found seven different years where I got to take a walk in July.  So I thought I'd post some photos from those seven years.  Above and to the left are two that were taken in 2012.  I like that sun flare in the top photo.  It looks like the sun was just peeking over the mountain and through the heavy clouds.  Agave blooms appear in the left photo.

Heavy clouds will be a theme through all of these photos.  Cloudy skies or rain are the only things that would make if cool enough to be walking outside in July.

In July of 2013, I snapped this photo of a hummingbird having a little rest from all that buzzing around that I normally see.

I also snapped a photo of this sunflower with something purple blooming in the background.  

I'll show you a few more July walks photos over the next few days.  Who knows, maybe I'll get the opportunity to take a walk this July.  All we need is a nice, heavy monsoon storm to cool things down.