Decorative Tree

 

I saw this pretty tree on the outside wall of the new gift shop at the Heard Museum.  Someone told me that it is a work in progress. Those are candles scattered among the branches.  

I'll be sure to return soon to see what the finished tree looks like.  

The New Gift Shop

 

The Gift Shop at the Heard Museum has been closed for renovations all summer long.  To accommodate summer tourists, they had a small shop set up in one of the meeting rooms.  Last Sunday morning, they invited members to a grand opening of the new gift shop. I was excited to see what they had done so I made a point of going. What a change!  The new shop is bigger with wonderful new features.

As I made my way around every corner in the shop, I was amazed at how beautifully the art work was being displayed.  The space around the pieces makes it easier to see each piece.

The rug room was especially attractive.  It is amazing to see all these colorful rugs displayed like this.  In the old space, they were piled on top of a table which made it hard to get a good look at each piece.  

They have even added a "viewing room" where a collector might be able to view a  painting or sculpture away from the display cases to determine if they want to make the purchase.  The whole place is quite spectacular.  It was like going to a whole new museum to me.  

Hoping for good results on this Election Day!!

Mexican Church

 

I found another mural inside a Mexican restaurant that I go to quite often.  I had never been seated on this side of the restaurant so I hadn't seen this mural before.  I like that church with the tall steeple at the end of the street.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Dinner with a View and More

 

Last Saturday evening, I had dinner with friends before an event in downtown Phoenix.  We decided to have dinner at The Compass which is the revolving restaurant on top of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

I snapped this photo before it got too dark to see anything. The view is great but the reflections in the glass make it difficult to Photograph.

This photo shows the restaurant from the street below.  You can see the round part where the restaurant is located through the palm tree.  

The event we attended was the ballet.  I had never seen the whole Swan Lake ballet performed before.  I knew the music and had of course seen many bits and pieces in movies or TV shows but never the whole ballet.  It really was quite spectacular.  

Those Very Busy Cactus Wrens

 

When I visited the Desert Botanical Garden last weekend, I had a close encounter with one of those industrious cactus wrens.

This one was hopping around right next to me and took a moment to pose for a couple of photos before hopping off those rocks to continue his search for more bits to add to its nest.

After my walk, I stopped at the restaurant for some breakfast and was entertained by this cactus wren who was busy building a nest inside an opening in one of the heaters that hangs over the restaurant's patio.  I'm not sure that's a very good place for a nest.  I would think that when those heaters are turned on, it might get pretty hot up in that crevice.  I'm betting the maintenance team will clean that nest out before that happens.  That poor little cactus wren will have to start all over with his building project.

Theme Day: Cooking

 

I had a plan for a photo for this day.  I cooked dinner for some friends two weeks ago and my plan was to have one of them take a photo of me at the stove.  However as things sometimes go, I got so busy cooking and talking that I totally forgot.  So all you get to see is what I made.  It's shrimp and fennel with spinach fettuccine. It's a recipe I've had for many years and it's still a winner today.  

The November 1st theme for City Daily Photo Bloggers is "Cooking".  To see other cooking themed photos, click here.

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a pleasant Halloween and that there is enough trick-or-treat candy leftover for some snacking.  I'll be looking for a slice of pumpkin pie.

More Halloween Decorations

 

Two more decorations I saw at my grocery store.  I just had to get a photo of that very excited green pumpkin head.

This one reminded me of an old fashioned snow globe only this one is electric so the snow falls all the time when it's plugged in.  That's a witch scene inside.  

Strange Garden

 

Every year, the Desert Botanical Garden does an event called "Strange Garden".  It's meant mostly for families to bring their kids to enjoy instead of trick-or-treating.  All The action happens in the evening so in the morning hours, I just get to enjoy the displays they've set up.  The one above greeted me at the entrance gates.

Even though the pumpkin patch was closed until the evening, I was able to snap a photo from the entrance.  That is a lot of pumpkins!

I thought the scarecrows on either side of the entrance display were quite nice too. Obviously, they haven't scared away any of the crows.  

The Skeleton Family Gathering

 

I drove over to my old neighborhood to see what the Skeleton family was up to this year.  They were gathered together once again in my former neighbor's yard.  

As I was taking these photos, the home owner arrived and asked me if any of them had spoken to me.  I said "no, they were all very quiet."  He said "they don't have much to say, they are all a bunch of boneheads." 

I visit this "family" every Halloween season.  If you want to see some past photos of this group, click on the Skeleton Family label below.

Dog Day at the Garden

 

I went for a walk at the garden early Saturday morning.  Saturday mornings happen to be "dog days" when the garden encourages dog owners to walk their dogs at the garden.  I was lucky to get a quick snap of these four posing in their trick-or-treat costumes.  There was actually a fifth one to the right but I had to snap this so quickly, I cut him out of the photo. Aren't they a cute group?

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this handsome fellow.  His name is Roger and he was happy to pose for a photograph.  

The Goblins Are Out in Full Force

 

It appears that the goblins are making a seasonal appearance right now.  I'm seeing a vast array of Halloween decorations everywhere I look.

This yard was especially busy with scary scenes.

This one has a special "African" look and I see the bats are hanging around in the background.

While just across the street, this skinny guy was giving me a cheery wave.  He's such a friendly fellow.

Three Witches

 

I had lunch with a friend last weekend at a restaurant in Scottsdale that was decorated for the season with  an abundance of Halloween themed items. 

My favorites were the witches.  

There was a collection of witches sitting all over the restaurant.

I only photographed these three because I didn't want to disturb other diners but there were plenty more of them to be found.

It was clear what holiday was being celebrated the moment you walked in the door.

Bloodline, Part 2

 

I have three more images from the "Bloodline" exhibit at the Heard Museum that I wrote about yesterday.  I am struck by the symbolism in each of these photos.  This one is called "Remember the Sky Your Were Born Under".  McMaster states: "For the most part I'll never meet my viewers. But those are probably the most important conversations that I have, the silent conversations through my work. They're just like seeds that are floating around. They'll catch ground somewhere hopefully, and maybe get enough water to grow."  What a beautiful way to think about how her work impacts those who view it.  Maybe my little blog post is helping to spread those seeds.

In this work, McMaster is expressing her connection with all her grandmothers.  "There's a lot going on underneath that we don't see that's connected to who we are."

I really love this one.  This one is called "Cartography of the Unseen".  "The curator's note says "The ever shifting sands offer a potent metaphor for the history of colonial oppression - the systematic erasure, rewriting, and covering over of previous lives and endemic species."

All of her photos were taken in Canada, even the one on the dunes.  It was taken at the Great Sandhills in Saskatchewan.  

What an amazing artist and what an amazing exhibit.

Bloodline

 

I mentioned in my post last Sunday that I had gone to the Heard Museum to attend an event.  It was a lecture about the latest exhibit on display called "Bloodline".  It contains the work of Meryl McMaster a member of the Cree Nation in central Saskatchewan Canada.  Her work is called performance art photography. The works portray herself in a variety of costumes and arrangements that she fashion and constructs herself.  Each one has multiple layers of themes. The photo above is called "Anima".  The artist says that in the Cree culture, butterflies are associated with the presence of ancestors.  McMaster says "It's as if I were turning to ice and the butterflies are in a sense breathing life back into me."

This photo is called "From a Still, Unquiet Place". It is an expression of her hybrid ancestry reflecting her Scots ancestry on her Mother's side and her Cree and Siksika family on her Father's side.  She is wearing a large, feathered headdress, a Scottish plaid garment and carrying school bells in her hands recalling the legacy of residential schools.  

This photo is from the same series called "From a Still, Unquiet Place".  The whole exhibit shows an amazing amount of creativity and thought.  I enjoyed reading her descriptions of the different photos and what they mean to her.  Meryl McMaster is a very talented woman.

More Blooming Lights

 

More photos from the "Light Bloom" exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden.  

There was no way to get photos of this grouping without people in them so I incorporated them into the photo.  This group changes colors. To the left is a shot when they were glowing red and above they were a turquoise blue.  

Someone asked about the artists for this installation.  It is called Light Bloom by HYBYCOZO and the artists who make up that group are Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu.

Above are the thin reddish towers that I pictured last week.  They aren't quite as red when the lights are shining through them.

I love the patterns on this one to the right.  

I'm glad I went to see them lit up.  They are fun to photograph.  It takes a little patience waiting for a break in the crowds but it was worth it.  I might try a week night the next time.  There might be fewer crowds during the week.

The Lights Were Blooming

 

I went to the Desert Botanical Garden Saturday evening to see those lacy sculptures all lit up.  It was busy with lots of people there to see the lights but I did manage to get some good shots.

The shadows or "light blooms" were amazing.  

I think the photo to the left is my favorite.

Sudden Change in the Weather

 

We experienced a rather sharp change in our weather on Friday.  It went from 99 to 100 degrees to low 60's and rain.  I had to dig in my closed for a sweatshirt and jacket.

On Saturday I attended an event at the Heard Museum and then had lunch in their cafe.  Just look at all these "Arizona" people wearing jackets, vests and sweatshirts.  After one of the hottest summers on record, it takes a bit of time to get used to the cooler temperatures. 

I'll tell you more about the event next week.  

Nothing Wrong With Being Green

 

I found this lovely lady at my grocery store yesterday.  

She looks a bit like Elphaba from Wicked, don't you think?

The store had lots of Halloween decorations to choose from.  They are certainly ready for the big day.  

Light Bloom....A Few More

 

When I arrived at the Desert Botanical Garden last Sunday morning, I saw one of the "Light Bloom" installations right away.  This one is at the entrance before you get to the gate where you check in.

This one was being lit up by the rising sun.

This one looks great sitting in the center of the contemplation garden. 

As I said before, I can't wait to see them lit up at night.  I'm going to try to get there this weekend.