Food and Friends

 

I had dinner Saturday evening with my good friends David and Riley and we went to a beautiful Asian restaurant called Tottie's Asian Fusion.  I hadn't been to this restaurant in at least three years and it still looked as beautiful as I remembered.  

This mysterious trunk was on a shelf just above our table. 

I ordered a special salmon dish that was beautifully served in this fish-shaped dish.  In addition to my delicious entree, we shared a number of tasty appetizers.  Everything was perfectly prepared and extremely good.  I can't wait to return for another great meal.  

Respect & Resilience

 I found this mural on the side of a charter school.  There is a bit of positive thinking going on here.  Respect for others and being resilient are both good qualities.  I didn't see an artist's signature on this one.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Lunch Followed by Art

 

I had a craving for some of that tasty pazole they serve at the cafe at the Heard Museum so I went for lunch on Friday.  I didn't go into the museum but I did stop at the gift shop and the Berlin Gallery after my lunch.  The Berlin Gallery is where they have special works of art for sale.  I always find interesting things in that wonderful gallery.  This painting by Monte Yellowhorse is perfect example.  This work is called "Bird Buffalo Trail".  I love the combination of patterns.  

I also admired the painting above by Dolores Purdy.  It's called "Running With the Buffalos".  This type of art is  called ledger art, artworks painted on old ledger pages.  

To the right is another piece that caught my eye.  This piece is by an artist named Marvin Oliver and the sign on it said it was 'chiseler glass'.  I didn't know what that was so I did some searching and I've come to the conclusion that the sign should say 'chiseled glass'.  It's certainly an interesting piece.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  It's about a surprise encounter in Oregon.

The Season of Spectacular Sunsets

 

August is a great month for capturing spectacular sunsets here in Arizona.  We have plenty of monsoon clouds that build up in the late afternoon, making a perfect backdrop for the sun's light.  This one was taken facing directly west where the sun had just slipped below the horizon.  

This one was taken looking north.  The sun's light was painting the skies in every direction and I was surrounded by this warm, orange glow.  

Make a Splash

 

I bet the birds at the Desert Botanical Garden are splashing around in the water to cool off.  There were a few times when I was in Oregon that I would have loved to do the same.  The weather there was unusually hot.  

I'm glad there are plenty of watering spots at the garden so that all the birds have water to drink and to splash in.

Drink up little ones!

Big, Beautiful Flowers

 

I love seeing the bouquets of flowers that are available at the Farmer's Market.  I'm not sure where they are grown, but it is wonderful to see so many beautiful blooms all grouped together.

I didn't buy any when I saw these a week ago because I knew I would be leaving for the trip to Oregon.  I hope I see more the next time I go to the Farmer's Market.  I will be sure to bring some home.

Scenes from Oregon

 

I'm back home again but, thought I'd post just a few photos from my few days in Oregon.  To the right is where we stayed.  It was a rental property called The Farm House and it was really an old farm house that had been updated enough for comfort but still held on to that old country living style. 

We were there to attend a conference called the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC).  It's an annual event that hadn't met for the past two years.  My good friends Julie and Dave have gone in years past but, I had never attended before.

All of the events were held on the campus of Linfield University, one of the most beautiful campuses that I've ever visited.  The grounds were full of huge trees, large rhododendron plants and baskets of flowers hanging on the light poles.  

We visited several wineries and saw lots of beautiful, big grapes on the vine.  And, in between all of that, we attended educational sessions and had fabulous, chef-prepared meals.

It was a fun few days!

Hugs and Kisses

 

I saw these huge, stainless steel letters on the side of the AZ88 restaurant in Scottsdale a week ago.  At first I didn't know what they represented but I finally realized this is a symbol for "hugs and kisses".  I think the restaurant is giving us a very warm greeting.  Nothing beats a good hug!  

Theme Day: Wood

 

The City Daily Photo Bloggers theme for August 1st is "Wood".  I had several options picked out from my archives but when I walked into the Williams Sonoma store last week, I saw this beautiful wood salad bowl and I thought it would be perfect for the theme.  It would also be perfect for a wonderful tossed salad!

If you want to see wooden entries from other bloggers, click here.  

Copper Domes

 

I love the architecture of this Greek Orthodox Church in Scottsdale.  

The copper domes and "ruffled" trim make it stand apart from other modern churches.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm looking at the Oregon wine country landscapes.

Homes from Historic Neighborhoods

 

I enjoy wandering around the many historic neighborhoods in the Phoenix area and seeing homes that have been so lovingly maintained.  The one above is from the Alvarado neighborhood.

Also from the Alvarado neighborhood is this large house with Tudor styling.  Those hedges around the yard are also interesting.  I like the way they look like waves.  

This last one is from the Fairview Place historic neighborhood.  The word "charming" comes to mind when I look at this one.  It has a storybook look to it.

All That Glass

 

All that gorgeous Chihuly glass is now gone from the Desert Botanical Garden.  When it's cool enough to walk there again, it will seem bare without these beautiful installations.

Luckily, I took plenty of photos while the exhibition was up so I can be reminded of all the beauty from time to time.  

I Made it to Oregon

 

If I sit on the right side of the plane, I can get a good view of Mt. Hood just as the the plane approaches the Portland airpot.  Luckily, it was clear and I got a good shot out the window. 

I encountered this strange thing at the Portland airport.  It wasn't ready for use yet but, it looks like it will be telephone booth-like places to sit and work or make calls.  It has plugs for phones and internet.  What an interesting business concept with a cute name.

After a very nice lunch, we finally arrived in McMinnville where we are staying.  I love the look of this city, it's so Americana.  We are staying in a rental called the Farm House and it really is a real farm house. It looks great but judging from how long it took to upload these photos, the internet might be a little slow. We'll see how that goes.

Flying North

 

I'm leaving early this morning and flying northward to Portland Oregon.  And, after a short drive I'll be in the Willamette Valley, Oregon's renowned wine country.  

I'm looking forward to views like the one to left for several days.  I was hoping it would also be a break from the heat but it sounds like a bit of a heart wave is headed for Oregon too.  

It will be a busy week, so I may not have time to post from the road.  Just in case I can't get to the blog, I've posted ahead so I won't miss any days.  

Mister Fog

 

Last Sunday we had some very cloudy weather with rain in many parts of the valley.  It brought the temperatures down from the 110's on Saturday to the low 80's on Sunday morning.  But the clouds also brought higher humidity.  

Businesses use misters during the summer months to try to cool public spaces down a bit but, when there is humidity in the air the misters make it look like it's foggy.  

I stopped at Biltmore Fashion Park shopping center where it was looking very foggy on Sunday around noon.  

Celebrating the Southwest

 

Remember my post about trying a new Mexican Restaurant that I posted on July 15th?  This mural was on the building next door to the restaurant but it was positioned so that it could be viewed from the restaurant through the big windows on the  south side of the building.  The signature on this one reads "Moises".  If you look closely you will see that green in the center is a car with a rather colorful driver with his hair (?) blowing in the wind.  It's a very southwestern mural.    

FLW Home

 

There is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home not far from me but every time I've passed it, there has been a gate across this drive blocking the view.  The last time I drove by, the gate was opened so I finally got the shot.  I love the outside of this home.  I wish I could see the inside.  

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm looking at the architecture of the Getty Museum.  

What to Photograph Next

I had an appointment with the eye doctor one day last week and I didn't realize they were going to dilate my eyes on this visit.  So there I was sitting in the darkened room and waiting for 15 minutes while my pupils reacted to the eye drops.  Needless to say, I was bored.  That's when I got out the trusty iPhone and took a picture of the interesting gadget with all the dials and number that the doctor uses to measure the strength of my eyesight.  

Just to put it in context, I decided to take a photo of the exam room across the hall.  

I hate wasting time sitting around doing nothing so I did what I always do, took some photos.  

Looking Forward to Butterflies

 

I'm looking forward to the time when the desert summer heat starts to cool down and I can once again spend some time outdoors.  I'm missing my walks at the Desert Botanical Garden where I might see the occasional monarch butterfly enjoying the blooms.

The garden calls these white ones "cloudless sulphur" butterflies but I think most people call them cabbage whites.

The white peacocks are always a pleasure to see.

My personal favorite is the malachite butterfly.  I love their shade of green.

At least I have an archive of photos from the garden that I can enjoy during this time when it's simply too hot to walk there.

Time to Trim the Palms

 

The palm trees at the building next door to me were looking a bit shaggy lately and sure enough, the tree trimming people arrived last week to clean them up.

It's always entertaining to watch these guys swing from tree to tree.

The team on the ground pick up all the fallen fronds and debris and feed them through the giant shredder.

The trees look so bare when they are all done but it won't take them long to fill out again.